For one, the author (and his family) felt it best to forsake the waterparks in favour of the scenic glories such as first attracted tourists there starting in the 1870's with the first steamboats offering excursions therein.

Any conclusions you may draw from this, I will leave to you, reader.

For a few years in the early 2000's, WDLS-AM (900 kHz) was known as "Your Vacation Station," broadcasting a breezly mix of vacationy music and visitor information, even to the point of inviting people into their studios on Broadway to relate their experiences.

Who still has memories thereof?

Featuring some Nutella jars from Italy (and likely sold exclusively there) featuring characters from Top Cat as part of a broader series of limited edition jars which, after washing, could be reused as drinking glasses.

Not unlike several jars of Welch's Grape Jelly stateside featuring The Flintstones and Tom and Jerry.

About the time Top Cat debuted in prime time on ABC in 1961, numerous pictures appeared in the papers showing the voice actors on the series alongside their respective characters, presented again for your enlightenment.

As aide-memoire, the Top Cat voice cast was:

• Arnold Stang (Top Cat)
• Maurice Gosfield (Benny the Ball)
• Marvin Kaplan (Choo-Choo)
• John Stephenson (Fancy-Fancy)
• Leo DeLyon (Brain and Spook)
• Alan Jenkins (Officer Charles Dibble)

"If you build it, they will come ..."

(But on the other hand, let's hope it gets better equipment than the Superliner stock now in deployment as pis aller after the Horizon equipment initially assigned was sidelined for corrosion issues requiring rebuilding....)

Is this, perchance, a little TOO short for your tastes, reader?

"Here she comes --!!!"

As suggested recently unto Amtrak, perhaps the best possible avenue to keep the Borealis and suchlike services viable, though unlikely to see Airo or Venture stock trhough add-on orders would be:

• Buying used or retired Bombardier-design bilevel commuter rail coaches (including cab control cars); and
• In partnership with Alstom, as successor to Bombardier's rail business, having such rebuilt for coach and cafe/Business Class such as could withstand a round trip of 850 miles at a maximum speed of 79mph.

Acquiring, in the Borealis' case, enough such equipment to permit two daily CHI-MKE-MSP round trips with 3-4 cars (including cab car, the better to keep costs all the lower through "push-pull" techniques), plus a decent reserve against emergencies and heavy holiday-period traffic demands. The whole to include ADA-compliant accomodations for the disabled and bicycle space.

Doubtless, such a rebuild might have better value for money than all-new Airo/Venture stock via add-on order to current such, yet still, it might be interesting to figure out the cost of such a rebuild--which, as noted, would be a partnership with Alstom.

"Whaddya say, boys?"

How impressive is THIS?!!

During the salad days of iron ore mining on especially the Mesabi range, there emerged a tradition of having the first carload of iron ore from a newly-opened mine heading to Duluth topped off with a pine tree for some reason or another. Which would be carried over into the taconite era with the opening of United States Steel's Minntac processing facility at Mountain Iron in 1965, the first carload of pelletised taconite therefrom being recognised.

I presume such was common on the Mesabi, but I'm not sure if such was also practiced among Cuyuna and Vermillion Range mines just opened in the day.

Would anyone have knowledge of who came up with the notion, or still recalls seeing iron ore cars topped with a pine tree?

Short, but succinct.

And wnough to wonder if there will be a return of Horizon/Amfleet stock to the Borealis within measurable distance; it appears this video was taken when same were still so assigned.

Posted but last year, when the Borealis marked its first anniversary (and when it still used Horizon/Amfleet equipment rather than the Superliner such as prevailed since the forced displacement and rebuilding of the Horizon stock).

Would that it had more decent stock, considering that such can only last so long (not to mention the unlikelihood of Horizon or Airo stock being allocated thus). (As a matter of fact, I've approached Amtrak with the suggestion of looking into acquiring--and rebuilding for this kind of train--retired Bombardier-design commuter coaches enow to allow for two daily round trips, plus some in reserve against emergencies and unusually heavy demand, replete with bicycle accomodation in season and ADA-compatible accomodations.)

Featuring a mix of the Borealis with Amfleet/Horizon and Superliner stock in and around the Twin Cities-Red Wing portion.

Would that the Borealis again had equipment other than Superliner coaches ...

Otherwise known as rain--and with four coaches.

Just to let you know.