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Minnesota Folk School
Stuffy classrooms, textbooks and cramped desks aren't in the curriculum at this school in Grand Marais, Minnesota (110 miles northeast of Duluth). Instead of traditional subjects, students at the North House Folk School focus on old-time crafts, outdoor skills, and pursuits that appeal to all ages.
Outdoor enthusiasts can learn how to build canoes, tap trees for maple sap and make sugar, or cast with fly rods. Woodworkers craft Windsor chairs in one class and build timber-frame cabins in another. The school also teaches quieter pursuits such as Norwegian rosemaling (painting) and knitting traditional Scandinavian socks. There's even a songwriter's workshop offered every fall and a number of musical workshops each winter.
The nonprofit program includes more than 350 classes year-round in sessions that range from a few hours to a week. Students of all ages attend most classes in three historic timbered classrooms just steps from the community's wide, blue harbor.
In most cases, each student or family builds his or her own project. You can tailor your craft to your own needs and preferences. Families can arrange to take most of the North House classes together. But several such as canoe-making especially lend themselves to parents and children working in teams. Kids love taking home their finished craft.
"The boat is a memory and a reminder of a great time together," says Sally Summer Mellang of Lutsen, Minnesota. Sally enrolled in the course with her three children: Zachary, 15, Martina, 12, and Micah, 10.
In summer, North House's other "classroom" is a 50-foot schooner, the Hjordis. The double-masted sailboat docks just outside the school's door. You can sign on for a two-hour sail that blends sightseeing along this rugged section of the Lake Superior shore with an introduction to area history and the lake's biology. You'll also cover the basics of sailing. The Hjordis also offers week-long adventures around Lake Superior in one of many Sail Training courses offered throughout the summer.
Week-long cruises visit nearby Grand Portage National Monument, a re-created 18th-century fur-trading post, and explore Isle Royale National Park, composed of more than 200 islands.
Be sure to make reservations early, because classes fill up fast. Lodgings in family-run motels are within walking distance in Grand Marais. For more information, contact: North House Folk School (888/387-9762).
Reviewed April 2004.
