A man/woman/city is known by the company he/she/it keeps.

Adam Carr Jan 07, 2012 17 Comments

Finding 101 things to do in Duluth through anonymous means is not hard — of my ninety-nine problems, Google running out of suggestions isn’t one. So, the generous feedback on PDD has been wonderful (thank you so much, by the way), if not a touch overwhelming. Forget January — all these personal recommendations could fuel an entire lifetime in Duluth. For the rest of the month, I’ll continue to chase after as many Duluth experiences as I can, but on PDD I’d like to pivot my questions slightly.

To really wrap my head around Duluth, I’m going to need conversations and people, and I think this is the right place to seek those. Recommendations and maybe some invitations? Here are a few questions to start:

(1) Who is the best storyteller you know in Duluth? And I don’t mean that in a “who is the most polished stage performer” kind of way — I mean, of the people you know, when you’re at the kitchen table after dinner, who tells the stories that make you laugh/think/react the deepest?

(2) What are some sayings/maxims/cliches/proverbs/aphorisms/truisms/localisms/apophthegems about Duluth and the people who live here in particular? I’d love to hear extant wisdom, or if you’re feeling motivated/creative, you can make up your own originals (it might be fun!). If an apple a day wards off doctors, what keeps Duluthians away? If Duluthians were horses, what would beggars do? When in Duluth, do as …

(3) Finally, what is the best single standup arcade game in Duluth? I’d really like to test out some hypotheses.

P.S. I’ve started a Facebook page where I’m going to start asking a steady stream of questions. If you fancy yourself an ace Duluthian and generous sharer, think about giving that page a follow.

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Random ,

17 Comments

DaVe

about 13 years ago 

Duluth saying: "If you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes."

As for storytellers, meet Ed at Carmody Pub. I can't vouch for the veracity of the stories, just saying he likes to tell stories.

Paul Lundgren

about 13 years ago 

This is probably a good time for another refresher course on "The Abandoned Car Test."

(Two things have changed since the above linked story was published in 2004: 1) There are only two public high schools in Duluth now. 2) I moved back to West Duluth.)

emeraldcity

about 13 years ago 

Lise Lunge-Larson = best storyteller ever.

Beverly

about 13 years ago 

Saying, "Yeah the weather is nice now, but we'll pay for it later!"

heysme

about 13 years ago 

Contact Ken Buehler at the Depot - great story teller. He is full of local stories on how Duluth benefited from trains and industry (iron ore and timber) among other stuff.

spy1

about 13 years ago 

I arch my brow on the Buehler thing, but ... don't meet him at the Depot -- demand to be his guest at the Kitchi Gammi club basement bar. You can't leave Duluth without seeing this oddity, and I'm sure there will be talkers there.

huitz

about 13 years ago 

@DaVe...

Duluth doesn't own that one. That quote has been used almost everywhere I've been, but most commonly on the front range in Colorado. In fact, I'd go so far as to say, that makes no sense whatsoever. Duluth's weather is fairly consistent and at times persistent.

in.dog.neato

about 13 years ago 

D/FW's eminent prognosticator Harold Taft (the bowtie wearing weatherman of my youth) was fond of using an expression similar to that as well ... and this was in the 1970s and '80s.

adam

about 13 years ago 

I'll just leave this here:

Visit Duluth Board of Directors, executive committee

Tony Bronson, board chair
Grandma's Restaurant Company
525 Lake Avenue South
Duluth, MN 55802
Phone: (218) 727-2250
Fax: (218) 727-5604
Email: [email protected]
www.grandmasrestaurants.com

Karen Pionk, vice chair
Sheraton Duluth Hotel
301 East Superior Street
Duluth, MN 55802
Phone: (218) 336-2709
Fax: (218) 733-5650
Email: [email protected]
www.sheraton.com/duluth

Kristi Schmidt, immediate past chair
vice president, Marketing & Corporate Communications
Essentia Health
407 E. Third Street - SSB5
Duluth, MN 55805
Phone: (218) 786-4807
Fax: (218) 786-4273
Email: [email protected] 
www.EssentiaHealth.org

Cindy Hayden, funding/finance chair
Lake Superior Magazine
310 East Superior Street, Suite 125
Duluth, MN 55802-3138
Phone: (218) 722-5002
Fax: (218) 722-4096
Email: [email protected]
www.lakesuperior.com

Lisa Augustine, at-large
Holiday Inn & Suites
200 West First Street
Duluth, MN 55802
Phone: (218) 722-1202
Fax: (218) 722-0233
Email: [email protected]
www.hiduluth.com

Board Members

Ken Aparicio
Historic Inns of Duluth
2309 East First Street
Duluth, MN 55812
Phone: (218) 724-6405
Fax: (218) 728-0952
Email: [email protected]
www.cottonmansion.com

Randy Brody
Lincoln Park Business Group
Aero Design and Mfg. Co., Inc.
8 South 18th Avenue West
Duluth, MN 55806-2148
Phone: (218) 625-7410
Fax: (218) 720-3610
Email: [email protected]
www.aerostich.com

Tess Dandrea
Lake Superior College
Workforce & Community Development Dept.
2101 Trinity Road Duluth, MN 55811
Phone: (218) 733-7620
Fax: (218) 726-2720
Email: [email protected]

Sanford (Sandy) C. Hoff
F.I. Salter Co. Inc.
210 West Michigan Street, Suite 300
Duluth, MN 55802
Phone: (218) 722-5556
Fax: (218) 720-6684
Email: [email protected]
www.fisalter.com/

Ken Hogg, Duluth Airshow
1001 Bong Boulevard
Duluth, MN 55811
Phone: (218) 727-4780
Email: [email protected]

Leanne Joynes
ZMC Hotels, Inc.
2305 West Superior Street
Duluth, MN 55806
Phone: (218) 529-7718
Fax: (218) 529-9368
Email: [email protected]
www.zmchotels.com

Scott Keenan
Grandma's Marathon
P.O. Box 16234
Duluth, MN 55816
Phone: (218) 727-0947
Fax: (218) 727-7832
Email: [email protected]
www.grandmasmarathon.com

Will Munger, Jr.
Historic Willard Munger Inn
7408 Grand Avenue
Duluth, MN 55807
Phone: (218) 624-4814
Fax: (218) 624-8097
Email: [email protected]
www.mungerinn.com

Jim Paquette
Canal Park Lodge
250 Canal Park Drive
Duluth MN 55802
Phone: (218) 279-6000
Fax: (218) 279-4055
Email: [email protected]
www.canalparklodge.com

Jay Seiler
Security Jewelers
307 West Superior Street
Duluth, MN 55802
Phone: (218) 722-6633
Fax: (218) 722-9151
Email: [email protected]
www.securityjewelers.com


Ex-officio

Ken Buehler
Historic Union Depot
506 West Michigan Street
Duluth, MN 55802
Phone: (218) 733-7590
Fax: (218) 733-7596
Email: [email protected]
www.lsrm.org

Dan Hartman
Duluth City Council
330 City Hall
411 West First Street
Duluth MN 55802
Phone: (218) 310-5356
Email: [email protected]
www.duluthmn.gov

Denny Monson
Spirit Mountain
9500 Spirit Mountain Place
Duluth, MN 55810
Phone: (218) 624-8502
Fax: (218) 624-0213
Email: [email protected]
www.spiritmt.com

Senator Roger Reinert
149 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155
Phone: (651) 296-4188
Email:[email protected]

Jeff Stark
DECC
350 Harbor Drive
Duluth, MN 55802
Phone: (218) 722-5573
Fax: (218) 722-4247
Email: [email protected]
www.decc.org

Sean Flaherty, director emeritus
Perkins Family Restaurants (D&S Development)
63 East 2nd Street, Suite 200
Superior, WI 54880
Phone: (715) 392-3003
Email: [email protected]

Riki McManus, director emeritus
Upper Minnesota Film Office
21 West Superior Street, Suite 100
Duluth, MN 55802
Phone: (218) 940-3770
Email: [email protected]

Barrett Chase

about 13 years ago 

(2) "If you can't get High, take the Bong." In other words, if the High Bridge (aka Blatnik Bridge) is closed, take the Bong Bridge instead. 

Also, the concept of "getting bridged," which means getting stuck on one side of the Aerial Lift Bridge when it's raised and having to wait for a ship to pass under it before you can continue on your journey. "I got bridged" is a good (and probably true) excuse if you're late when traveling to or from Park Point.

vicarious

about 13 years ago 

'Also, the concept of "getting bridged," which means getting stuck on one side of the Aerial Lift Bridge when it's raised and having to wait for a ship to pass under it before you can continue on your journey.'

Also, calling out Chase for incomplete sentences and characterizing a common situation as a "concept". 

It's my own little petty war...

Barrett Chase

about 13 years ago 

Also, sarcastically thanking Vicarious for helping PDD be less "political/trollish/argumentative" and less "irrelevant and icky," as promised.

Ramos

about 13 years ago 

Also, the concept of people who criticize the grammar of others, when they themselves are unable to correctly distinguish between "its" and "it's".

Danny

about 13 years ago 

To answer your third question: the WWF Superstars arcade machine in my garage.

Duke Skorich

about 13 years ago 

A few years ago this was popular -- "There's nothing wrong with Duluth that a few good funerals wouldn't take care of."

Now, of course, the very people about whom that was intended have indeed left us.

DaVe

about 13 years ago 

Sorry to say- When there's no snow and it's 50 degrees in January, you have not experienced January in Duluth. We generally take pride in our weather, in a masochistic way. I hope the opportunity for that is not a thing of the past.

hurricanem

about 13 years ago 

I second Ed @ Carmody as a great storyteller.

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