Ely 1 a World's Best Towns

[Lee Borgersen]

 Ely named one of 'World's Best Towns for Outdoor Thrills'

 September 29, 2016


  .....
Ely has been named one of National Geographic’s “World’s Best Towns for Outdoor Thrills,” along with other outdoor destinations such as Moab, Utah; Cairns, Australia; Hogsback, South Africa; and Huaraz, Peru.

The canoeing, fishing, dogsledding and snowmobiling community of about 3,500 represents “a great base camp — a place to stock up on provisions, hire a guide and grab a cold drink at the end of the day,” National Geographic’s editors wrote in a feature published Monday.

National Geographic says Ely “has all the classic hallmarks of a quaint outdoor town: log cabins, small-town diners, and ample wildlife trophies. Tucked on the edge of a lesser known but spectacular natural marvel in the U.S., Ely is within shouting distance of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, more than a million acres of wild terrain in Minnesota’s Superior National Forest. … Silence is one of the most profound parts of traveling through the Boundary Waters, where on most mornings the stillness is interrupted only by the echoes of loon calls rippling across the lakes.”


In making Ely one of its selections, National Geographic also emphasized the opportunity for “foraging” in the area.

“You can get a license to catch bass, walleye, or northern pike, or stop along the way to graze tiny, sweet wild blueberries,” editors wrote.

Ely and Moab, Utah, were the only two destinations in the U.S. selected by National Geographic.



 
            ....
A modest little wooden cabin
Is waiting for me there,
And as I enter into its doors
Away go all my cares...

My heart is filled with memories
That can never be replaced
Although they make me sad at times
I know life's too precious to waste

To fight a fish across the miles
And reel him into view
Or simply float across the stretch
Of endless tranquil blue

To sit upon the pier at night
And gaze at the star-filled sky
That's always bigger and clearer there
It doesn't matter why

A man must have a place to go
Where his mind and soul are free
If he's lucky enough to find that door
Then God will turn the key

Basswood Lakes my secret spot
Its banks run clear and strong
And each time I return to them
I know that I belong


    God Bless Ely Minnesota!

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