1st Weekend Away (Part 1)

Well, the next step in the relationship dance has been taken. Steef and I took our first weekend trip. And we went to.....Duluth.

It wasn't planned out too far in advance. I wanted to see my parents and I wanted them to meet Steef and I wanted Steef to see something of Duluth before we went up for the UMD/UAA hockey games in December. Why not kill 3 birds?

Overall, it went very well. Mom and Dad looked good as always. Steef likes them and they seem to like him. We got up there Friday night and just chatted...and watched part of the Cleveland/Red Sox game. During an inning break, one of the sportscasters interviewed Stephen King! King is a big Sox fan.

Saturday Steef and I went full tourist mode. First stop, Glensheen.

My last tour there was over 10 years ago, and I recall that the tour docent would not even mention the Congdon murder. This tour the guide actually mentioned it and indicated which room the murder ocurred in! I was very surprised. Then she deflected any possible incoming follow-up questions by saying there was a book about the murders for purchase in the gift shop. Very smart, that, I thought.

By then it was lunch time, so we hit Grandma's Saloon for lunch. Very good. Steef saw a t-shirt he wanted to get for his mom. Lunch was followed by a stroll around the canal, the Marine Museum, and some of the shops.

We drove over the Aerial Lift Bridge, down to Park Point and back. While it was a nice sunny day, it was bit too chilly to hit the beach.

We stopped up at Central High School (go Trojans!) and took in the view for a few minutes, then off along Skyline Parkway and up to Enger Tower.

Even a perfectly in-shape person pants heavily when they get to the top of the Tower. Those innocent looking steps inside it are steep! But the view of the city is fantastic. Here's a view of Steef viewing the city:

A little more driving around and pointing out various sights (UMD, my old apartment on 1st Street, etc.). We came home and I wanted to take a nap, but Dad needed help with the computer. I called McKeon to see if he wanted to meet us out for a drink later that night, but Nan told me he's off in Florida, riding his hog.

Saturday evening, Steef and I hit the Main Club in Superior for a drink--very dead. Went over to J.T.'s and a much more lively crowd over there. That also seems to be the bar where the college twinks hang. And some serious pool-players. D.J. played some good music and there were a couple of aged lesbians trying to keep the beat out on the floor alongside the twinks.