National Monuments - Minnesota

Grand Portage National Monument

6/21/2009 Back south to GP to the Grand Portage National Monument. Parked at the Heritage Center and checked out the exhibits showing the Voyageurs, Ojibwe, North West Co. traders and other who met for trading and the summer Rendezvous. We then walked down to the park’s reconstructed encampment. First stop, the Ojibwe village, with examples of the huts they made in different seasons. Costumed guides here and elsewhere explained the things we were seeing. We had the whole place to ourselves until right before leaving. Next stop the canoe barn, where we saw the real wood canoes made in the original style and old techniques – really magnificent large canoes. From there into the stockade and the Great Hall, set with period furniture and furnishings. We were just in time for a personal concert (excellent) by a guy in period dress performing on the full and small bagpipes while explaining the history – nice addition to the experience. Checked out the kitchen where they were cooking venison and the ubiquitous wild rice, walked down to the lake (cool breeze blowing on a beautiful morning), then headed out.

The park sign

Nice diorama in the heritage center

Part of the Ojibwe village

Ken in the canoe barn

Buildings in the stockade

The Great Hall

Me in the store

Great bagpipe concert!

A view from within the stockade

Pipestone National Monument

9/16/2006 Headed north to Pipestone and Pipestone NM. This is the place where the Indians quarried pipestone, a soft, smooth stone for making pipes and other implements. Took a very enjoyable nature/quarry trail, passing little snapping turtles less than 24 hours old, impressive rock formations, waterfall and finally the quarry areas. These are still being used by local Indians to make things. The pipestone layers are under many feet of overlay. The weather is very overcast and the wind continues nonstop (10-25 mph). Looked around the visitor center museum, then a nearby gift shop.

The park sign

Me by the waterfall

The pipestone quarry

Another view of the quarry

Beautiful colors of the stone

In the VC, a diorama ...

... and stone pipes