Like a lot of you, I’ve got the day off. The weather over the past few days has put swimming back on my to-do list, and I’m itching to toss the kids into the car and get into the water. Has anyone heard from those in the know whether area streams or lakes are safe for swimming? Our go-to spots are Amity Creek, Island Lake, Twin Ponds and Park Point, but we’re always looking to add new spots to that list.
Has anyone seen any roadside strawberry vendors in Duluth in the last day or two? Finke’s down in Mahtowa is having a really rough season and we need our berries bad enough to buy them from the back of a truck.
Who can’t use ice cream during these hot days of summer! There’s a new ice cream shop at 1631 London Road (where Dairy Queen used to be). My husband and I were there on Saturday for their ‘soft’ opening and the ice cream was wonderful. They have soft-serve and traditional hard-serve ice cream. Take a detour off the Lakewalk and check it out!
Perfect Duluth Day T-Shirts are available at the Laughingstock/Happyspace store, 324 W. Superior St. Shirts are $15, $17 for XXL.
Get yours today to wear to the PDD 9th Anniversary Party at Tycoons Friday night. Or you can wait and hope to be one of the lucky few that might win a PDD shirt or another fabulous prize Friday. Prizemaster Lundgren is still compiling the list of fabulous prizes, but rest assured, it’s a fabulous list of prizes.
I’m in a bit of a quandary; I’m hoping y’all can help!
Long story short, I need to send a gift to a friend overseas. My go-to gift is baked goods — her normal present was gluten-free banana bread. But my friend recently developed a fructose intolerance along with both lactose and gluten intolerances (oh, the horror, right?) That means the bananas in the banana bread are right out.
That leaves me with very limited options. What I’d really like to find is some locally made chocolate, the darker the better. Does anyone know a local store (within MN and WI, anyway) that makes delicious dark chocolate that would survive being shipped to Germany? Or, does anyone have any better ideas on things to send?
I’d appreciate any help I can get!
I just bought and read Proctor native Scott Jurek’s new book Eat and Run and really enjoyed it. As you may know Scott is a dominant athlete in the weird world of ultramarathons and has won many major 50, 100, 135 and 150 mile foot races world wide. He also changed from a backwoods meat-and-potato childhood diet to become a vegan and world-class athlete. His story is an amazing journey of a person who really applies himself and finds the will to complete and win distances most of us cannot imagine running. The book is not an ego trip, preachy, nor attacks omnivores, but rather relates his story and personal thoughts about training, running and racing and the positive effects of a plant-based diet. He includes simple vegan recipes in each chapter.
I don’t think I can put enough likes on the page to do it justice. Just a note to check out some of the films that Richard Hansen and the Duluth Superior Film Festival folks have brought to us this year. Very much in line with our North Country interests and at reasonable price for all access passes — $20. Great films, great music, great art and good times. A longer version of my opinion here.
We’ve been pretty avid car campers the past few years with our daughter. We’ve always used camping pads under our bags. Last year I essentially inherited my dad’s air mattress (insta-bed) because he never used it. It worked well as an on-the-carpet spare bed. Recently, I’ve repaired a couple holes, but this new one’s a bit too big to patch. Time for a new mattress. I really like that this one had a built-in battery-powered inflation system, but I’m really looking for something that’s heavy duty and will hold up to camping trips. I’m looking to hear from avid car campers that use an air mattress. Sooner the better, too, we’ve got a trip this weekend!
I’m relatively new to Duluth, and I’m a first-time home debtor. Where I come from we don’t have basements (or winter). I’ve been in my house for a year, and haven’t had water issues in my basement. There is a sump pit down there. (I’m not sure if “sump pit” is the correct term; it’s a manhole-like pit with one large horizontal rusty metal pipe that comes from one side and ends near the middle and several smaller clay pipes around the edge.) We do not have a sump pump. I doubt it is a simple gravity drain, because there is no location on our lot that is lower than the pit. The house passed an I&I inspection shortly before we moved in.
I know we all tend to be DIYers when it comes to the yard, but I am in need of some vision and major revision. Tile, dirt, no-grass front lawn, shoring up the fence. Any suggestions on a good all-around scaper in the area? Thanks.
I have an early appointment in the Big Cities on Friday. Have any of you made a run to St. Paul within the past week? If so — how much more time should I budget in with construction being what it is? I’m sure the drive back up late Friday afternoon will be lovely. Serenity now!
We are having a rough time with Minnesota Care, and we need to appeal a decision they’ve made. It’s a big decision — a decision that has set a pretty bad precedent concerning Minnesota Care and PCIP — and we’d feel better making our argument with a lawyer on our side. Long story short, does anyone know a good lawyer who might have some experience dealing with medical insurance?
With the Duluth East Daredevils robotics team again going to nationals this year and high school robotics teams now also at Denfeld and Marshall, how can kids get started in robotics before high school?
Not that 61 needs any more traffic, but it’s nice to see it get some recognition.
10 great all-American road trips
We’re looking for someone who can hang two solid oak doors, including cutting out the hole for the handle and notching out for the hinges. We’re looking for someone with experience as with these doors they will definitely have to measure twice and cut once, because there will be no going back if cut wrong.
