World's Largest
Freshwater Lake
Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world. Its surface area
is 12,000 square miles. It holds 10% of all the fresh water on earth. The lake
touches the states of Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin as well as the Canadian
province of Ontario.
Address: Lake Superior, 325 Lake Avenue
S. #600, Duluth, Minnesota; 218-722-5002; 888-244-5253; Fax: 218-722-4096. Web:
http://www.lakesuperior.com (address
of Lake Superior magazine).
The Mississippi River begins its 2552 mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico at a small lake (Lake Itasca) in northern Minnesota. When I was a kid, I walked across the river here, on stones laid across the source just for that purpose. I fell in, but I didn't get hurt. Just got one of my shoes soaking wet.
Since that time I've cross the Mississippi River many times, almost always by car. When I was in college, though, I used to run a 7-mile circuit from the Ford to the Selby bridges between Minneapolis and Saint Paul. That meant I crossed the river by foot (on the bridges) twice during my run each day. Never fell in again since that first time.
Address: Itasca State Park, 36750 Main Park Trail, Park Rapids, Minnesota 56470; 218-266-2100. Fax: 218-266-3942. Email: itasca.park@ dnr.state.mn.us. Web: http://www.dnr.state. mn.us/state_parks/itasca/index.html.
