Visiting the Boundary waters between Canada and the US was something special: it was a vast ecosystem with acres of water as far as the eye could see, interspersed by lushly forested islands that floated like mats of green on an large aquatic biome. I only had the opportunity to visit these waters in Voyageurs National Park, but it was enough to give me a sample of what the rest of this place has in store. And in the couple of days I spent there, I garnered enough memories to treasure our visit for a lifetime

Far away from any major airports, getting to this Park in the northernmost reaches of Minnesota required a long and tiring drive from Minneapolis under a hot summer sky. But once I entered the Park, which is mostly water-based, the mood suddenly shifted. From the visitor center, I spied the boundless waters of Lake Kabetogama Lake in all directions, and under the mid-day sun, was refreshing to dip into.

Thereafter, we rented a canoe, and paddled into the waters of Rainy Lake, hoping to trace part of the route the ancient Voyageurs during the fur trade years of the 17th and 18th century. But being novice paddlers, we instead chose to stay by an isolated campsite on an island in the heart of Voyageurs. And this isolation made it the perfect escape from the chaos of civilization: from relaxing on a private beach to cool down under the hot sun, to watching colorful sunrises and sunsets from your doorstep, and to falling asleep under the twinkling fireflies and the scintillating stars. I could not hope to or ask for more.

This was one such sunset scene with unique cloud formations created by the heat wave spreading over the boundary waters.

Voyageurs National Park
MN USA