Recommendations
Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream on Lake Superior
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!
PDD Tee
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.
Local Chocolate?
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!
“Eat and Run” by Scott Jurek
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. (more…)
DuSu Film Festival is a stellar event
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.
Car Camping
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!
Sump Pit, No Pump?
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. (more…)
Duluth Landscaper Recommendations
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.
Travel Time to the Twin Cities – first hand accounts?
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!
Any tips on choosing a Duluth lawyer?
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?
Summer camps for area kids into technology
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? (more…)
North Shore picked by Yahoo as one of “10 great all-American road trips”
Not that 61 needs any more traffic, but it’s nice to see it get some recognition.
10 great all-American road trips
Anyone recommend a person good at installing doors?
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.
Arrowhead Auto Body or ABRA Auto Body?
After a car accident, I need to get the car repaired. My insurance has a “Circle of Providers” that it prefers (although I can go to anyone I choose and they will still pay) but using the “Circle of Provider” guarantees the work for the life of the car by the insurance company.
It’s mainly cosmetic damage. I am not out any money for this accident (not my fault) so cost isn’t a concern for me. The two providers they have in this area are Arrowhead Auto Body (home of the catchy jingle!) and ABRA Auto Body.
Any thoughts? Recommendations? Don’t go theres?
Traveling nature camps in Duluth/Superior
Here’s a chance to get 10-13 year olds out of the house this summer. Send them to Urban Wilderness Camp to explore the public forests and creeks of Duluth and Superior. Sign up for the location closest to you for drop off and pick up. This year, camps will be at Lester Park, Lower Chester Park, Fairmont Park and Billings Park. Find more information and register at hartleynature.org, or call 218-365-6537. Warning: kids may come home wet and dirty.
Duluth-area Wedding Dress Tailor
I have a friend who lives out of town but is getting married in the area. She mentioned needing to get her dress tailored before the ceremony. I’m looking for someone who is reliable, fast turn around and decent rates. Any recommendations?
Cheap/free place to keep a sailboat
I am currently looking for a reasonably priced, or even better yet free, place to keep a sailboat this summer. The boat is a Phil Bolger designed Long Micro, coming in at just under 20 feet long. It draws only about 16 inches and would be easily tied to a small dock or the like. If I was able to find a party that would be interested in helping me out, I would gladly let them use the boat in trade for access. I am looking to be up the river somewhat if possible, just for protection and I am currently living on that side of town. If you or anyone you know has access to a unused dock and wouldn’t mind a beautiful boat lashed to it, please let me know! Thanks! Included are some photos of a Long Micro, very similar to the boat in question.
Concrete work in Superior
I’m looking to have an old sidewalk pulled out, and a nice new one poured early this spring/summer if at all possible. I’m also considering adding a textured/colored concrete patio to my back yard. Can anyone recommend a good contractor in the area that I could call for a bid?
Advice along the way
We are hedging our bets that fuel will be down to under $3.00 a gallon come July, making a summer vacation affordable. All kidding aside, we are heading to Calgary for the big rodeo. We’ve got 3 weeks for the trip out and back. Could I get some advice from those of you who have been out that way?
(1) Thoughts on the route?
(2) Suggestions for campgrounds?
(3) Significant points of interest?
We’re pulling a tent-camper and do not need hookups. We can get by with primitive camp sites. Along with my wife, our two kids [6 and 8] will be making the trip.
Recommendations for a new gas hook up?
It’s still a couple weeks before I move back to town (second-time transplant) but I figured here would be a good place to get a recommendation for services. I’m pretty handy around the house but when it comes to gas lines I’d rather leave it to the professionals.
I need to get a gas hook up for a stove put in (the house is on city gas lines, just doesn’t have a valve run for the stove). The house currently has a broken electric stove, and if I have to replace it anyway, I’m going gas. Sure I could look around online and make a list and just start calling for quotes … but I know there are a lot of knowledgeable people on here, so I figured I’d give it a shot.
Thanks in advance, all you helpful Duluthians!
Willie the Warlock
Yesterday I was out at The Princess Bride with a couple of goslings and other uberfans at the Zinema for their excellent Saturday-morning-movies-for-the-whole-family series. That would have been awesome enough, but they threw in free juice boxes for the kids, but it got even better. In the place where we expected the opening previews, or maybe a video short to roll we were treated to this 2006 video, by Duluth’s Willie the Warlock
Duluth/Superior’s Best Fish Fry
Which restaurant has the best fish fry in Duluth and Superior? Include type of fish, type of breading, atmosphere … that sort of thing. Any help would be much appreciated.
Haley Bonar with a *free EP download on NoiseTrade.com
Haley Bonar is giving away a sampler EP from her “Golder” album which came out last year. Haley claims MSP as her home these days but she has deep roots here in Duluth, too. If you want you can share some of those roots in the comments, I always love hearing that stuff. Especially after some folks have been doing so well on a larger stage lately. In fact, this seems like a fantastic week for music and acknowledgement for Duluth artists. We just became Duluth, MN home of Bob Dylan, Low AND Trampled by Turtles. Haley is another candidate for high pop culture level consciousness and success. This noisetrade promotion is good exposure for her, and us.
* Yes, she’s giving the EP away, but you can give her a tip if you want, also NoiseTrade will add you to their email list and they send out a lot of offers and opportunities (at least one a week). I don’t mind so much as a music lover, but you should know that going in.
Recycling Computers and Other Electronics
I am curious if anyone has ideas and/or suggestions for getting rid of old techno-dinosaurs. I am spring cleaning and simply want to make sure I get rid of things in an eco-friendly and rather cost-effective way (like free or darn close). I’ll be getting rid of a central processing unit, printer, cables and whatever else surfaces.
If I recall correctly there is an annual drive in Duluth, but I can’t figure out the particulars, hosted by someone with interest in the same things. Ideas, fellow PDDers? And thank you in advance.
Bill Morgan Exhibit at Zeitgeist
This is a first rate exhibit that you shouldn’t miss if you follow the local arts scene. UWS professor Bill Morgan has influenced many art students and broadened their experience. There’s plenty to see.