Cosmos, Minnesota
Category Archives: travel
The Mac
Houghton, Michigan
John MacInnes Student Ice Arena
Up in Houghton on Friday to watch the Minnesota State Mavericks take on the Michigan Tech Huskies. A lot of history with the MTU program, including some epic battles against Minnesota during the Herb Brooks era.
Action at center ice at MacInnes
Minnesota State came out flying in the first period, out shooting MTU 16-6, but Jamie Phillips was outstanding in net for the Huskies, and the game was scoreless after one.
Play was even in the second period, although MSU found the back of the net twice, with Zach Stepan and Jordan Nelson scoring. Sandwiched in-between the Maverick goals was one by Alex Petan for MTU. 2-1 Mavs after 2.
Tech came out flying in the third, Phillips remained strong in net, and Mark Auk scored half-way through the period for the Huskies.
The game went into OT, with both teams having scoring chances, and the momentum seemed to be with Michigan Tech. Still, the extra period ended without a score, and the game goes into the record book as a tie.
Phillips made 30 saves overall for MTU and Jason Pawloski made 27 for MSU. Attendance was 3060.
I have to admit, I really enjoyed the experience at “The Mac”. Home of the Huskies since 1972, and named after famed Husky coach John MacInnes (yrs:1956-1983), the arena has some of the most engaged fans in D-1 hockey. I saw some of that at The Joe in Detroit during the GLI, but it’s a completely different experience at MacInnes. The Husky Pep Band can really get the place rocking too. During the second intermission, there is a long time tradition of the Copper Country Anthem, which is a complete bastardization of the Polka song: Blue Skirt Waltz. Fans stand up and sway in unison to the rather somber rhythm.
All in all, one hell of a place to see a hockey game.
Revisiting the U.P.
This would be Rover country:
I may be testing the winter design abilities of my 300ZX, as well as the Cooper winter tires, and possibly my luck, but that’s what roads were made for.
Quite a bit of fresh snow through northern Wisconsin and Yooper Michigan. Snow machines were everywhere, in fact every corner bar and gas station in each hamlet I passed today, had at least 20 snow machines in front of it.
Freezing rain this afternoon, on top of the snow made the roads greasy… simply greasy.
Once again, I wish I had the Rover to traverse this country in, but the 300 will have to do.
Granite Falls
Along the Minnesota River, just past Granite Falls, and next door to the Yellow Medicine County Historical Museum, is (was) the world’s oldest exposed rock. At 3.8 billion years old, the rock was exposed when Glacial Lake Agassiz emptied into the ocean during the last Ice Age.
Some zircon crystals from the Jack Hills in Australia have recently been dated at 4.4 billion years old.
Henry Ford Museum: Racing
Henry Ford built the Ford ‘999’ in 1902, but he was afraid to drive it, so he hired famed bicycle racer Barney Oldfield to get behind the wheel. Oldfield won many races in the ‘999’ and went on to become one of the country’s first nationally recognized race drivers. The car’s success also established Henry Ford and helped to set up the formation of The Ford Motor Company. Engine: Ford, inline 4-cylinder, atmospheric overhead intake values and side exhaust valves, 1155 cu. in., 70 hp (est.)
The 1906 Locomobile “Old 16” was the first American car to win an international race, when it won the Vanderbilt Cup in 1908 with George Robertson behind the wheel. “Old 16” cost $20,000 to build. Engine: Locomobile inline 4-cylinder, overhead intake valves, side exhaust valves, 990 cu. in., 120 hp
This 1933 Willys drag racer was (re)built in 1958 by “Ohio George” Montgomery. Between 1959 and 1966, Montgomery and his Willys “Gasser” won their class at the National Hot Rod Association national championships six times. Engine: Ford V-8, single-overhead cam V-8, 427 cu. in., 850 hp (est.)
Jerry Unser’s 1956 Ford F100 and Bobby Unser’s Pikes Peak Hill Climb racer. Bobby Unser had won the Pikes Peak Hill Climb twice before he drove this racer to victory in 1959. He would drive this car to victory 6 more times, winning the Pikes Peak Hill Climb nine times out of 13 years.
Buck Baker drove this 1956 Chrysler 300-B during his NASCAR driving championship that same year. Team owner, Carl Kiekhaefer, won 22 out of 41 races that year, including 16 in a row. Kiekhaefer left racing after dominating the 1955-56 seasons. Engine: Chrysler V-8, overhead valves, 354 cu. in., 355 hp
In 1965, brothers Bob & Bill Summers took Goldenrod to the Bonneville Salt Flats and shattered the land speed record for wheel driven cars hitting 409.277 MPH. Goldenrod’s record stood until 1991. Engines: Four Chrysler “Hemi” V-8s, overhead valves, 426 cu. in., 600hp each
A.J. Foyt won 13 of the 26 races he entered driving this car, which was powered by the 4-cylinder Offenhauser engine. An “Offy” powered car took the victory lap in 27 Indianapolis 500’s between 1935-1976. Engine: Meyer and Drake “Offenhauser” inline 4-cylinder, double overhead camshaft, 255 cu. in., 400 hp
Henry Ford Museum
Dearborn, Michigan
While in Detroit, I checked out the Henry Ford Museum. First off, let me tell you, this place is huge and the collection is extensive. I doubt anyone could see everything here in a single day. It is one impressive collection.
Henry Ford’s first car: The Quadricycle, built in 1896.
Ford’s 1932 V-8 engine takes center stage in front of a 1937 LaSalle Coupe
One of only six: a 1931 Bugatti Royale. “Longer than the Deus, twice the horse power of a Rolls, and more costly than the two of them put together.”
A 1931 Duesenberg Model ‘J’
Neon, McDonald’s and a 1956 Chevy Bel Air
Camping icon: A 1959 VW Westfalia. It looks like it should be parked down by a beach somewhere. Let’s take it out!
The Driving America exhibit, celebrates and at times questions, America’s love affair with the automobile. It truly delves into not only automobiles, but American culture throughout the decades as well and how our vehicles shaped that culture. A first rate exhibit, and a wonderfully diverse collection. It’s not just Fords on display, not by a long shot.
Duluth
After making my loop through the UP to Duluth, I had to stop by Canal Park for a visit to Grandma’s Saloon and a walk along the shore. The wind had already been working on the waves, and everything was coated with a slick glaze of ice. Still, it was a nice day to be alongside Superior.
I made it over to the city’s iconic aerial lift bridge. The lift bridge began life as an extremely rare transporter bridge in 1905. One of only two such bridges ever built in the United States, a transporter bridge carries a section of roadway across a span – like a gondola. In 1929, the bridge was converted to a vertical lift bridge, which is also uncommon.
The span is 390 feet, and can be raised to it’s full height of 135 feet in 60 seconds.
Yoop-ing in the New Year
Mackinac Bridge
In order to avoid Chicago, I decided to take the scenic route towards the Twin Cities and ventured up into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
It was a nice drive, and the UP is beautiful country. It was snowing lightly when I crossed the Mackinac Bridge. The “Mighty Mac” is a 26,372 foot long suspension bridge, completed in 1957, that connects the Upper and Lower sections of Michigan.
I stopped in St. Ignace and eventually wandered down to the Driftwood for a night of Mad Hatters and wondering what 2016 could possibly have in store.
It was a fun crowd, and offered a wonderful distraction.
On The Road: Madtown to Motor City
The car was buried under a good eight inches of snow this morning, but the interstate was clear, and I made great time… until Chicago.
I took the easy route, which meant toll roads. I usually avoid interstate highways with tolls out of pure principle, but today I grudgingly paid the tax. From Illinois to Indiana I shelled out $14.40 in tolls, using several one dollar bills that I had very recently been saddled with. Whose pocket gets lined when tolls are on the interstates? I ask, because they certainly are not lining the roads with anything. The short section of Indiana was by far the worse section of road I have traveled since the Yukon Territory.
At 1:15pm I hit traffic west of Chicago. It wasn’t until 2:45pm when I was able to visit 4th gear again. I don’t know what you Lower 48-ers see in traffic, but I think it’s seriously overrated.
Once I escaped the potholes of Indiana, I was able to make good time again until 85 miles outside of Detroit, when a five mile section of I-94 became a parking lot. Through the wonders of technology, I could find out that a wreck at an off ramp up ahead was causing the delay. 75 minutes later, I passed the offending ramp, which had no sign of a wreck.
Lovely day for a drive
I-80 west of the Quad Cities – Iowa. Courtesy of Knoxvegas
As I attempt to travel across Wisconsin and Illinois, this was the scene just south of me on I-80. Where did I leave that Rover?
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