Patrick’s Trip Journals

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I was realizing today I should start more of a running log since I start having trouble remembering what it is I do on the road if I wait too long to record it.

Today was an Iron Range day trip from my home in the Twin Cities. It's about three hours one way. The Range is a collection of decaying mining cities in northeast Minnesota famous for past iron ore production, and more recently taconite. More recent proposals for sulfide and copper/nickel mining have been the subject of long-running fights in both state and national government, and the public. I had been here in 2017 when I clinched MN 1, otherwise I have not been here much despite my time living in Superior.

I drove north on US 169 to Grand Rapids before I finally got onto new mileage, taking 169 northeast to Virginia in the process giving me all of 169 in the state north of I-90. After that I did a loop to clinch MN 135 and MN 169, two routes that pass through rolling hills and woods with a few small towns on the way and some mine entrances. If I had planned better I could have clinched MN 37 as well, but I didn't really plan that deeply.

After grabbing 169 I headed back north on US 53 to north of Cook where I reversed on MN 73, which was my main goal to clinch today. This was also a very rural route with little of note either, though when I reached its southern terminus in Moose Lake it was clear the weekend getaway crowd headed up north on I-35 from Minneapolis to Duluth and elsewhere is already raring to go for the season based on the packed gas station.