# Minnesota, here we come! (Vacation)



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Yes, that's right, my husband and I are heading to the homeland for the next couple of weeks:  Hibbing (and Mankato, where my husband's people are).  I'll post pictures.

I don't think I'm imagining things:  did a Minnesota member post about living in the shadow of one of the mines where the water level inside the pit is higher than the town and could flood the town?  My husband was talking to another friend from the north country who mentioned it.  I tried searching but couldn't find it.  Someone let me know if I've been sniffing too much fabric dye or did someone really post this?

Betsy


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Betsy, have a great time on your vacation.  Although, I do question your sanity for being excited about going to where they are still having snow.  Just kidding.  Enjoy your family. Can't wait to see pics.
deb


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

deb I checked the weather report and it's supposed to be in the 70's next week.    So maybe she won't have snow. . . .


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

That's good.  I bet it will be a pleasant 70 at that.  
deb


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

57 degrees there right now.

Probably will not snow, although the last time we were there in mid July, we got to see the 4th of July parade which had been postponed from the 4th on account of being too cold.


My mother, bless her heart, loved going up with my dad in January.  I told them it would be evidence in the sanity hearings.  

Betsy


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

drenee said:


> Betsy, have a great time on your vacation. Although, I do question your sanity for being excited about going to where they are still having snow.
> deb


Hey, it hasn't snowed in, um, hours!

(Haven't heard the mine thing.)


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Michelle, you're in the south aren't you?  I know it's up in the iron range somewhere!

Glad to hear you're not shoveling snow.

Betsy


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## Maxx (Feb 24, 2009)

We go to MN every summer in late July.  By the end of July I absolutely can not stand one more minute of the extremely hot and humid weather here in KS and am so happy to have our trip to MN.  We go to Longville, which is about 20 mi. from Leech Lake.

Maxx


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## Bren S. (May 10, 2009)

Cool.The weather is beautiful here in Minnesota now


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## Tripp (May 28, 2009)

Hope you have a great time, I envy you.  I grew up in the Twin Cities and all my family is still there.  I am planning on going back in August.  I am hoping for a dramatic thunderstorm or two...we don't get that many in Seattle.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Michelle, you're in the south aren't you? I know it's up in the iron range somewhere!
> 
> Glad to hear you're not shoveling snow.
> 
> Betsy


Nope, _north_ of Hibbing and solidly in the iron range.

The weather is nice, but the frogs haven't returned to our backyard pond yet.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Sorry, confusing you with Sugar!  I think she's in the south....

Read it was in the 30s in Hibbing this morning.  It'll probably be a heat wave by the time we actually get there (taking our time driving).

Betsy


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## Bren S. (May 10, 2009)

lol @ heatwave ..it's Minnesota so it could happen 

I am right in the middle of the state, so we get the weather from both northern and southern Minnesota.Which can make for some interesting thunderstorms due to the cool..hot weather line often being right over us.

My Grandmother's family was from the Iron Range,and the Becida area,lots of stories up that way 

Have a wonderful vacation Betsy


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## Bren S. (May 10, 2009)

Could it be the Canisteo Mine Pit that you are thinking of??

Canisteo pit still watery and topographically higher than town of Bovey ... Canisteo Mine Pit -- a massive reservoir of water perched above the Iron Range town of Bovey

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/02/24/canisteo_pit_problem/


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## Magpie (Feb 19, 2009)

Don't let the mosquitoes carry you away!! If you have time you should stop in Duluth. There is allot historical things to go see. I really like to go to Canal Park. They have a little museum and a boardwalk  along lake Superior. I like to go to Canal Park and watch the big iron ore ships come in.We also like to go to Duluth for the 4th of July.  Oh... I am very serious about the mosquitoes.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Lindsaygator--

are you from Minnesota?  Where?

We'll mostly drive through Duluth this trip.  We've been there before and my husband ran in Grandma's Marathon there once.  This is a visit-friends-and-relatives trip; my sister-in-law in Detroit, my aunt and cousins in Hibbing and my husband's cousins in Mankato.  Plus friends in Ohio on the way up.  Canal Place sounds neat, we've not been to Duluth in a while.   I guess the ore ships are carrying taconite these days?

We well know the mosquito is the alternate state bird after the loon, LOL!  Funny, I don't remember them so much as a kid playing at the lake where my uncle had a cabin.

From Mineral Wells, WV

Betsy


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Betsy, does your route take you out I-70 through WV?
deb


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

It's the black flies that are evil at the moment.


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## Magpie (Feb 19, 2009)

I live near Hinckley. As in "the great Hinckley fire". http://www.macalester.edu/geography/mage/urban/hinckley/fire.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Hinckley_Fire
My great uncle Merlin lives in Hibbing. (how many people actually get to have an uncle Merlin?) I'm sure the ships now carry mostly taconite, but taconite ship doesn't have the same ring as iron ore.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

See, I read Hinckley and I don't think fire, I think casino.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

So did my mom, lol!  She and Dad went to every casino in Minnesota, I think.  They loved the slots!

We stopped there (hubby and I) and read all up on the fire.

Deb, usually we do take I70 out of WV; this year we headed south at Morgantown to US50 and took that across; we're staying outside Parkersburg, and tomorrow we're going to Athens, OH for a quilt exhibit, Quilt National, one of the most prestigious quilt exhibits to be part of (I'm not in it  ).  I have several friends who have quilts there...

Betsy


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## Tripp (May 28, 2009)

MichelleR said:


> See, I read Hinckley and I don't think fire, I think casino.


I attended UMD and Hinkley was approximately the halfway point from the cities. So, when I read Hinkley, I think of the "Hinkley Tinkley" as my group of friends called it. LOL


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

MichelleR said:


> It's the black flies that are evil at the moment.


Black flies are evil at any moment.


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Parkersburg is one of my favorite areas.  There are a couple of restaurants I like there.  Plus, that's where my favorite chocolates are made.  Holl's Chocolates in Vienna, WV actually.  

The quilt exhibition sounds like fun.  Hopefully you can get some pics for us.

Have a great day. 
deb


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Alas, no pics allowed at Quilt National. A friend and I were bemoaning that just the other day...

Here's the link to the website, not many images there, though there's an archive of past QN exhibits that has a few more pics. http://www.dairybarn.org/quilt/index.php?section=226&page=258

A good friend who's part of it is Ginny Smith, her website is http://www.ginnysmithart.com.

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Betsy:  Watch your speed on US 50 across Ohio. . . . .watch for little town speed traps!  They're fairly notorious.

On a less serious note, we can leave our neighborhood in Arlington and turn right on US 50, drive all day, and then turn right at Milford, OH into DH's cousins driveway.  We can't figure out why they haven't come to visit us:  they're just down the road a piece.


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## kevindorsey (Mar 4, 2009)

I bet Minnesota has some picturesque forrests...


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## frojazz (Feb 10, 2009)

I'm headed to Itasca State Park for some camping on Thursday...I heard the mosquitoes are really bad there this year!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Betsy: Watch your speed on US 50 across Ohio. . . . .watch for little town speed traps! They're fairly notorious.


Ann, always good advice! We only took 50 as far as Athens, not very far into OH, and a pretty major highway that far, not really through any towns. (Athens is the home of Ohio University, for those who don't know, which was the first university in the Northwest Territory & Ohio, founded in 1804.) We did take US 13 north out of Athens and took care to slow down in the small towns.

You take 50 all the way to Milford? Wow! That's a long way on 50.

Lunch in Hudson tomorrow and on to Detroit! Motown! (Sister-in-law in Detroit.)

The quilt exhibit was awesome, my mind was exploding with all the inspiration! Working in my journal now.

Betsy


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

Do you like Ethiopian? There's a great restaurant in Ferndale (MI.)

http://www.ethiopianrestaurant.com/michigan/bluenile_detroit.html


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> You take 50 all the way to Milford? Wow! That's a long way on 50.


We have done. . . .but usually we take 70 to 68 to 79 to 70 to 71 when we're going to Cinci.

That looks a lot more complicated than it really is -- all Interstate, avoids the toll from Breezewood to New Stanton.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

frojazz said:


> I'm headed to Itasca State Park for some camping on Thursday...I heard the mosquitoes are really bad there this year!


Don't let them carry you off, Frojazz!

Michelle, we love Ethiopian, will see how close Ferndale is to where we'll be! (Though on the other hand, since my husband's bout with salmonella two years ago, his system is really sensitive to exotic food; we haven't tried Ethiopian in a while. We have good friends, the husband is Ethiopian, and they've taken us to some of the very good E. restaurants in Washington, DC.)

From the Holiday Inn Express near Hudson, OH, where the day is bright and clear and cool!

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Hullloo from Detroit.  We've spent the last two days visiting my sister-in-law and a few Detroit highlights including the Motown Museum (wonderful tour!!!!) and the Piquette Avenue Ford Museum, where the Model T was born (three hours there!)  Never did make it to the Ethiopian restaurant, but we did eat at the Roma Cafe, the oldest Italian restaurant in Detroit!

Now off to the Upper Peninsula!  Cloudy today but I'm looking forward to the day.

Betsy


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## Bren S. (May 10, 2009)

Where are you at on trip now Betsy??


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

Tripp said:


> I attended UMD and Hinkley was approximately the halfway point from the cities. So, when I read Hinkley, I think of the "Hinkley Tinkley" as my group of friends called it. LOL


To me _Tobies_ is the halfway point!


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

Apparently they're having a heat wave in Minnesota.  DD's dad came back today from running Grandma's yesterday (finished it, and only three blisters ), and he says they had black flags up all along the route warning people of dangerous conditions, and the unexpectedly high temperatures sent dozens of runners to the ER.


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## Magpie (Feb 19, 2009)

I love Tobies! My relatives actually own it. No free Carmel roll for me though.


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## Tripp (May 28, 2009)

Susan in VA said:


> To me _Tobies_ is the halfway point!


Tobies! I forgot all about Tobies. Loved that place. We made some stops here too. It all depended on who I was riding with...


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## kim (Nov 20, 2008)

It's supposed to be 94 and humid tomorrow in the Mpls area, probably a little cooler Up North.

Betsy, if you get near the metro area, make sure you wave at me. And if you do visit Canal Park at the water front in Duluth, make sure you stop in front of the the marine museum and wave so we can all see you on the webcam  http://www.lsmma.com/webcam.htm. I think I'll be in Duluth over the July 4th weekend.

When you get to Mankato, wave at MSU (my alma mater) for me.

Hope you are enjoying your trip. Your arm is going to get tired from all that waving.


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

I'll be in Duluth over the July 11/12 weekend!  I'm already calculating how many buckets of mosquito repellent I need to pack.  If there's one within five miles, it'll find me.  And then call all its friends to come share dinner.


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## Tip10 (Apr 16, 2009)

B complex vitamin Susan -- lots of B complex vitamins. They'll make you taste yucky (at least to skeeters!).
For many people it helps -- for others it doesn't.... Go figure.


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

Well, I've tried just about every other method...  might as well give that one a shot....

The only one that really worked so far was also somewhat impractical.  On a tip I read somewhere, I rubbed my skin with bunches of fresh basil leaves.  Worked like a charm.  The downside was that because I smelled like a Mediterranean salad, people kept sniffing the air around me and commenting.  And not every supermarket around Duluth carries it, either.


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## Tip10 (Apr 16, 2009)

The side benefit of the B complex vitamins is they are somewhat of a hangover cure  
If I'm not mistaken the B complex series are water soluble vitamins and the body will flush any excess (i.e. also exude theough the skin) -- if you've had pets its somewhat similar in nature to giving them brewers yeast as a flea and tick deterrent.
But since alcohol is basically a diuretic, in a hangover situation, its the loss of the water solubles that causes many of the symptoms -- headache, cottonmouth, etc.

Learned that many many moons ago back in my college days when I was much younger and whole lot more much foolish!  Now, were I to try some of what I used to do it'd take me a month to recover!


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

I wonder whether feasting on garlic for a couple of days would have the same effect....


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

Susan in VA said:


> I'll be in Duluth over the July 11/12 weekend! I'm already calculating how many buckets of mosquito repellent I need to pack. If there's one within five miles, it'll find me. And then call all its friends to come share dinner.


May I suggest Avon's Skin So Soft, it comes in a bath oil and a spray... at least I think it still does... also Lavender but not good if you have low blood pressure... 'cause it lowers it. I almost faint if I am near it. Hope you have a good trip and enjoy Minnesota.


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

Meredith Sinclair said:


> May I suggest Avon's Skin So Soft, it comes in a bath oil and a spray... at least I think it still does... also Lavender but not good if you have low blood pressure... 'cause it lowers it. I almost faint if I am near it. Hope you have a good trip and enjoy Minnesota.


Lots of people swear by Skin So Soft, but it didn't work for me. Haven't tried lavender, but I'm open to just about anything... this is for the annual family reunion (not mine, but DD's dad's family) and my usual net is about 30-40 bites. I'm the mosquito magnet in every crowd.

This year it's going to be worse.... after the reunion on Saturday, we'll be going out on a lake. 

It's only once a year... I can handle it.... and I'll keep telling myself that every day until then.


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

Susan in VA said:


> Lots of people swear by Skin So Soft, but it didn't work for me. Haven't tried lavender, but I'm open to just about anything... this is for the annual family reunion (not mine, but DD's dad's family) and my usual net is about 30-40 bites. I'm the mosquito magnet in every crowd.
> 
> This year it's going to be worse.... after the reunion on Saturday, we'll be going out on a lake.
> 
> It's only once a year... I can handle it.... and I'll keep telling myself that every day until then.


How about you try the lavendar, shower with SSS and eat a LOT of garlic tablets!


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

Meredith Sinclair said:


> How about you try the lavendar, shower with SSS and eat a LOT of garlic tablets!


The side effect of that weird mix would be that after one sniff nobody would want to be near me at the reunion, and I'd get to sit off by myself with my Kindle!


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## Bren S. (May 10, 2009)

Susan in VA said:


> The side effect of that weird mix would be that after one sniff nobody would want to be near me at the reunion, and I'd get to sit off by myself with my Kindle!


That doesn't sound bad at all hehe


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

Sugar said:


> That doesn't sound bad at all hehe


My thoughts exactly!


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

Susan in VA said:


> My thoughts exactly!


Weeeeellllll.... I wanted to help.


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

Meredith Sinclair said:


> Weeeeellllll.... I wanted to help.


Oh but you did! Fewer mosquito bites AND more time to myself.... what's not to like?


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

Susan in VA said:


> Oh but you did! Fewer mosquito bites AND more time to myself.... what's not to like?


Just what I was thinkin'! Hope you have a good trip.  So I take it you and DD's dad are still friendly? That is great. I love family reunions. My first one with my husband's family was in New Orleans, and being the daughter of a Baptist Minister imagine my shock when cases of booze was brought in on dollies for a good 15-20 minutes! My mouth was literally hanging open! 

To stay on topic... we did have the same heat and mosquitos! I just can not believe it is THAT hot in Minnesota, I have a friend in Waseca, maybe I should call her and see how she is doing in the heat...


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

Meredith Sinclair said:


> Hope you have a good trip.


Thanks! It will be fun to watch DD get all excited about it. And really, the people there are all very, very nice (well, they're Minnesotans, "niceness" is built in ), they're just not _my_ family and when you see 60-some people for a few hours once a year you don't really form much of a bond with them.



Meredith Sinclair said:


> So I take it you and DD's dad are still friendly? That is great.


   Why wouldn't we be?? (Did I say something to make people think otherwise?)



Meredith Sinclair said:


> I love family reunions. My first one with my husband's family was in New Orleans, and being the daughter of a Baptist Minister imagine my shock when cases of booze was brought in on dollies for a good 15-20 minutes! My mouth was literally hanging open!


LOL! How long did it take you to adjust to the new lifestyle?


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## Meredith Sinclair (May 21, 2009)

Susan in VA said:


> Thanks! It will be fun to watch DD get all excited about it. And really, the people there are all very, very nice (well, they're Minnesotans, "niceness" is built in ), they're just not _my_ family and when you see 60-some people for a few hours once a year you don't really form much of a bond with them.
> Why wouldn't we be?? (Did I say something to make people think otherwise?)
> LOL! How long did it take you to adjust to the new lifestyle?


Must be a Southerner thing for me... Sorry, here when we are referring to an "ex" we use terms like "her dad" which I apparently read wrong... my apologies... 

Oh, I caught on, but I still get shocked on occasion, especially when my FIL pours me his "favorite new drink" at dinner and winks when I taste it!  He is too funny... says I am more fun after one of his drinks ... don't think my daddy woulda liked that much!


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

Meredith Sinclair said:


> Must be a Southerner thing for me... Sorry, here when we are referring to an "ex" we use terms like "her dad" which I apparently read wrong... my apologies...


Oooh, I see! No apologies needed. I'm just not sure what else to call him.  We've known each other for over 18 years, but never got married. None of the usual terms for such relationships applies to us, either. (Note to the minister's daughter side of you: We do not actually "live in sin" either, as we do not share a house, and never have. )



Meredith Sinclair said:


> Oh, I caught on, but I still get shocked on occasion, especially when my FIL pours me his "favorite new drink" at dinner and winks when I taste it!  He is too funny... says I am more fun after one of his drinks ... don't think my daddy woulda like that much!


It's good that your in-laws have a sense of humor about it! Sometime after you've had one of your FIL's drinks, you'll have to come post on KB so that we can see if he's right...


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

Wish I could use that mosquito solution in December during the in-law family reunion so they would leave me alone!

Betsy - where are you now?  To get back OT


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