Sunday, August 23, 2009
Black Bear Casino, Carlton, MN: Aug 2-8
This casino is listed as having an area where RVs can park for as many nights as they want, which is essentially true -- it's really just a parking area, not one that is specifically meant for RVs. However, we decided to try it out since we wanted to visit friends who lived in nearby Duluth. The drive to & from Duluth was long and there was road construction, which certainly didn't add to the enjoyment! Each night the small parking area would fill up with RVs of varying sizes and each day everyone would leave except for us. Many people were quite unaware of any of the common courtesies of boondocking and would park way too close or run their generators through the night.
Our first day here was Willie's birthday, and with some recommendations from our friends, we headed for the Canal Street area, with its huge variety of shops & restaurants. We opted for a place called The Green Mill (which turned out to be a local chain) and had a delicious meal.
We spent most of our time visiting with friends Kathy & Terry Clark. Willie & Kathy had been roommates during Willie's early years in Cleveland, OH. Doug had met Kathy once, briefly, in the mid-90s when we attended the Women's NCAA Final Four Basketball Tournament in Minneapolis. We all quickly started catching up as if we had never been apart -- except that there wasn't enough time to talk as much as we wanted to. We hadn't seen anyone we knew since our brief visit with Mary & Elaine in early June, so it was really nice to be with old friends again!
One of the highlights of our visit to Duluth was an outing on Kathy & Terry's sailboat, Vivace, which is harbored in Superior, WI, just across the St. Louis River from Duluth. Terry picked a perfect day and we had a wonderful sail, ending our day coming through (or under) the large aerial-lift bridge right behind one of the 1000-ft ships. There was a large crowd along the waterfront watching us motor through. We felt like celebrities! Coincidentally, this large ship, called a "laker" because they travel only on the Great Lakes, was the Walter J McCarthy, Jr, that we had seen passing through the Soo Locks in June. We wondered how many trips it had made since we had seen it then.
Kathy took us on a drive up the North Shore as far as Split Rock Lighthouse. Along the way we also saw Two Harbors, with its lovely lighthouse, which is now a bed & breakfast, and Gooseberry Falls SP. Gooseberry Falls has several falls with trails leading around them. For some reason, they don't charge admission to this state park. At Split Rock Lighthouse, you don't have to pay to visit the state park grounds, but the historical society charges plenty to tour the lighthouse grounds. It is an interesting lighthouse, and the grounds are well kept, so it was almost worth the price of admission! The trails along the beach and to the hoist & tramway that were used to deliver goods until the road was built in 1924 were quite steep! Perched on a high, rocky point, the lighthouse is attractive from many vantage points.
The casino was located quite near the town of Cloquet, and we spent some time there, shopping, visiting the post office and using the WiFi at the library. There was a gas station designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that we had to get photos of. It is a pretty town with attractive parks & flowers.
RVing friends Nancy & John Peyton, whom we met at the Benson co-op, spend each summer near Duluth, and we were able to meet up with them for a long chatty breakfast. They had relatives visiting for the week, so it was good we could find a mutually agreeable time to meet.
We were also able to work in two bridge games at the local club. It was a friendly club, and we had hoped to stay and play a third time, but we just couldn't face the casino parking lot (or the drive in) any longer. We had checked into moving to somewhere more attractive; however, due to the Blues Festival that weekend, nothing suitable was available.
Our first day here was Willie's birthday, and with some recommendations from our friends, we headed for the Canal Street area, with its huge variety of shops & restaurants. We opted for a place called The Green Mill (which turned out to be a local chain) and had a delicious meal.
We spent most of our time visiting with friends Kathy & Terry Clark. Willie & Kathy had been roommates during Willie's early years in Cleveland, OH. Doug had met Kathy once, briefly, in the mid-90s when we attended the Women's NCAA Final Four Basketball Tournament in Minneapolis. We all quickly started catching up as if we had never been apart -- except that there wasn't enough time to talk as much as we wanted to. We hadn't seen anyone we knew since our brief visit with Mary & Elaine in early June, so it was really nice to be with old friends again!
One of the highlights of our visit to Duluth was an outing on Kathy & Terry's sailboat, Vivace, which is harbored in Superior, WI, just across the St. Louis River from Duluth. Terry picked a perfect day and we had a wonderful sail, ending our day coming through (or under) the large aerial-lift bridge right behind one of the 1000-ft ships. There was a large crowd along the waterfront watching us motor through. We felt like celebrities! Coincidentally, this large ship, called a "laker" because they travel only on the Great Lakes, was the Walter J McCarthy, Jr, that we had seen passing through the Soo Locks in June. We wondered how many trips it had made since we had seen it then.
Kathy took us on a drive up the North Shore as far as Split Rock Lighthouse. Along the way we also saw Two Harbors, with its lovely lighthouse, which is now a bed & breakfast, and Gooseberry Falls SP. Gooseberry Falls has several falls with trails leading around them. For some reason, they don't charge admission to this state park. At Split Rock Lighthouse, you don't have to pay to visit the state park grounds, but the historical society charges plenty to tour the lighthouse grounds. It is an interesting lighthouse, and the grounds are well kept, so it was almost worth the price of admission! The trails along the beach and to the hoist & tramway that were used to deliver goods until the road was built in 1924 were quite steep! Perched on a high, rocky point, the lighthouse is attractive from many vantage points.
The casino was located quite near the town of Cloquet, and we spent some time there, shopping, visiting the post office and using the WiFi at the library. There was a gas station designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that we had to get photos of. It is a pretty town with attractive parks & flowers.
RVing friends Nancy & John Peyton, whom we met at the Benson co-op, spend each summer near Duluth, and we were able to meet up with them for a long chatty breakfast. They had relatives visiting for the week, so it was good we could find a mutually agreeable time to meet.
We were also able to work in two bridge games at the local club. It was a friendly club, and we had hoped to stay and play a third time, but we just couldn't face the casino parking lot (or the drive in) any longer. We had checked into moving to somewhere more attractive; however, due to the Blues Festival that weekend, nothing suitable was available.
# posted by Doug and Willie @ 9:08 PM 
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