Brad, Craig and I hit the links in Cottage Grove

Great to see that guy again – thanks, TB!

The barn isn’t too shabby either

Seth took Jeff’s place this week in Golden Valley

Best. Usher. Ever.

Great to catch up with Rich (and Leo and Pete) @ Gross National

So great to catch up with friends

Nice to catch up with JS in Cambridge

Mike: kindergarten friend; John: junior high friend

Congrats to the Dresen Family 🎉

Fun night with Keri and Scott in Lowertown

Thanks, Mikey Boom-Boom for the 📷

Tough walk today in the heat (car said 99F on the way home)

Keller is such a great metro asset

https://www.startribune.com/obituaries/detail/0000393109/?fullname=frances-alexandra-bride-sandy-(ne%C3%A9-boardman)-klas

Good luck to Herm and the Golden Knights against a tough Colorado team

Another lovely day visiting Independence

18 holes with the usual gang

Great afternoon with Rich on the National

This place is special

Lunch at Smokey’s – thanks, Jesse!

…but it got nice by the end (Ops @ Gross National)

https://www.monitorsaintpaul.com/stories/tabitha-wheeler-named-social-worker-of-year,1741

The first of, I suspect, many changes coming

Thanks, Jamie!

No way Christy didn’t help with this

It will always be the Audrey, right Chef (and Nive Man)?

Round #65, Montgomery National

Thanks, Keri

So great to hang out in the Commons today with JV, RW, JK and the kiddo

Love the subtle jab at NY

So great to see Talia again!

Beautiful afternoon at Highland National

So long, Dacha Batinich

Pope Family Ranch, Forest Lake

Congratulations (again) to Leo @ Hazeltine

Good luck to Danielle in her future endeavors (Mississippi Pub, Inver Grove Heights)

Wise words from my friend Chuck:

I don’t really participate in politics or political discussions, either in real life, or online. Why? I have always believed that a true key to a peaceful life and a polite society is to not discuss politics or religion. Why? Because these are divisive topics. Likely over ninety percent of human conflicts have hinged on these topics, and by extension most of the death and destruction throughout human history. I have political and religious beliefs, but none of you know what they are because I keep them to myself. The world would be a better place if most folks lived this way. Sure, I vote, but nothing I see on Facebook is going to change how I vote, and I’m not so foolish as to believe I can influence how anyone else votes. So I don’t even participate in online political discussion.

…and Craig (Ridges at Sand Creek #2)

Another beautiful morning with Mr. Cody in Bloomington

Phalen with Curtis (plus Craig and Jeff)

Wild Marsh was very nice

This here rap’s about the true confession. If you listen close you about to learn a lesson. You must know failure before success…

Blast from the past

Curtis on 7 tee, Stonebrooke Golf Club

Applewood Hills with John and Cathy

I don’t think that’s the real reason

I’ve been fortunate to continue working through the pandemic, but it’s been tough to take time away (especially since I’m the only IT person left). Thanks to the support of my boss and one of our awesome game day staffers, I was able to take a week off without looking at work email once. We originally intended to spend the week on Isle Royale National Park, but the ferry and Rock Harbor Lodge decided to scrap the whole 2020 season and our reservations were cancelled.

Plan B was to stay the first half of the week at Lutsen Resort and the Fourth of July weekend on Lake Vermilion (at Fortune Bay). Those plans changed as the temperatures kept rising – it was even hot along the usually cool shoreline of Lake Superior and we discovered upon check-in that Lutsen Resort does not have air conditioning. They were accommodating by offering us a full refund, but there were really no other options in Lutsen or the surrounding spots (Grand Marais, Tofte, Grand Portage). Fortune Bay could get us in early, so we set off on highway 1 through Ely and decided to spend the whole week on Vermilion.

Fortune Bay has done a nice job with COVID safety and procedures. They had temperature checks set up on the entry road, mandatory face masks and lots of signage, plexiglass and hand sanitizer. The casino floor had basically every other machine turned off, but they kindly turned on my favorite game for the week (big thanks to EJ). I think I made it worth their hassle, though, while still getting a lot of quality playing time. They had Frozen-themed giveaways on Thursday and Friday for 100 points earned (an Olaf waffle maker on day one and an Olaf snow cone maker on day two), so I spread my playing time out accordingly. Marisa really, really wanted these, so I was happy for the solid play-through.

Food options during the week were a little limited, but what was open was solid. We stopped at the Ely Steakhouse on the way over from Lutsen and they were following all of the state orders for in-person dining. On the other end of the spectrum, the Vermilion Club was following just about none of the rules, which blew us away (maybe “VC” really stands for Virus Central). We still ate there twice in-person and had take-out a third day, because Poor Gary’s pizza and the bleu cheese and chicken wings are Northland classics (hopefully we were personally careful enough).

Back at Fortune Bay, I hit the Wilderness Grill four times, having great experiences each time. The new chef used to work at Alma in Minneapolis and I really liked all of the sandwiches I tried (pulled chicken, walleye, porchetta and cheeseburger). Their new fries are reminiscent of the state fair classics. In the casino proper, we had a wonderful dinner at the Sunset Steakhouse and stopped several times at the Gold Mine Grill, which is getting better with service and staffing (they’ve always had great coffeeshop-style food options). The Tamarack Buffet was closed for service, but was the room was being used for socially-distanced overflow seating.

Thought I would play a lot of golf during the week, but the temperatures were warm and I just didn’t feel like going every day. I did drive down to Coleraine to play Eagle Ridge with the Millers and got in a twilight round on The Wilderness with John, Cathy and Bonnie. The whole region needs rain badly, so there were some near-dead areas on both courses (especially in the roughs). The Wilderness also has a lot of behind the scenes changes: the contract with KemperSports was not renewed and former golf GM Tom Beaudry and superintendent Vince Dodge have both moved on to the state of cheese. Still love that course, though, and it continues to be the one I’ve played the most.

It was also great to hang out at Dacha Batinich on Birch Point again with Mary and the crew. Big thanks to John and Cathy for taking us out on the boat for a pizza picnic (and for taking Sasha and Marisa out again later in the week). Skip-Bo games and great conversations make that little cabin a very special place indeed.

Thanks John and Cathy

Last visit with Armon before the adventure begins

An old Don Frantz favorite

Such a shame – it was a really nice course before

Welcome back Steve (and crew)

I hope this one is for real – lunch plans for sure

Post-round Angry Orchard

Eric at James Irving Grooming, Uptown Minneapolis

Troy Burne, Hudson, Wisconsin

Great to see the Schusters, though

Well-earned retirement

I miss your collective laughter too

Mr. Oliver George Henry Michael Stevens

https://www.forbes.com/sites/eveturowpaul/2020/03/22/how-restaurants-innovating-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/

Live at five with Nive…

Lots of Vegas in the house

5.4K likes isn’t too shabby

The Bean still rocks, though

Thanks, AF

Good luck with your big week!

See, they can appear in the same room at the same time

He gets to live here all the time