Blogs from Minnesota, United States, North America - page 64

24th Left for Minneapolis, met on arrival by Larry and Kay, lucky word had spread about the luggage, they hired a van instead of a car. They both looked fantastic. Went to Cracker Barrel for yet another big feed, with the two hour time difference, we were eating dinner at afternoon tea time, mind you that’s never stopped us before. Back to the “Hilton” to crash. 25th Once again we hit the jackpot by being in the right place at the right time for the Renaissance Festival. The equivalent of the Buskers- Medieval style. Puke and Snot, are an act that’s hard to beat. A must see if you stumble over them, this is one time we should have bought their cd. Hundreds of townspeople dressed in period clothing, getting right into atmosphere . The theme ... read more

I arrived at my final destination around nine-thirty in the evening - tired, thirsty, and hot. Over the previous twenty-four hours I had made my way from Minneapolis, to Chicago, through Beijing, and finally into the sweltering third furnace of China: Chongqing. During those three flights and two layovers I sat next to a frightened Somalian on his first flight back to medical school, a boorish young high school student who snored all the way to Beijing, saw the glistening blue and white landscape of the Arctic Ocean, the expansive tundra that is Siberia, the winding rivers through Mongolia, and the bright blue roofs of Beijing factories. The only thing I wanted more than water at the moment of my arrival was sleep. Sheila was there waiting for me at the gate with a large white ... read more

Obfuscator writes: We left C’s cabin near Aitkin, and started the drive northward. Calumet seems to be a speed trap. Sneaky pig comes on the road behind you on the highway as you enter town, watches if you slow down adequately. This whole leg of the drive is along the Mesabi Range, where you can look out the window seemingly at any moment and see little red mountains full of delicious looking iron. It’s probably telling that there’s a little town called Taconite along Hwy 169. We stopped in Grand Rapids to look for an interesting sounding Historic Lumber Settlement museum, but we found that it was going to cost a fair amount, and take more time than we figured we had available, so we drove on. They did give us a heads up to check ... read more

Obfuscator writes: We departed from D’s home in Minneapolis and took a drive northward. Many thanks are due to D for his generosity in putting us up for a few days, and showing us around, as well as to R (female Cousin) for her delicious cookies. At Lake Mille Lacs we hit a really nice scenic route along the lake for some time. There’s a really cool rock pile island in the lake, but we could only see it from quite a distance. Evidently there’s some colorful local stories about the Natives and their beliefs about the Island. We also saw Eddie’s, a place our great grandfather took our dad and uncle when they were little. It’s sort of a boat rental place on the lake, with nice big fishing boats and stuff. After that, we ... read more

Day 4 - Obfuscator writes: Perhaps it’s just the museums we saw today. Perhaps Minnesota museums are just built for, well, children. Or perhaps all museums are getting this way, and I just haven’t been in enough of them recently. We first went to the Mill City Museum, built in the old General Mills (Washburn A, I think) mill in Minneapolis by the River. Well, to be sure, that wasn’t our first stop. First we (today “we” includes male cousin, D, who graciously took off work and showed us around) went to the new Guthrie Theater, which boasts the longest unsupported structure in the world. Slightly reminiscent of the House on the Rock‘s Infinity Room, but so much less impressive. The Infinity Room gives the impression of a glass needle, while the Endless Bridge seems almost ... read more