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Hi guys/gals,

The wife and I just got the go ahead for our first weekend away from our three small children since the summer of 2008! So in mid August I'd like to head up somewhere in/near BWCA but am not very knowledgeable with the area aside from a couple camping trips near Ely 10 years ago.

What would some options/ideas be for a 2 night, 1.5 day "trip"? The wife, due to our kids, is completely paranoid about not having cell phone coverage so I'm afraid that's going to be a factor for us (I know, I know,lol). 2 nights is not much time either...so I'm trying to figure out if it's even worth the trouble, or if we're better off spending the weekend in Duluth or something similar. We live in the twin city area.

I'm open to suggestions and appreciate any ideas. Thanks in advance!

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i could give you a bunch of places to go, however the phone service could be an issue. the time involved also. for a couple of days i take my boat and stay at the black bear casino. you got phone service, privacy, food, ect. you have island lake, fish lake, and boulder very close to go to for daily trips. my wife and i have gone to the isabella/finland area for 3 day [long weekend] trips which are always great but more spendy now with gas up. in that area there where spots where we could not get through on the phone. good luck.

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fenske lake campground is a nice place to stay for a few days, has a fishing pier, never did catch any but saw some huge snappers there and is only a short drive from other lakes. was a lady that oversaw campground who was very friendly also. not sure about phone service there tho

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You're not clear if this has to be camping, if you intend to do any fishing, or what your budget is. Supply this information and you might get more suggestions.

2 nights and a day and a half for activities is not much time. If my memory severs me correctly from Wright Co. you have about 3 hours drive time to Duluth, or 5 to Ely. Duluth provides a full ticket of things to do. A lot of free or inexpensive attractions and activities if you know where to look. Tours of an ore boat, harbor cruises, hikes on the Lake Superior Lake Walk, shopping on Canal Park, restaurants, etc. Duluth has great hotels on the waterfront (can be pricy) and it most of the chains like Days Inn, Hampton, etc. Duluth also has access to some great parks that have fast flowing rivers with many waterfalls all with trials. If you want to camp there is Sprit Mountain right at the edge of town (has freeway access to Downtown) and Jay Cooke about 15 miles out from the Downtown.

Ely is a grand place to visit, but it is more about the more rugged experience. Fall lake is a nice full service campground and is on a lake that has some decent fishing. It is restricted to 25 hp. Ely center is less than a 1/2 hour away and has some specialty shopping, the wolf center, bear center and the Dorothy Molter cabins. Grand Lodge is on Shagwa Lake right in Ely and is a nice place to stay. They have canoes to loan their guests. This is where my wife and I stay when she goes on a camping trip to Ely (ha!). Sidewalks roll up about 6 pm.

Duluth has cell service everywhere. Ely is getting better, but is hit or miss once your get away from downtown. If you have any questions I would be glad to answer.

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