Toes buried in the sand, I look off into the windswept waters, spotting a bright red freighter, a couple of jet skis, and a curving shoreline edged with parks and beaches. Grandma Lizzy floats on a blow-up recliner, while the cousins take turns hauling each other around on a boogie board. Shorebirds forage for insects in the sand. For our California crew, it feels like a classic beach day. I have to remind myself that we are over a thousand miles from the ocean, squarely in the Midwest at the tail-end of a sweltering summer. Welcome to Duluth, Minnesota, home to Grandpa Billy and the Rogers cousins, first stop on our family vacation.
It took several years of planning to put together this easy beachside scene. Ever since Grandpa Billy passed away, we knew we wanted to meet in his hometown, to share memories in his old haunts and experience his favorite places with three generations of Rogers. Duluth is charming. Old stone buildings, once teeming with industry, now house restaurants, distilleries, and galleries. The lake is bustling with sailboats, yachts and freighters. A lakeside trail rims the clear, blue waters of Lake Superior, winding through parks and historic neighborhoods.
