Had a great time at the Minnesota State Fair again this year. The whole family went on the Sunday of the Milk Run and spent most of the day there. Colleen and I also went solo on Wednesday night to see Gnarls Barkley at the Grandstand. The concert was cut short because of rain, but it was fun anyway. And I can’t remember the last time I saw fireworks during a lightning storm.

As we were running to the parking lot in the rain, we decided to stop in at the beer garden to look for my friend and HSRA studio wizard Art Haynes. His band, Mojo Roots, has played the State Fair for the past few years and they totally tear it up every night. Check them out if you can.

We didn’t really try any new foods this year, but enjoyed all of the old favorites. One new twist was our discovery that the physical education teacher at Deerwood Elementary also helps run the corn roast booth. What a great gig!

I’m always sort of sad when the fair is over–it’s truly a Minnesota classic.

We paid a visit to the North Shore of Lake Superior over the Labor Day weekend and stopped in at the Silver Bay Golf Club, located just outside Silver Bay at the end of Golf Course Road.

Their newest brochure had some interesting history I hadn’t heard before:

The Silver Bay Golf Course was constructed in 1959 by the Reserve Mining Company and has matured into one of the finest 9 hole layouts in the state. The Golf Course, which opened to the public in 1983, is now owned by the City of Silver Bay, and remains a public facility.

There was talk recently about expanding the course to 18 holes, but a recent quote I read from course superintendent Norma O’Leary gave the impression those plans have been shelved indefinitely.

The current nine hole layout plays 3,173 yards from the tips, with a rating of 35.8 and a slope of 131. The 2008 walking rate for nine holes is $16 ($25 for 18).