Waters of the Dancing Sky

Waters of the dancing sky This most beautiful name has been given to Minnesota's northernmost scenic drive. It travels from Voyageurs National Park along the Canadian border. The “dancing sky” refers to the northern lights. We visited the National Park and learned about the Voyageurs. Voyageur is a French word, meaning “traveler”. From the beginning of the fur trade in the 1680s until the late 1870s, the voyageurs were the workhorses of the fur trade. (Working for John Jacob Astor) Each man was responsible for approx 180 lbs of materials. They would paddle canoes or portage the canoes and goods over water land 16 to 18 hours a day. Astor wanted to create a string of trading posts across western North America that would funnel furs for shipment to markets in China. Washington Irving was commissioned by Astor to Write up his story. “Astoria” is available to read for free on Project Gutenberg.com