May 2023

The North Shore Adventure Park opens its fifth season on Friday, May 26 with some new offerings and more deals for North Shore and Twin Ports residents. The Adventure Park offers climb and zip experiences and is the only forested Adventure Park in Minnesota. The new axe throwing attraction opened in July 2023 with six lanes that can accommodate up to 24 throwers. “It’s a really fun experience and we provide games so people can get better really fast,” said Alice Tibbetts, president of the North Shore Adventure Park. Guests can come in a group and use as many lanes as they need or can rent just one lane for up to four people. Two axe throwing leagues are planned for early summer: a competitive adult league for ages 16 and up and a social/ family league for ages 12 and up. “We are the only permanent outdoor axe facility in Minnesota, and the only venue on the North Shore. It’s so much more fun to play outdoors and since it is covered, you can even play in the rain,” said Tibbetts. The park offers a discounted Locals Ticket for single visits and season passes for individuals and families. TIbbets says the thing she is most excited about this year is that they are fully staffed. She credits that relatively rare north shore phenomenon to the dedication of their staff, and innovative solutions to housing. “We worked so hard to put ourselves out on every single hiring platform we could find, and I bought two houses in Silver Bay for our staff,” said Tibbets. Staff include international students from Bulgaria and Jamaica, and a shared employment arrangement with the Americinn is another partnership that Tibbets is proud of, calling it a really nice, productive relationship for the students and both businesses.

The second round of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs is one game away from going into the books, and as always the tourney has been exciting and interesting as can be. As for that one more game, that will take place this eve between the DAL Stars and the second-year SEA Kraken in a Monday Night Seven Heaven. The game will be in the Big D with an invite to the Western Conference Final on the line. What is likely to happen here? The Stars are 4-2 at home during the playoff, while the Kraken is 4-3 on the road. Does anyone hold an advantage there? I can't say. But will having a G7 on home ice help DAL or the road dog Kraken? You might almost prefer to be the road dog for this game. Put as much on the home team's shoulders as you can. There are few things worse than losing a playoff series on your own rink in the National. It is that bad. But when I think of this tilt tonight I think first, that the overmatched Minnesota WILD managed to win a game at DAL. The Kraken has won a playoff game there already. So that establishes the Stars aren't invincible at home. For the two coaches, Pete DeBoer (SEA) and Dave Hakstol, (SEA) I'd have to give DeBoer the slightest advantage in NHL situations like this. He simply has more experience than the Hakker does in this league. Make no mistake though, Hakstol has done an impressive job with this club this season. That's why he is a Jack Adams Finalist. Between the pipes, stats-wise, it's a relatively close call with the Kraken's Phillip Grubauer and the Star's Jake Oettinger. At this very moment, I can say 'Grubs' put up a superior performance over the 'Oetter' in G6. My eyeball test is saying that Grubauer has just a tad bit more game than Oettinger does at the moment. But I also feel that the Kraken are playing better team defense than DAL right now. That never hurts a goalie's efforts. But then, if DAL puts one of their dominant type games on the ice, SEA won't have a chance. I'm just going to have to wait for game time I guess. I do li

Seeking Sturgeon I’ve been a pretty dedicated angler for half a century. As a kid, my idea of perfection was to be camped with friends along a lake or river—whether it be in the western mountains or the canoe country or a local span of water— and spend all day, every day, fishing and exploring.

Editor's note: the reluctant editor just happened to be rummaging through old books in the basement and he found a cook book and notes from his old friend Chef Leinie, now deceased, who found a way to harness fog.

It was Saturday morning, raining and dreary. I stopped at an estate sale and headed back to the garage looking for gardening supplies.

Lake County has a new tool in its fight against aquatic invasive species (AIS) like spiny waterflea — thanks to the installation of a waterless, boater-operated system to clean, drain and dry watercraft and trailers, then dispose of water, weeds and debris. A CD3 Cleaning System, free for all to use, has been installed at the Silver Bay Safe Harbor Public Water Access. This CD3 station was made possible through Minnesota AIS prevention aid allocated to Lake County as well as funding from NOAA and Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program granted to Lake County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD). CD3 stands for “Clean, Drain, Dry and Dispose,” because the system provides a cleaning infrastructure for boaters to clean, drain, and dry their own boats and trailers. The standalone unit offers a suite of self-service resources, including an air blower, wet-dry vacuum, hand tools, and lights to help boaters remove, then dispose of, water, weeds, and debris — including leftover bait. The stations serve as educational kiosks and prompt boaters to take action while they are parked in the dedicated tie-down lane.