Blue ribbon winner for Excellence in Pure Maple Products!

It’s the truth!  For those of us who live here in Lutsen, a sign is not needed to show us where we can see the fall display of beautiful maples and other deciduous trees amongst the evergreens. If you haven’t made a sojourn to the North Shore … you’re dawdling and time is of the essence. Start your migration soon …

The forest service has placed numerous signs around the Arrowhead that indicate driving routes  that pass you through locations of seasonal splendor.

For the new and veteran leaf peeper, the Minnesota DNR has a wonderful resource for when is a good time to see the Fall colors here in Cook County. Check here for more info! Fall Color Tour signs are placed along some of our most popular routes in the Tofte/Lutsen and the Gunflint area, Tour maps can be downloaded online or picked up at the Tofte and Gunflint Ranger Stations.

Here is a list of Fall events and fun things to do when you visit

• The Art Along the Lake: Fall Studio Tour
  September 28 – October 7.  Will feature a variety of unique handcrafted works created in Cook County.  Fall in Cook County is a time of tumultuous beauty, so take some time to explore the colors and meet artists during the Fall Studio Tour!  Stops include home studios as well as galleries with guest artists. All locations will be open daily, from 10am-5pm, with a few special Fall Studio Tour events scheduled outside of these hours.The Art Along the Lake Fall Studio tour is the second of two seasonal Art Along the Lake events here in Cook County and has replaced the Crossing Borders Tour which had been ongoing for 20 years. See the schedule here!
• Lake Superior 20/20 Studio Art Tour
  September 28th – 30th, 2018.The Lake Superior 20/20 Studio Art Tour offers visitors a variety of artistic talent to peruse while enjoying the autumn splendor of Minnesota’s North Shore.

  Glass, ceramics, woodwork, painting, printmaking, jewelry, sculpture, and photography,  will be exhibited, demonstrated, and offered for sale on this tour. Many sites are providing hands on activities. Click here for more info.

• Lutsen Community Potluck Celebration
  October 9th, 2018, 6:00pm to 9:00pm at the Lutsen Townhall on the Caribou Trail. Bring a dish to share and an enjoy prizes, fun and food!
• Live Radio at the Winery in Lutsen
  WTIP Radio, along with the North Shore Winery and Sawtooth Mountain Cider House, invite you to experience live, local radio on the North Shore! Join us on Friday, October 19 and be a part of the fun. The event begins with music by Gordon Thorne at 4:00 pm, leading up a live broadcast of WTIP’s variety show, the Roadhouse, from 5 – 7 p.m. The excitement continues with Small Change, your favorite call-in trivia program from 7 – 8 p.m. Hosts will be taking answers live from the Barrel Room at the winery, or over the phone. This event is free and open to all. There will be special WTIP membership incentives offered–including guided wine and truffle tastings during the Roadhouse!
• Moose Madness in Grand Marais
  October 19th – 21st, 2018. Throughout Moose Madness weekend, there are activities for everyone.  Activities range from the athletic to the artistic and kids will win “moose bucks” to spend on prizes when they do scavenger hunts, races and arts activities around town. Check here for more info!

There are so many other fun and inventive things you can do while you visit the Fall colors of Cook County. Click here to be even more inspired! And don’t forget to visit Wild Country Maple Syrup as part of your fall tour of the North Shore this season.

See you in Lutsen!

A lone maple tree on the driveway begs for attention and is indicative of the coming seasonal change. It’s Fall color time here in the sugarbush with lots to do and see! Pancakes and waffles never tasted so good in the fall, and it is certainly a great idea to stock up on REAL Wild Country Maple Syrup while you’re visiting the North Shore!

For the leaf peeper, the Minnesota DNR has a wonderful resource for when is a good time to see the Fall colors here in Cook County. Check here for more info! Fall Color Tour signs are placed along some of our most popular routes in the Tofte/Lutsen and the Gunflint area, Tour maps can be downloaded online or picked up at the Tofte and Gunflint Ranger Stations. 

Here is a list of Fall events and fun things to do when you visit:

• Radio Waves Music Festival September 8-10, 2017, Grand Marais, sponsored by WTIP North Shore community radio. Check here for more info!
• Lutsen Pancake Breakfast  September 17, 2017,  8am to 11:30am at the Lutsen Town Hall sponsored by the Lutsen Fire Department. Wild Country Maple Syrup will be on your table.
• Lutsen Fall-der-all Community Yard Sale
  September 30, 2017, 9am to 2pm in the lower parking lot of the Lutsen Clear View mall.
• Art Along the Lake – Fall Studio Tour
  September 29th – October 8th, 2017. Occurring during the same 10 day time-frame, the new Art Along the Lake-Fall Studio Tour will feature the same Cook county studios as Crossing Borders, with the addition of many new open studios and galleries. Check here  for a map and a list of participants.
• Lutsen Community Potluck Celebration
  October 10th, 2017, 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the Lutsen Townhall on the Caribou Trail. Bring a dish to share and an enjoy prizes, fun and food!
• Moose Madness in Grand Marais
  October 20th – 22nd, 2017. Throughout Moose Madness weekend, there are activities for everyone.  Activities range from the athletic to the artistic and kids will win “moose bucks” to spend on prizes when they do scavenger hunts, races and arts activities around town. Check here for more info!

Additionally, our favorite craft beer brewers will be releasing their newest products featuring  Sawtooth Mountain Maple Syrup Company Grade A maple syrup! Visit Castle Danger Brewing in Two Harbors and Fulton Beer in Minneapolis for soon to be released craft maple brews!

There are so many other fun and inventive things you can do while you visit the Fall colors of Cook County. Be inspired here!

Hello everyone, here’s our sugarbush update for Sunday April 2nd:

It’s been a busy week for sugaring. Big runs these last few days have brought us to 50% our seasonal crop. “Doing well!”  I’d say … and the sap keeps flowing!

Brittney Merlot from Duluth’s KQDS Fox 21 TV News, interviews Carrie Baker of Wild Country Maple Syrup – Click the picture to zoom –  because it’s really cute. Very fun!

This past Thursday, we got a visit from Brittney Merlot, Meteorologist of KQDS Fox 21 in Duluth. Northland folks are in for a treat this evening to see and hear all about our maple sugaring from the tree to the bottler.

• Here are the details:
  On Fox 21 (KQDS) Duluth
  Sunday at 9pm,
  Monday morning
  between 7-9am

I’m thinking this will be cool and not embarrassing because every time I get in front of the camera I go blah, blah, blah. It was exciting to have a Duluth TV station visiting us and Brittney was so nice and accommodating about interviewing during our seasonal business schedule.  I’m sure everyone else did great, especially our partners, Wild Country Maple Syrup. We’re really excited for them because they’ve worked so hard to build their business.

Anyhow let me know how the program goes, we don’t have TV here and of course, we’ll be busy boiling!

Here’s the Sap Report from Roth Sugarbush in Wisconsin.

Enjoy your week!

Make your plans now folks! – 20% of the forest has begun it’s change and it won’t be long before the sugarbush is a blaze.  Spectacular opportunities to see and photograph the colors along the North Shore are at your finger tips with a visit to Cook County.

Start your trip planning here, follow this link: Visit Cook County

Fall Color Tour on the Caribou Trail in Lutsen Minnesota

And while you’re here Visit Wild Country Maple Syrup in Lutsen and stock up at the onsite store with award winning maple syrup, candies, and much more!

Michael and Carrie Baker Owners of Wild Country Maple Syrup welcome you!

Hosts and owners Michael and Carrie Baker of Wild Country Maple Syrup will be happy to give you a tour. Contact them here: Wild Country or on Facebook

How to find our sugarbush?

Directions: (see map below too)
From Hwy 61 in Lutsen, follow Cnty. Rd 4 – The Caribou Trail, 6-1/2 miles north to the Honeymoon Trail and turn left.
(watch for Wild Country maple syrup signs)

Follow the Honeymoon Trail 3/4 mile to Barker Lake Road and turn left again.

Follow Barker Lake Road 1 mile to the driveway entrance on your right, watch for the sign, and turn right – you’re nearly there! Follow the driveway in 3/4 mile – take it slow, take in the colors and prepare to see and photograph the sites – your quarry is at the end of the drive.

Visit Wild Country Maple Syrup and the Sawtooth Mountain Maple Syrup Company