When I was getting ready to go up to Wintergreen for my dog sledding trip I was talking with my friend Jim about the trip and he told me there were two things I had to do. First, I needed to check out the two papers in Ely. Ely is a small town, but they have two vibrant newspapers and they have a spirited back-and-forth between the two. I enjoyed reading the Echo and the Timberjay on the couch at Wintergreen on my first day. As an aside, if you are looking for a little Ely love, go to WELY’s website and start streaming the local radio station. It’s awesome. I’m listening to it right now as I type this.

Jim’s second recommendation was that I take “the best road in Minnesota” while I was up there. The “fast way” to get to Ely is to take I-35 North and then head up on 33/53/37/169. The “slow way”, which is about 90 minutes longer, is to take I-35 North and go through Duluth, take the scenic drive on the North Shore, and then Highway 1 to Ely. On the way to Ely, I took the fast way. On the way home, I decided to put my camera with a couple of lenses in the passenger seat and head down Highway 1. It was great, and there were a lot of photography stops. Here are my pictures on the Long Way Home.