Almost unseen if you drive past it along Superior Ave over the bridge, this new destination is worth a visit. Built maybe 2 – 3 years ago, it’s a wooden boardwalk that starts at Lincoln Park and goes down to the Paint River. On summer nights, you can see an acoustic concert with local musicians like Whitewater, using the beauty of the river and the bridge as a scenic backdrop. There’s no railing along the platform overlooking the river, so you get an unbroken view of everything. Just don’t lean over too far, or you will join the lily pads and fish down below. The boardwalk veers to the right and goes for maybe what amounts to a city block. Walk slowly, take your time and you’ll see native wildflowers, beautiful thistles, wild apple trees and a few wild raspberry bushes maybe. And if you’re lucky, maybe you’ll even get to see a deer up-close like we did one time. The boardwalk’s design is elegant and well-thought out, merging nicely with the nature surrounding it rather than intruding upon it. If you stop to visit Crystal Falls for a few hours, I’d definitely recommend seeing this stop along the journey.
