Hey folks. After thinking it over and consulting it with Moland, we have decided that July 30 and 31, 2016 will be the dates for the roadmeet. I apologize for the flip-flop on the meet selection polls. :pan:
Anyway, to sum up again:
-This will be a two-day event; if you can only make one day, that's perfectly fine.
-Saturday 7/30 will be spent exploring MN 61 and Sunday 7/31 will be spent in Duluth/Superior and surrounding areas.
-I'm planning on basing both days out of Duluth for ease of people getting out of town Sunday, but if someone thinks another base site might be better for the MN 61 portion I'm open to suggestions.
Highlights for Saturday:
-Silver Creek Cliff/Lafayette Tunnels, Silver Creek Cliff sign and the trail that now follows the MN 61 alignment bypassed by the tunnels.
-Gooseberry Falls or Cascade River State Park (the latter includes a stop at the Cascade River Wayside)
-Old US 61 abandoned alignment near Grand Marais
-Old US 61 border crossing near Grand Portage
Highlights for Sunday:
-Aerial Lift Bridge
-Skyline Parkway
-Oliver Bridge
-Bypassed section of MN 23 near its famed Wisconsin section
-Possible reopen of MN 210 through Jay Cooke State Park by that time
-I-35 tunnels and extension
If you have any questions or concerns please let me know. We'd love to see you there. :wave: :nod:
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on August 11, 2015, 03:28:17 PM
Hey folks. After thinking it over and consulting it with Moland, we have decided that July 30 and 31, 2016 will be the dates for the roadmeet. I apologize for the flip-flop on the meet selection polls. :pan:
Anyway, to sum up again:
-This will be a two-day event; if you can only make one day, that's perfectly fine.
-Saturday 7/30 will be spent exploring MN 61 and Sunday 7/31 will be spent in Duluth/Superior and surrounding areas.
-I'm planning on basing both days out of Duluth for ease of people getting out of town Sunday, but if someone thinks another base site might be better for the MN 61 portion I'm open to suggestions.
Highlights for Saturday:
-Silver Creek Cliff/Lafayette Tunnels, Silver Creek Cliff sign and the trail that now follows the MN 61 alignment bypassed by the tunnels.
-Gooseberry Falls or Cascade River State Park (the latter includes a stop at the Cascade River Wayside)
-Old US 61 abandoned alignment near Grand Marais
-Old US 61 border crossing near Grand Portage
Highlights for Sunday:
-Aerial Lift Bridge
-Skyline Parkway
-Oliver Bridge
-Bypassed section of MN 23 near its famed Wisconsin section
-Possible reopen of MN 210 through Jay Cooke State Park by that time
If you have any questions or concerns please let me know. We'd love to see you there. :wave: :nod:
My favorite transportation feature in the area is this intersection of US 53 SB and the ramp from I-35 NB to US 53 NB: https://goo.gl/maps/7VGz5.
Although I-35 was extended through East Duluth a long time ago, the extension may be worth a drive-through. Sort of Duluth's Big Dig. :D
Right now, I'm a distant maybe for this one.
D'oh! How did I forget to mention the tunnels? That's a pretty key piece of Sunday's adventures. :pan:
Interchange - the ol' can-o-worms? :awesomeface:
There are two more noticable bridges which are good "make-your-own-meet" attractions being the Bong and Blatnik (US-2 and I-535). Plus it gives you an Interstate you would never realize is there for Wisconsin since it's well disconnected from the rest if it weren't for I-35 and I-94 in MN. Another good look at is any remaining ore docks in the area.
Quote from: SSOWorld on August 11, 2015, 07:01:56 PM
Interchange - the ol' can-o-worms? :awesomeface:
There are two more noticable bridges which are good "make-your-own-meet" attractions being the Bong and Blatnik (US-2 and I-535). Plus it gives you an Interstate you would never realize is there for Wisconsin since it's well disconnected from the rest if it weren't for I-35 and I-94 in MN. Another good look at is any remaining ore docks in the area.
The USACE VC is worth a stop as well. It's near the Aerial Lift Bridge in Canal Park (the Land of Grandma's -- at least when I lived there, all the major restaurants in Canal Park were part of the Grandma's family of restaurants).
Can't believe the Great Lakes Aquarium is still open.
There's a company called "Vista Fleet" that does harbor tours. The various docks and grain elevators are fun, but the scrap dock sticks out like a sore thumb. As the tour guides tell you, the scrappers will gladly scrap an entire freighter for you.
Quote from: SSOWorld on August 11, 2015, 07:01:56 PM
Interchange - the ol' can-o-worms? :awesomeface:
There are two more noticable bridges which are good "make-your-own-meet" attractions being the Bong and Blatnik (US-2 and I-535). Plus it gives you an Interstate you would never realize is there for Wisconsin since it's well disconnected from the rest if it weren't for I-35 and I-94 in MN. Another good look at is any remaining ore docks in the area.
US 2 button copy WB... still there?
No idea. They just rehabbed the bridge though.
I don't recall spotting any button copy on that bridge a couple months ago, but I've seen too many button copy signs in my travels to remember them all so don't take that as a definite no.
Seeing as I already passed through Duluth and it's not exactly close to home I likely will not be attending, but it's too early to say for certain.
Quote from: Alps on August 11, 2015, 10:58:58 PM
Quote from: SSOWorld on August 11, 2015, 07:01:56 PM
Interchange - the ol' can-o-worms? :awesomeface:
There are two more noticable bridges which are good "make-your-own-meet" attractions being the Bong and Blatnik (US-2 and I-535). Plus it gives you an Interstate you would never realize is there for Wisconsin since it's well disconnected from the rest if it weren't for I-35 and I-94 in MN. Another good look at is any remaining ore docks in the area.
US 2 button copy WB... still there?
They are (or will be very soon) gone. The east end of the US 2 freeway alignment is being reconstructed into roundabouts. I think one of them was moved to ground level as a construction-zone sign the last time I was in Superior, but I don't know if they have removed it by now as construction has progressed.
I'm in. If A.J. goes and we carpool, we'll be incorporating the Lake Superior Circle Tour (at least, the WI/MN/ON portions) into our trip. We've already clinched the Michigan portion and we both need parts of US 2 in Michigan, so we'd probably take a more southern route there.
I am going to do my best to be at this meet next year. It is on my top three to attend (along with Louisiana and Toronto).
Quote from: getemngo on August 21, 2015, 05:42:10 PM
I'm in. If A.J. goes and we carpool, we'll be incorporating the Lake Superior Circle Tour (at least, the WI/MN/ON portions) into our trip. We've already clinched the Michigan portion and we both need parts of US 2 in Michigan, so we'd probably take a more southern route there.
YES!!!! I'm definitely planning on attending this. It's my #1 priority for road meets in 2016. My thought on the route we'd take (assuming you and Cody are okay with it) is that we'd have an itinerary that looks like this:
Thursday - Drive from Grand Rapids to Sault Ste. Marie (either Michigan or Ontario - TBD later).
Friday - Drive from Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay.
Saturday morning - Drive from Thunder Bay to the start of the meet.
Saturday A.M./P.M. - Participate in Day 1 of the road meet.
Sunday A.M./P.M. - Participate in Day 2 of the road meet.
Monday - Drive from Duluth to Iron Mountain.
Tuesday - Drive from Iron Mountain to Grand Rapids.
I'd be curious if either of you guys had other thoughts or suggestions on the route. I'm also curious as to what other folks reading this might think of such an itinerary.
The only thing I might bring up is that you would be driving MN 61 before we have the meet, which if you don't want to "spoil" it before then that you might want to tweak that portion. But if that's something you guys are personally OK with that's obviously completely fine - and after all no one can drive MN 61 too many times, and there will still be plenty of things we won't get to see at the meet. :nod:
I'm planning on blocking out a section of hotel for meet-goers, just so everybody knows. That won't happen until sometime in the new year but just to give everybody a heads-up. Obviously no one is obligated and if you would rather stay elsewhere that's fine.
Should I go to this, and I give it about a 90-95% chance of going, I think I'd like to visit Isle Royale for once. My plan would then be:
Thursday: Drive from Joliet to Grand Marais, MN
Friday: Drive to Grand Portage, MN and go to Isle Royale for the day; drive to somewhere in NE MN for overnight
Saturday: Get to Duluth in time for the meet
Sunday: Second day of the meet
Monday: Get back to Joliet
Quote from: Brandon on September 15, 2015, 05:27:48 PM
Should I go to this, and I give it about a 90-95% chance of going, I think I'd like to visit Isle Royale for once.
Nice! I'd like to visit Isle Royale once in my life too, but I know that won't happen in 2016.
Right now I'm looking at fall for the Capital District meet, but something tells me that a meet based in Albany, NY wouldn't have much conflict with a mini-meet based in Minnesota.
Here's my 2 cents of suggestions:
Bong Bridge reconstruction
(probably can be done) Tour of some Twin Cities projects (it's 120 miles south)
That's it.
Quote from: noelbotevera on October 01, 2015, 09:23:36 PM
Here's my 2 cents of suggestions:
Bong Bridge reconstruction
Will happen. For the record it's rehabilitation, not reconstruction.
Quote
(probably can be done) Tour of some Twin Cities projects (it's 120 miles south)
People are obviously welcome to do this in their own time, but this won't happen at the Duluth meets. I might be entering dangerous territory saying this this soon but I said elsewhere that I would like a Twin Cities meet for 2017.
I do appreciate the suggestions though. :nod:
OK, a couple updates:
I'm ditching the mini-meet idea. It seemed fun at the time because of how much I wanted a fall meet, but the more I thought about it it just seemed kind of ridiculous to try to do that.
Also, I've sort of been torn a bit about the "Scenic Alignment" of old US 61 between Duluth and Two Harbors and how to include it in the meet. I'm not sure if it fits better on Saturday when we do MN 61 (which would mean people who want to clinch 61 would have to figure out how to get the 20 miles of MN 61 we'd be bypassing on their own) or if I want to do it Sunday given its close proximity to Duluth, although the con of that is the repetitive material involved. Thoughts? Note that I plan to include Scenic 61 somehow; there's no way that won't be part of the meet.
Here's a map for reference: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Duluth,+MN/@46.8969086,-91.8400079,11z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x52ae527e782e37ff:0x90fdbf76eb580c72
When (if at all) would you do Skyline Pkwy? Given the relative proximity of its endpoint to old 61, you could combine the two to cut down on "repetition". Of course, on whichever day you headed up to Two Harbors, attendees could take the expressway one direction and the old road on the return trip (or vice versa).
Quote from: froggie on December 16, 2015, 05:22:52 PM
When (if at all) would you do Skyline Pkwy? Given the relative proximity of its endpoint to old 61, you could combine the two to cut down on "repetition". Of course, on whichever day you headed up to Two Harbors, attendees could take the expressway one direction and the old road on the return trip (or vice versa).
Skyline Parkway is going to be part of Sunday (Duluth/Superior in-town portion of the meet).
I've been approached about the possibility of re-flipping itineraries between Saturday and Sunday, which would mean we would be doing the local Duluth/Superior portion on Saturday and MN 61 on Sunday instead. I have no problem with doing this, but I wanted to see if anyone had concerns about it first since the reason I flipped itineraries was to make it easier for people to leave the region on Sunday.
The reason I've been asked to do this is that a number of people are planning on doing the LSCT beforehand. As I said I have no issues with flipping itineraries, but I wanted to make sure this wouldn't cause too many problems.
Nope, no concerns, even thought I will visit Isle Royale on that Friday before. I'll just see MN-61 twice, and in two different ways. :sombrero:
I've made the changes official on the Facebook events. Since I know not all of you are following there, here's a quick summary of where we are at now:
Saturday, July 30: Duluth/Superior area portion. Lunch is planned be at Chester Creek Cafe, 1902 E 8th St in Duluth.
Sunday, July 31: MN 61 portion. Lunch is planned to be mid-meet in Grand Marais at Sven and Ole's Pizza, 9 Wisconsin St.
FYI: August 18th-21st
Tall Ships Return to Duluth in August, with the World's Largest Rubber Duck in Tow
http://www.lakesuperior.com/blogs/superior-notes/tall-ships-return-in-august-2016-with-the-worlds-largest-rubber-duck/
*ducks* ;) :awesomeface:
We're slightly less than six months out now, so here's a quick update:
I'm not going to sugarcoat things: lodging rates are borderline outrageous, and filling up fast as Duluth has become one of the premier tourist destinations in the Upper Midwest. I highly recommend that if you are comfortable with doing so that you share a room with others to help offset the cost. I personally recommend the Super 8s in either Duluth, Superior, or Cloquet; the Motel 6 in Duluth is a hotel I would avoid. There are other options in nearby Carlton and Cloquet that might be slightly cheaper, but not by much. I apologize for this and I hope this doesn't deter anyone from coming.
I know I also have a few retail enthusiasts interested in attending; a couple malls in the area for you to potentially check out are Miller Hill in Duluth, which is the main mall, but the better attraction is Mariner Mall on 28th Street in Superior which is all but dead. : )
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 01, 2016, 06:53:17 PM
We're slightly less than six months out now, so here's a quick update:
I'm not going to sugarcoat things: lodging rates are borderline outrageous, and filling up fast as Duluth has become one of the premier tourist destinations in the Upper Midwest. I highly recommend that if you are comfortable with doing so that you share a room with others to help offset the cost. I personally recommend the Super 8s in either Duluth, Superior, or Cloquet; the Motel 6 in Duluth is a hotel I would avoid. There are other options in nearby Carlton and Cloquet that might be slightly cheaper, but not by much. I apologize for this and I hope this doesn't deter anyone from coming.
I know I also have a few retail enthusiasts interested in attending; a couple malls in the area for you to potentially check out are Miller Hill in Duluth, which is the main mall, but the better attraction is Mariner Mall on 28th Street in Superior which is all but dead. : )
As a backup can we book hotels in the Twin Cities?
You're certainly welcome to, but be warned it's a 2 1/2 hour drive.
Quote from: noelbotevera on February 01, 2016, 07:04:08 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 01, 2016, 06:53:17 PM
We're slightly less than six months out now, so here's a quick update:
I'm not going to sugarcoat things: lodging rates are borderline outrageous, and filling up fast as Duluth has become one of the premier tourist destinations in the Upper Midwest. I highly recommend that if you are comfortable with doing so that you share a room with others to help offset the cost. I personally recommend the Super 8s in either Duluth, Superior, or Cloquet; the Motel 6 in Duluth is a hotel I would avoid. There are other options in nearby Carlton and Cloquet that might be slightly cheaper, but not by much. I apologize for this and I hope this doesn't deter anyone from coming.
I know I also have a few retail enthusiasts interested in attending; a couple malls in the area for you to potentially check out are Miller Hill in Duluth, which is the main mall, but the better attraction is Mariner Mall on 28th Street in Superior which is all but dead. : )
As a backup can we book hotels in the Twin Cities?
Wow kid! You trying to talk your dad into an even bigger road trip this summer?
Noel did give me an idea through his suggestion.
OPTIONAL Friday Afternoon Event: Old US 61 Drive
I'm not sure who might be coming up through the Twin Cities, but I was thinking if any of those folks are interested that we can meet up Friday afternoon/evening in Wyoming (MN) and drive to Duluth on Old 61. The three counties along the former route of US 61 have banded together in an effort to draw attention back to the old road, and there might be some fun stuff going on that weekend along the route.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 01, 2016, 06:53:17 PM
I'm not going to sugarcoat things: lodging rates are borderline outrageous, and filling up fast as Duluth has become one of the premier tourist destinations in the Upper Midwest.
Holy cow. Just did a quick check and Comfort Suites at Canal Park is at $260/night. Granted, Canal Park is tourist central, but I would have never guessed it would have been that high. Not much cheaper on other weekends, either.
I went to Duluth last year.
I slept in my car.
Wow! I was debating on going to this meet but I will more then likely back out because of the lodging issue and I may be using my last week of vacation for a New England Road trip in June (I still need to clinch Maine)
Quote from: jpi on February 01, 2016, 11:45:10 PM
Quote from: noelbotevera on February 01, 2016, 07:04:08 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 01, 2016, 06:53:17 PM
We're slightly less than six months out now, so here's a quick update:
I'm not going to sugarcoat things: lodging rates are borderline outrageous, and filling up fast as Duluth has become one of the premier tourist destinations in the Upper Midwest. I highly recommend that if you are comfortable with doing so that you share a room with others to help offset the cost. I personally recommend the Super 8s in either Duluth, Superior, or Cloquet; the Motel 6 in Duluth is a hotel I would avoid. There are other options in nearby Carlton and Cloquet that might be slightly cheaper, but not by much. I apologize for this and I hope this doesn't deter anyone from coming.
I know I also have a few retail enthusiasts interested in attending; a couple malls in the area for you to potentially check out are Miller Hill in Duluth, which is the main mall, but the better attraction is Mariner Mall on 28th Street in Superior which is all but dead. : )
As a backup can we book hotels in the Twin Cities?
Wow kid! You trying to talk your dad into an even bigger road trip this summer?
Maybe...probably unlikely though.
Quote from: jpi on February 02, 2016, 03:16:17 PM
Wow! I was debating on going to this meet but I will more then likely back out because of the lodging issue and I may be using my last week of vacation for a New England Road trip in June (I still need to clinch Maine)
Other hotels are "cheaper." Econo Lodge = $135. :/
I don't know guys. I feel bad asking people to pay that much for shitty hotels. I guess living there I sort of forgot about that.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 01, 2016, 06:53:17 PM
I'm not going to sugarcoat things: lodging rates are borderline outrageous, and filling up fast as Duluth has become one of the premier tourist destinations in the Upper Midwest.
I ran into the same problem last year in late June. My original plan had been to stay one night in Duluth in the middle of the week, before continuing into Manitoba. An impossible lodging situation in Duluth forced me to change my itinerary, to stay in Eau Claire WI on the night I'd originally planned to stay in Duluth, then blow through Duluth the following day for an overnight stay in Roseau MN just south of the Canadian border. That delayed my entry into Canada by half a day, just to avoid an overnight stay in Duluth (but at least I used that half-day productively, to clinch the new I-41 in Wisconsin).
I'm really unlikely to make the proposed Duluth/North Shore meet, especially with my calendar already pretty solidly booked up for that part of the summer.
Quote from: oscar on February 02, 2016, 03:41:59 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 01, 2016, 06:53:17 PM
I'm not going to sugarcoat things: lodging rates are borderline outrageous, and filling up fast as Duluth has become one of the premier tourist destinations in the Upper Midwest.
I ran into the same problem last year in late June. My original plan had been to stay one night in Duluth in the middle of the week, before continuing into Manitoba. An impossible lodging situation in Duluth forced me to change my itinerary, to stay in Eau Claire WI on the night I'd originally planned to stay in Duluth, then blow through Duluth the following day for an overnight stay in Roseau MN just south of the Canadian border. That delayed my entry into Canada by half a day, just to avoid an overnight stay in Duluth (but at least I used that half-day productively, to clinch the new I-41 in Wisconsin).
I'm really unlikely to make the proposed Duluth/North Shore meet, especially with my calendar already pretty solidly booked up for that part of the summer.
Hi Oscar, not to change the subject, are you planning on coming to my meet in April?
Wow. The Superior Inn is still open. Caveat emptor.
Thanks, Patrick, for warning us about the hotels. For me and the two guys I'll likely be sharing the room with, I went ahead an booked a room at the LaQuinta Inn on the west end of Duluth (along U.S. 53 near Miller Hill Mall). It's pretty expensive ($189 for one night plus tax), but dividing it three ways shouldn't be too bad. I just booked it for the Saturday night.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 01, 2016, 06:53:17 PM
the Motel 6 in Duluth is a hotel I would avoid.
Ha. I stayed there last summer for one night. My room was missing two square feet of carpet near the door. Though they did warn me of this at the front desk, and they gave me a passcode for free Wifi to make up for it.
But yeah, it's not a nice place, even by Motel 6 standards.
I was surprised when looking for a room how expensive hotels in Duluth were and how many of them had no vacancies. I had assumed some event must be going on that I didn't know about, would not have guessed this was normal!
Yeah, Duluth has become one of the go-to escapes for Twin Cities residents and over the last 20-25 years they've done a pretty great job of changing the city's image from a dying, grungy industrial port city into a tourist mecca full of outdoors opportunities, sitting at the foot of a vast area of other natural treasures.
Most summers the only national event is Grandma's Marathon in mid-June, but this August they'll be visited by the Tall Ships (which last happened in summer 2013) and the famous Giant Rubber Duck which SSO posted earlier in the thread. Those were the only two weekends I had to actively avoid when it came to scheduling.
Quote from: A.J. Bertin on February 02, 2016, 11:46:32 PM
Thanks, Patrick, for warning us about the hotels. For me and the two guys I'll likely be sharing the room with, I went ahead an booked a room at the LaQuinta Inn on the west end of Duluth (along U.S. 53 near Miller Hill Mall). It's pretty expensive ($189 for one night plus tax), but dividing it three ways shouldn't be too bad. I just booked it for the Saturday night.
I just booked a room at the Super 8 on the west side. I tried to find one at the LQ or at the Days Inn near you but they were out of double rooms.
I'm figuring that I may stay in Thunder Bay that Thursday night (close to Isle Royale), Virginia that Friday night, the EconoLodge that Saturday night, and down in the Twin Cities that Sunday night just to keep the costs down.
I'm probably going to stay in Grand Marais on Sunday night as I know of a good budget place that I usually stay at when I'm there.
Given the prices (should have seen it coming), I probably will book at the S8 in either city. I stayed at Superior's in 2014 (November, mind you) and felt it was less-than-stellar even for a Super 8. I'm still considering a circle tour either involving Lake Superior or through Winnepeg (depending on the condition of the bridge between the Canada's), but given I've been and will be spending (to clean up a tree) on the house, money's getting tight. Taking it one day at a time, but I plan to book up this week to at least "hold" a room.
I was looking at TripAdvisor and noticed that there are actually reviews for the Androy Hotel in Superior.
I lived in Superior for a while and my advice is to don't even consider it, even if you think you could tolerate it.
Well, I'm officially demoting to "maybe" with a possible no-go. No the hotel cost didn't scare me, the brake job did. (Things added up hard just recently especially with the car alone outing me over 1.5k)
What about staying in Ashland or the Spooner/ Hayward area? Fairly scenic and its a easy drive to the Twin Ports.
I might try to make it for Saturday (day trip) but most likely not Sunday, depending on how much PTO I have.
Those are certainly viable options. I was obviously narrowly focusing on the Duluth area, but of course whatever works best for people is perfectly fine with me.
Tentative itineraries:
Day 1 - Duluth area (https://www.dropbox.com/s/strr3c3u7z1asoz/Duluth%20and%20North%20Shore%20Roadmeet%20Day%201.docx?dl=0)
Day 2 - MN 61 (https://www.dropbox.com/s/mg7rxa9pgymwp13/meet%20itinerary.docx?dl=0)
Quote from: noelbotevera on February 02, 2016, 03:21:15 PM
Quote from: jpi on February 01, 2016, 11:45:10 PM
Quote from: noelbotevera on February 01, 2016, 07:04:08 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 01, 2016, 06:53:17 PM
We're slightly less than six months out now, so here's a quick update:
I'm not going to sugarcoat things: lodging rates are borderline outrageous, and filling up fast as Duluth has become one of the premier tourist destinations in the Upper Midwest. I highly recommend that if you are comfortable with doing so that you share a room with others to help offset the cost. I personally recommend the Super 8s in either Duluth, Superior, or Cloquet; the Motel 6 in Duluth is a hotel I would avoid. There are other options in nearby Carlton and Cloquet that might be slightly cheaper, but not by much. I apologize for this and I hope this doesn't deter anyone from coming.
I know I also have a few retail enthusiasts interested in attending; a couple malls in the area for you to potentially check out are Miller Hill in Duluth, which is the main mall, but the better attraction is Mariner Mall on 28th Street in Superior which is all but dead. : )
As a backup can we book hotels in the Twin Cities?
Wow kid! You trying to talk your dad into an even bigger road trip this summer?
Maybe...probably unlikely though.
You guys are of course welcome to come in the unlikely event that it works out. Just PM me at some point beforehand if you are going to come. : )
A couple updates:
Last night I visited the planned meet restaurant for Saturday 7/30. They said they can accommodate the size of our group (I'm assuming it will end up being about 15-20) with their basement party room, however they said they may be reluctant to give us a reservation as per their protocol regarding weekend brunch-time reservations, which I don't understand but that's their policy I guess. Hopefully with enough advance notice they will. I'll check back with them in June or so, and if they won't give us a reservation I do have other options in mind.
Regarding car consolidations, the easiest thing for us will just be to leave any cars at Miller Hill Mall (1600 Miller Trunk Hwy, Duluth, MN 55811; located at the south/east junction of US 53 and MN 194) for the duration of the meet events. I'm not thrilled about it because the mall is generally out of the way of anything we're going to be doing, but parking in most of Duluth especially during the summer is on tight time restrictions or utilizes paid parking lots/ramps.
I'm also feeling more interested in adding the Virginia-area work to the Day 1 itinerary, which would include the US 53 relocation and possibly the MN 1/169 relocation near Ely. This will probably depend on the progress of these projects during the spring to the point if there's anything worth seeing. This might make more sense as the after-meet activity though.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 18, 2016, 03:09:43 PM
I'm also feeling more interested in adding the Virginia-area work to the Day 1 itinerary, which would include the US 53 relocation and possibly the MN 1/169 relocation near Ely. This will probably depend on the progress of these projects during the spring to the point if there's anything worth seeing. This might make more sense as the after-meet activity though.
It might be possible to create a loop on that Saturday, so that we don't have to keep going back and forth on MN-61. Granted, that would be a long day, and I strongly suggest getting started early if that is the case.
I agree. In the ten minutes of retrospect I think it makes more sense as a post-meet option. I'll leave it for that instead.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 18, 2016, 03:49:32 PM
I agree. In the ten minutes of retrospect I think it makes more sense as a post-meet option. I'll leave it for that instead.
That's probably a good idea. I just looked at Google Maps. Virginia MN is 80 miles away from Duluth.
Quote from: A.J. Bertin on February 25, 2016, 07:52:01 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 18, 2016, 03:49:32 PM
I agree. In the ten minutes of retrospect I think it makes more sense as a post-meet option. I'll leave it for that instead.
That's probably a good idea. I just looked at Google Maps. Virginia MN is 80 miles away from Duluth.
I might as well throw out my other main post-Day 1 roading idea, which is to do the Bayfield Loop on WIS 13 and US 2 east of Superior. It's just a pretty drive along the south shore of Superior and there's no road work involved.
I've put in the time-off request at work for this weekend. I'm looking at my budget and available time off to see if I can turn it into a longer Lake Superior Circle Tour trip. Got to get my passport first!
Quote from: JREwing78 on February 28, 2016, 07:01:06 PM
I've put in the time-off request at work for this weekend. I'm looking at my budget and available time off to see if I can turn it into a longer Lake Superior Circle Tour trip. Got to get my passport first!
Processing takes a while. (month+?) Better get on it.
Only four months (minus a day) to go! I posted some time ago about hotel pricing, which in the Duluth/Superior area itself could be very high especially if you are planning on rooming alone. If it would help with costs and you are comfortable staying a little ways out, here are some other areas you can check into lodging prices:
<30 minutes away:
Cloquet
Between 45-60 minutes:
Moose Lake
Sandstone
Hinckley
Virginia/Eveleth/Mountain Iron
~90 minutes:
Mora
Grand Rapids
North Branch
You can check Ashland, WI but I didn't include it because I expect it won't really be any cheaper but I could be wrong. And after checking, it's actually more expensive than Duluth at this point.
The Twin Cities and Eau Claire each are 2 1/2 hours away, which in terms of lodging costs would likely be your best bets but obviously the distance is the least ideal. As for Duluth/Superior itself, some of the $90 options are still available as of today.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on March 31, 2016, 08:57:54 PM
You can check Ashland, WI but I didn't include it because I expect it won't really be any cheaper but I could be wrong. And after checking, it's actually more expensive than Duluth at this point.
I guess a lot of people want to stay overnight in a town that has an Xcel Energy plant smack dab in the middle of it.
Quote from: Rothman on April 01, 2016, 11:15:59 AM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on March 31, 2016, 08:57:54 PM
You can check Ashland, WI but I didn't include it because I expect it won't really be any cheaper but I could be wrong. And after checking, it's actually more expensive than Duluth at this point.
I guess a lot of people want to stay overnight in a town that has an Xcel Energy plant smack dab in the middle of it.
Proximity to Bayfield and the Apostle Islands makes Ashland that expensive - it is also a go-to town along with Washburn. There are many ma-and-pa resorts all around the area and access to the lake is enough of an attraction.
Meh. Bayfield's a lot nicer than Ashland and you're right about the resorts. However, I can only imagine that the ignorant out-of-state tourists that reserve a spot in Ashland get there and go, "Oh no."
Three months to go! I don't have any updates at this point other than contacting the restaurants in June, but I just want to keep the worm in your brains. :D
Alright, I'm booked and ready to go. Note to people still looking, Virginia, MN still has some inexpensive hotel rates. I got the Super 8 there for $102.65 (incl tax) on Friday night, but others were going for $50-70/night.
I'm staying in Duluth on Saturday night at the EconoLodge by the mall ($146.53/night incl tax).
Quote from: Brandon on May 30, 2016, 10:32:04 PM
I'm staying in Duluth on Saturday night at the EconoLodge by the mall ($146.53/night incl tax).
Probably one of the more expensive EconoLodge rates I've ever seen.
Quote from: hbelkins on May 31, 2016, 01:12:45 PM
Quote from: Brandon on May 30, 2016, 10:32:04 PM
I'm staying in Duluth on Saturday night at the EconoLodge by the mall ($146.53/night incl tax).
Probably one of the more expensive EconoLodge rates I've ever seen.
Because tourist trap.
This time of year, most Northwoods towns are touristy of some sort or another. Another factor in Virginia's case this year is a lot of construction workers working on the new US 53 alignment.
One quick update that will also be reflected in the itinerary: I found more convenient parking for us instead of having to go all the way up to the mall, which is in the Duluth Depot/Duluth Public Library lot in downtown. It appears to be a free and unlimited public lot on weekends, although when I do my final scout run next month I'll make sure this hasn't changed as some things tend to do unexpectedly during the peak season. The mall will remain the fallback option.
And as Brandon pointed out a little while back, there are much more reasonable lodging options in Virginia if you're still looking for rooms. It's an hour away, but it's an easy drive on mostly 65 MPH expressway.
Update: the Day 1 (July 30) restaurant has changed. Instead we will be going to Grizzly's Wood-Fired Grill up by the mall. I will be noting this on the Facebook event shortly.
1722 Miller Trunk Hwy, Duluth, MN 55811
Also apologies for not asking sooner, but if anyone attending has any two-way radios would they be willing to bring them along on the Sunday portion? We'll likely not have any phone service for the final 30-35 miles of MN 61; I generally lose service about 10 miles or so past Grand Marais.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on July 11, 2016, 04:29:21 PM
Also apologies for not asking sooner, but if anyone attending has any two-way radios would they be willing to bring them along on the Sunday portion? We'll likely not have any phone service for the final 30-35 miles of MN 61; I generally lose service about 10 miles or so past Grand Marais.
Blame Canada :P
Sorry. Can't attend. Summer got damn busy all of a sudden. :(
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on July 11, 2016, 04:29:21 PM
Also apologies for not asking sooner, but if anyone attending has any two-way radios would they be willing to bring them along on the Sunday portion? We'll likely not have any phone service for the final 30-35 miles of MN 61; I generally lose service about 10 miles or so past Grand Marais.
OK. I've got a pair that operate in a five mile radius.
Eight days away, so I'm guessing we're pretty much set in attendees since so few were ever really on the fence for this meet to begin with.
One more word of suggestion if you need to: bring a sweater/windbreaker for MN 61. It can get a bit chilly as you get toward the border.
My "distant maybe" never came to fruition. Have fun.
Well that was fun :) thanks everybody for coming! I'll have a full write up in the coming days.
We started out at the Duluth rose garden on Saturday to explore how that park and its connected parent park, Leif Erickson Park were created and largely shaped by the I-35 tunnels beneath them. Dodging some concurrent weddings at the park, we spent a good 35 minutes there and I think everybody enjoyed it.
Following that, we headed to the Aerial Lift Bridge in Canal Park to visit Duluth's most famous landmark. We did get to see the lift bridge in action as I had hoped (and anticipated).
Our next stops were the sites of the old Arrowhead Bridge, which carried US 2 between Duluth and Superior until 1984 when the Bong Bridge opened. This is the one area in retrospect where I think I could have done a little better; the Superior-side stop was probably not necessary (other than the bathroom site). ;)
After that we went down MN 23 for a scenic view of the St. Louis River Valley and a stop at the Oliver Bridge on MN 39/WIS 105, which is a double-decker road/rail combination ("don't miss that turn").
Finally we stopped at MN 210's washout closure in Jay Cooke State Park where that road is expected to reopen this fall after four years of closure. We saw the permanent-looking END shield there and the gates barricading the road.
Sunday:
A small group of us headed up MN 61. We hit rain outside Two Harbors and thus our first stop was cut to a brief stop at the Silver Creek Cliff tunnel. We then hit Gooseberry Falls for a little while, then headed up to an abandoned alignment of US 61 bypassed in 1969. After that our last two stops were at the Cascade River Overlook (meet photo) and finally at the abandoned US 61 border crossing near Mineral Center; this got exciting because of the somewhat harrowing drive we took back to Grand Portage afterward. :D
Were there Betty's Pies?
I apologize for the necro for a meet long past. I have been trying to determine the best place to share this news, since a Facebook post is not appropriate and I didn't know what may be a better option than this.
Those of you who attended the meet may remember my college friend Ryan who joined us for the two days. Sadly I was informed this week that he has entered hospice care due to a battle with cancer over the last year-plus.
He really did enjoy the meet that he spent with us and enjoyed meeting all of you who were there. Tough news to swallow.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on August 06, 2018, 12:55:39 AM
Those of you who attended the meet may remember my college friend Ryan who joined us for the two days. Sadly I was informed this week that he has entered hospice care due to a battle with cancer over the last year-plus.
He really did enjoy the meet that he spent with us and enjoyed meeting all of you who were there. Tough news to swallow.
I am so sorry to hear this news, Patrick. My thoughts and prayers go out to Ryan and his family.
Sorry to hear this, even though I did not make it to this meet (I really wanted to go but logistics did not work out) sending prayers to you and his family