Quick Trip Up North
Written by Brad Iwen
We were just up in Grand Marais, Minnesota to produce a series of videos for one of our newest clients, Hungry Hippy. Owned and operated by creative entrepreneurs Kate and Jeremy, the Hungry Hippy brand consists of a hostel that offers unique lodging and camping options on the North Shore near Grand Marais, as well as a delicious taco restaurant in town that focuses on tacos made with from-scratch ingredients and freshly made puffy shells that they have dubbed northern tacos.
I met Kate when I featured another one of her businesses, The Fisherman’s Daughter, in my long-term documentary food project, Midwest Food Stories. Her food education came from working in a diverse range of restaurants in the Twin Cites. She moved WAY north to take a job working in the kitchen at a lodge on the edge of the Boundary Waters wilderness near the remote border between the US and Canada. Jeremy is a thru hiker, meaning he has logged hundreds of miles on the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and various other trail systems throughout North America. Their diverse backgrounds, and a sincere love of food and adventure has culminated in a unique business model that is a great asset to their community.
Brad’s new favorite hat!
Hanging out inside Hungry Hippy Taco in Grand Marais, Minnesota
People from all over the world stay at their hostel, which offers unique and affordable accommodations for travelers looking for something a little different. They converted an old red horse barn on their historic property and added a bath house and campground for more adventurous travelers. Their property is just a few miles north of Lake Superior, so incredible views are included free of charge. A hiking trail flows through the property, which is great for wandering through the aspen groves in the fall or snowshoeing in the winter.
We experienced a winter wonderland on our trip to produce their Brand Film as a winter storm moved in producing up to 24” on some parts of the North Shore and made for some great footage around the lodge. We were working with a brand new cinema camera and lenses on this trip and it was great to put their weather sealing to the test. At times, we were filming outside in blowing snow and negative temps, but fortunately we had zero issues with the gear.
Ice covered shore line near Hovland, Minnesota
We spent time filming on their property, as well as at their taco restaurant in town. Their food is amazing and they are currently working on opening a new location in Duluth, Minnesota, which is just a couple of hours down the coast from Grand Marais. This will be a great addition to the food scene there. We also had time to get out and explore a few of my favorite spots. For fun Matt and I decided to shoot all landscape images in Black and White- a super enjoyable challenge that took us back to our film days.
Matt and Brad at Temperence River State Park near Shroeder, Minnesota on 2/22/2022.
The North Shore has become my home away from home and even after 8 trips there in 2021 for various projects, I had never been there with so much snow. We trudged through some deep powder to get some pretty epic shots of waves and ice near Split Rock Light House and also the mouth of the Temperance River where it flows into the big lake. We took an early morning cruise up the Gunflint Trail looking for moose, wolves, and other wildlife. Didn’t see any, but that is always a peaceful and scenic drive no matter the time of year. We stopped at Gunflint Lake for a little bit to look across the lake at Canada. Can’t wait to head into the Boundary Waters this summer.
Hungry Hippy Hostel and Tacos Brand Film and other goodies coming soon!