Modern Vespa

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjA3SQF

My scooter riding group headed "Up Nord" from Minneapolis
to Lake Mille Lacs and lunch at the Native American Casino
"Grand Casino Mille Lacs".

This great day ride was 270 mile. Obviously with this
group, Rest Stops every hour.

The Native American name for the lake "Mille Lacs Lake"
means thousand lakes. When the glacier that mowed
Minnesota flat receded, it gouged out thousands of lakes
in my State of Minnesota. We are known as the "Land
of 10,000 Lakes. Thus the Indian name Minnesota.

Bob Copeland


The group at a overlook of the Lake. Circumference 100 Miles





Yours truly at a rest/fuel stop.

Looks like a fine group and a fun time.

They still have the ice fishing houses all lined up across the road from the lake. I remember seeing possibly hundreds of them when I was up the in the late 1970's or maybe it was early 1980's Believe it was along Highway 169. My dad grew up near Aitkin back in the late `20's and 1940's before going in the army for WWII. Then he met mom this young girl from Central NY and the rest is history! Or mine and my brother and sisters'!

KZ1000ST - thanks for your kind words.

Kshansen,

My Dad was a fanatic fisherman. I think it gave him calm from a
hectic work schedule. Long before I was born (1948), Dad & Mom
bought a cabin (Old Moose Hunting Lodge) on the South end of
Lake Mille Lacs just out of Isle MN. The place was kind of a dump,
but we loved it.

I spent every Summer, from age 0 to 18 at that cabin. We actually
lived in Minneapolis - Mom would pick me (and brother) up at the
school door when school was out in the Spring. We stayed at the cabin
all Summer and came home the day before school started in the Fall.
Dad would take all his vacation and be up on the weekends.

You are right, everyone still has their Fish Houses just off the Lake.

Explanation for those not familiar with Northern USA/Minnesota. The
lakes freeze solid in the Winter (12" or more thick). You can drive
your car out on the lake and drill a hole in the ice and fish during the
Winter. For comfort, locals drag Small structures on skids (Fish Houses)
out on the lake. They have square holes in the floor (Usually in the
four corners) to drill down through the ice and fish. The Fish house
has a stove. It could be 15 below zero outside, but everyone is sitting
around in T-Shirts (hot inside) drinking beer, playing cards. When you
catch a fish, just throw it outside on the ice and it freezes to take home.

This is very popular - some of the fish houses are huge. I think the
sitting around drinking beer and bullshitting with friends is as big
a draw to the sport as fishing. Most leave their fish houses in place all
Winter and then drag them off before the ice melts.

Bob Copeland


The old traditional fish house

I was told that in the winter there was actually mail delivery to those fish houses.

One of my uncles was a appliance repairman for Sears back in the 1960's to I'm thinking to probably the 1980's in the Minneapolis area. He also had an A frame cabin up on Lake Washington.

Kshansen,

This ice fishing stuff in Minnesota is crazy. This weekend there is a
large convention center sales event for all things ice fishing.

Now, there are large travel trailer size fish houses like having
a condo on the ice.

For all you down south folks, there are openings in each corner
of the fish house where they drill down through the ice and
drop fishing lines down to catch fish. When you catch a nice
big fish, you simply throw it outside to freeze and then take home.

The real appeal, the heater in the fish house is so warm you
can sit around shirtless drink lots of beer and play poker.

The ice is so thick you can drive your car and park right next
to the fish house.

Snowmobiles and four wheeled ATVs have made the event even
more popular.

No scooting up here, but Winter sports.

Bob Copeland