This primordial-looking rock first emerged as lava around a billion years ago; now it’s the solid, chilly shore of the world’s broadest freshwater lake, including at this spot, the farthest north I’ve gone. You see here the eastern edge of Minnesota’s Gooseberry Falls State Park, a small, beautiful and popular Civilian Conservation Corps endeavor, much like Devil’s Den back in Arkansas. A few thousand others and I checked out the park last weekend.

I’d actually been to Lake Superior once before, more than a decade ago. That trip was Gooseberry’s opposite in some ways — to the opposite end of the lake in Michigan, 300 miles away, in the middle of summer, with soft sand beaches that come from cliffs of sandstone instead of black and deep-red volcanic rock. The lake that’s big enough to cover North and South America with 1 foot of water isn’t limited to one personality.

Tahquamenon Falls in Michigan, above, is impressive, and Gooseberry has several cascades of its own. We hiked from the shore back upstream along the Gooseberry River to reach them.

I have so much of Minnesota left to see — it’s almost twice as big as Arkansas — but it hasn’t disappointed yet. I’ll be back to the North Shore for sure, though. I’ve got to at least find a Lake Superior agate.

Thanks for looking,

Dan