Poppin’ a Wheelie for Ely

A longtime friend of mine has always approached life the low-expectations way, explaining that he’d rather be pleasantly surprised than let down. He taught me the upside of low expectations over twenty-five years ago, and  I’ve failed to adopt that outlook in any appreciable way ever since. My expect-the-brochure-experience optimism just can’t be tamed. What I have come to appreciate, though, is the times when there are no expectations. Our adventures invariably lead us to stays of convenience: right location, right time kinda stuff. Ely, Minnesota, and our stay at Silver Rapids Lodge, was one of those stops, and we left grateful that life introduced us. 

Ely is a small northeastern Minnesota town just miles from the Canadian border. One of this wilderness town’s biggest draws is that it sits at the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCVAW). We had already explored some of the BWCVAW while staying on Lake Kabetogama outside Voyageur National Park. How much more could Ely really offer?! Turns out a lot. Aside from the beautiful forests, waters, sunsets, dark skies, wolves crossing roads, you name it, Ely boasts a perfect little town. Quiet and quaint, with enough shops and eateries for an afternoon or two of meandering. We had to hop in the truck to drive there, but parking was easy, and once parked, everything was accessible on foot. And since I’m a laundromat connoisseur (or as my dad always pronounces it—“common sewer”), the fact that we could grab a beer and a bite outside while waiting for loads at the laundromat meant I was halfway to nirvana. (Doesn’t take much these days.)

Our RV park, Silver Rapids Lodge, was the real scene stealer. Built in 1919, the resort is one of Minnesota’s earliest resorts. Which also means our arrival was a bit white-knuckle-y. (Guess it’s too much to ask our brethren from over a century ago to have the forethought to accommodate 43-foot fifth wheels. Sheesh.)  The office was kind enough to call the day before arrival to talk through logistics, and with plan in place, Colan backed in up a seemingly endless narrow road, uphill no less, into our spot. (If anyone needs an aircraft marshaller, I’m confident I can be your ground girl now.) 

Really, we didn’t expect much. The sewage hookups weren’t working, our converter went out, power was problematic, and the weather was mostly gloomy. Still. Still! We sat high over the rest of the park, overlooking the beautiful boundary waters. We had so much privacy, and were surrounded by woods to walk the cat. (Yes, you read that right.) And our absolute favorite part?! The Lazy Loon! It’s an on-site bar and restaurant that we walked to all but our last night. The drinks, food, and atmosphere were good, and I got a break from cooking—always appreciated. But our absolute favorite was the chance to feel like part of a community for a second. Locals frequent the place, and we had the privilege of sitting beside some of the same people multiple nights and seeing some of the same bartenders. Having real conversations with the people who make up a town is one of our favorite parts of exploring. It’s the best way to get to know a place, plus we get to pretend to be local for a few days. It gets lonely out here sometimes, despite our best intentions, and being welcomed into the fold is much appreciated. 

Turns out Ely is exactly our kind of place and it just might be yours too. Beautiful, tranquil wilderness with plenty to explore.  Kind and welcoming people, the way us humans should be. Now, those are expectations that should never be lowered, no matter the disappointment. (But you won’t have to worry about that in Ely.)

Hope to see you out there! —CL