Grand Marais Things

We left for Grand Marais on a beautiful Saturday morning 14 February headed for up North. Our ultimate destination was the Outpost Motel in Colville, MN 8 miles east of Grand Marais. We would stay until 17 February. The journey up was uneventful save for all the bathroom stops on the way up, too much water before the trip. We had an audio book along as well 'Kalahari Typing Club for Men' by Alexander McColl Smith. We really enjoyed this book and finished it in our room when we arrived.

Our first stop on our journey was at Fitger's Brewhouse. It is the official beginning and ending of my trips to the North Shore. It has been with all the women I have been with since Ann has died. K and I had lunch and I had beer with my food. She had the best veggie burger the the world the Fitger's wild rice burger and I had the Turkey ruben with a small salad. I started out with the Champagne of the North, a Berliner weisse with raspberry syrup. I followed it with an Antwerp ale and finished it off with a Black Paddle porter. All were really tasty and hit the spot.
When we were finishing up with lunch, who should walk in but Cathy and Jeff. It was our second chance meeting with them in Fitger's. Pretty, amazing but great minds think alike or so it seems.


We headed North and to our final destination, the Outpost Motel. We stopped in Grand Marais at the Coop for some extra food stuff for our stay. We checked in and started to relax straight away. We played scrabble, read, listened to music, and ate. The book I started and read the whole time I was up ther was Shenandoah 1962 by Cozzens. Heralded as the definitive book on Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign. It is a good book, easy to read and the author does well to use both sources and display everyone with all the talents and foibles. He includes Jackson as well. I am a Jackson fan and have been since I was a wee lad but there really wasn't much in the way other things to reveal. He probably is one of the most written about American commander and famous save for Washington. I am finishing up with the book now and should have it completed by the weekend . Jackson is about to give the Yankees a thrashing on the upper valley at Port Republic and Cross Keys.

On Sunday, we walked part of the Devil Track River, Superior Hiking Trail in our hiking boots. We did well until the last hill it was deep and no one had ventured it until we did. There was no use negotiating the climb as it would mean climbing on our hands and knees in 3 foot snow sinking continually. We turned back after trying for 15 minutes. On the way back, we slid down some slopes. It seemed easier to do that than risk a slip and not controlled slide. On the last slope I was going way too fast and hit a bump and strained my back. My poor back, it was the same injury or felt like it, as I had a year ago. I was in pain. When we got back to our cabin I iced it, streched it, and had K massage it. She does not know how to massage. She tries and wants to but she just doesn't have the skill. She is just rough and ready treating the muscles like they were something else. I was bouncing on the bed from her ministrations. God bless her. She tries but my god she is a not a sensualist. We went out to listen to music at the Gunflint Tavern and have some dinner. We had their veggie pizza. Excellent!!! I had a couple of Summit Oatmeal stouts, medicinally taken.

Monday, I stayed in and made a nice veggie curry stew with baked apples for dessert. K went skiing along the shore and was out for over an hour. I read my book, Shenandoah 1862 and played my chanter to nail down some tunes. We played scrabble, cards, listened to music ate. I stretched my back. K read Bill Bryson's book 'Neither Here Nor There'. I looked at it and it is the usual Bill Bryson, lots of humor and interesting facts put together in a great volume.

Tuesday, packing up and getting ready for the journay home. We stopped in at the Ben Franklin in Grand Marais and K bought some very warm mittens. I bought Bananagrams for Jeanne's b-day. It was nasty and snwoing when we left Grand Marais but not enough to call in and say we are stuck up North. I can't image K ever doing that though. We stopped in at Fitger's on the way back. K had a Smoked lake Trout wrap and I the fungus burger. We also picked up beer courtesy of the lads for our cellar at home. It was a good trip.

When I arrived home, Brent told me he was going in for surgery the next day, hip replacement surgery. So I went over to his place to hear him piss and moan about everything but mostly to allay his fears about his surgery and help him to order his place. What a fucking mess! What is it about single guys and housekeeping. They need mothers and/or a spouse but they are the biggest slobs and there is no excuse. I am wandering so time to sign off.

Lutheran Sunday Supper Things

I always have great fun at a church potluck. Lutheran church ladies make the best hot dishes. The various dishes are so nuch fun to look at and taste. What with the variety of spices, how much beef, or chicken, tomatoes, and onions. Everyone brings such great hotdishes, salads, and a potpourri of whatever. You will see 3 or 4 ramen Asian salads, some with sunflower seeds, cabbage, and other greens. There are some with lots of ramen noodles.

There are several different noodle dishes featuring tomatoes, beef, and some seasoning. Some jello dishes are on the table. We have a lovely raspberry jello surprise and then the lime jello marshmallow cottage cheese surprise. Beans are in various dishes and all of them are good tasting. There were several three bean salads. Some are bean salads with corn, peppers, and at least three different beans. Black beans, red beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans are all featured at the church dinner. Bean and beef crock pot dishes in a variety of combinations make their appearance and are quite tasty. There is fried chicken, cocktail wieners, and meatballs.

For drinks, we have church coffee a combination of half decaf and half regular coffee. Water and Countrytime powdered lemonade for the non-coffee drinkers. But the best part fo the dinner are the people and the conversations. It is a unique social gathering and should be done once a month.

Things Winterfest

Another Winterfest has come and gone. Beers were consumed and they were for the most part really good. Conversation was good. Glasses were dropped. Fun was had by all. It was held at the History Center this year and I am not sure about it. The setting was lovely but it was spread out over two floors and it was crowded. It had problems. I believe I prefer the Landmark Center. Thom and I lead off the fest with bagpipes, the traditional start of Winterfest and the Autumn Brew Review. What is fun about Winterfest is that all the brewers are Minnesota brewers. We have a great group of brewers here and they make world class beers. It is very cool to be here in Minnesota now.

Here are my notes about the beers I sampled last night in the order of the program. The grading system is three points with 3 being the best and I would buy it, 2 I would drink it, and 1 give it to a friend (just kidding) flush it.
AUGUST SCHELL: Hopfenmalz 2 1/2 pts. I really liked the malt profile in this beer, very drinkable. U bier(cask) - 2 1/2 I liked the unfiltered pils a lot. Pils is not a favorite style of mine so this is big.
BARLEY JOHN'S: Schwartzbier - 2 pts. Changed from when I had it on my birthday, not as tasty as I remember. Dark Knight Returns - 2 1/2 pts. This is a winter by the fire beer to savor for the whole evening. Winter ale - 2 1/4pts. I enjoyed it more than the Summit Winter ale, a good beer.
BRAU BROS: Sheephead ale - 2 1/4pts. They use their own home grown hops. It is a darn good beer. Vanilla Bean Cream Stout(cask)- 2 1/2pts. This is a very nice session beer, tasty, nice vanilla & choco notes.
COLD SPRING: John Henry - 1/2pt. As Thom noted, neither imperial or a stout. There was something missing from the taste. Very disappointing.
FITGER'S: Gale Force Cranberry Ale - 2pts. This is best when fresh. This had age and was totally different from the fresh product. Bourbon Barrel Aged Edmund Imperial Stout - 2 3/4pts. I love their stout and this was really, really good. Procrastinator Dopplebock - 2 1/2pts. A very good dopple, lots of malt and flavour. Collaboration Cherry Grand Cru - 2 1/2pts. I really liked this one as well, however, I really liked the Grand Cru (TownHall) by itself. Fitger's Framboise - 2 pts. Tart, sour, but very tasty and I believe with a little aging will be outstanding.
FLAT EARTH: Winter Warlock Golden Barleywine - 2 1/2pts. Really good, a very tasty and drinkable barleywine. Cygnus X-1 Xanadu - 2 3/4pts. orange infused porter, a chocolate bar with orange peel. YUM YUM!
GRANITE CITY: Oak Aged Scottish Ale - 2 3/4pts. I really liked this beer, a good session beer. Low gravity, 4.5% so it was a rare one amongst all of the big boys. I enjoy their Scottish ale.
GREAT WATERS: Brother Stiffe's - 2 1/2pts. Really good. Betelguese - 2 3/4pts. Chocolate porter really well made and tasty. Yuletide - 2 1/2pts. This wheat surprised me with how well balanced it was. King Boreas Imperial Witbeer - 2 3/4pts. Another really good and drinkable wheat beer. Three Horizons Belgian Pale Ale - 2 pts. Good beer. Pup Tent Stout(cask)- 2 3/4pts. This was a really really good stout and the passion fruit was well balanced. Mon Cheri(cask) - 3 pts. Vanilla cherry stout with good balance and taste, nothing was overwhelming.
LIFTBRIDGE: Imperial Stout(cask)- 1pt. Disappointing. Facemeltor Barley Wine(cask) - 1pt. Great name, disappointing beer. Belgian Biscotti - 1pt. I ate a biscotti with it. The biscotti was better than the beer. Farm Girl Saison - 2 1/2pts. A good tasty saison even after an evening of drinking it tasted good.
McCANN'S: Apicot Coriander Ale - 1pt. Too fruity by half.
ROCK BOTTOM: Tripel Framboise - 2 1/2pts. Good balance for the fruit and the beer. Smoked Porter - 2 1/2pts I really like smoked porters. Hop Bomb Double IPA - 2 1/2pts. This was a very drinkable IPA, well balanced with a good amount of malt to offset the hops.
SUMMIT: Winter Ale(cask) - 2 1/4pt. My favorite Summit but it tasted a bit astringent in the finish. Extra Pale Ale(cask) - 2pts. Good EPA but dry hopped with Amarillo hops, not my favorite.
SURLY:Bourbon One - 2 3/4pts. This one won the Snowshoe award. I thought the Darkness was better. TWO - 2pts. A bit tart, this was tastier when it was fresh. Three - 2pts. Darkness - 3pts. I enjoyed this beer very much. The best stout of the night. Smoke - 2 3/4pts. Really good but not like it was straight out of the tanks at the Darkness fest. Mild - 2 3/4pts. I love a good mild and Todd does a great job. Brackett - 2 1/2pts. This was a very good beer/mead.
THE HERKIMER: High Point Dunkel - 2 pts. good dunkel. Bock - 1 pt. Forgettable.
TOWN HALL: Twisted Reality Barley Wine - 2 1/2pts really good. Batch 1000 - 2 1/2pts Souped up Masala Mama, good. Chipotle Wee Heavy - 2 pts. Takes your taste buds for a ride.
Grand Cru - 3pts. Another one of my favorites of the night. Coconut Milk Stout - 2 pts. Too sweet, too much coconut. Kentucky Dessert(cask) - 2pts. Too much bourbon in my stout.
VINE PARK: Black Magic Imperial Stout - 2pts. Good stout with coffee and chocolate notes.