There are a lot of reasons to live here. Some of them include this beautiful place, some the weather, some the remote and rustic feeling. For me, it always comes down to people. And, for the 17 years we have chosen to be here, I have and continue to be a keen observer of people; how they present themselves to others, how they behave when confronted with difficult or frustrating people or circumstances, and the sense of authenticity and selflessness they either do or don’t show.
From the very beginning of our move here, I have been a huge fan of the “Hamilton girls.”
For many years, both My Sister’s Place (when Anna owned it) and Trail Center have been family favorites not only for the consistently great food at fair prices, but for the obvious warm, welcoming places they have been. In both cases, the credit goes to both Sarah and Anna for how they have constructed and run their respective businesses. They put people first, whether it is their employees or the customers they serve.
Recently, my son and two friends embarked on an epic ultrarun around Lake Superior to catalog the stories of those who live near its shores, and to collect water samples for an organization testing microplastic pollution. I approached Sarah to see if she would consider providing some of her wonderful Camp Chow dehydrated meals to the crew for their travels, and, even though she had already made her charitable donations for the year, she consented to help out.
Wow! Did she ever. This generous business owner not only put together 50 meals for three people, she delivered them to town for us.
This is just one more amazing example of why this place is great. For me, it wouldn’t be the same without the Hamilton girls. They consistently show selflessness, concern for others, and a love for this community. Think about that when you’re making dinner plans.
Charlie Butter
Grand Marais
Leave a Reply