# Why not Minot?



## CWS4322 (Sep 5, 2013)

taxlady said:


> Oh, that does sound like it would be fun and yummy.


Minot is not "THAT" far from where my parents live...and Missoula is not "THAT" far from Minot...I'm thinking a DCers meet up in Minot, ND next year...


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## taxlady (Sep 5, 2013)

CWS4322 said:


> Minot is not "THAT" far from where my parents live...and Missoula is not "THAT" far from Minot...I'm thinking a DCers meet up in Minot, ND next year...


By next year, I *might* have my paperwork organized so I can travel to the US.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 6, 2013)

CWS4322 said:


> Minot is not "THAT" far from where my parents live...and Missoula is not "THAT" far from Minot...I'm thinking a DCers meet up in Minot, ND next year...



Minot?  I could do that!


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## Cooking Goddess (Sep 6, 2013)

CWS4322 said:


> Minot is not "THAT" far from where my parents live...and Missoula is not "THAT" far from Minot...I'm thinking a DCers meet up in Minot, ND next year...





PrincessFiona60 said:


> Minot?  I could do that!



As they say in the Air Force:  Why NOT Minot?  Because it's freakin' cold up there, that's why!  Unless it's the dead (heat) of summer...


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 6, 2013)

Cooking Goddess said:


> As they say in the Air Force:  Why NOT Minot?  Because it's freakin' cold up there, that's why!  Unless it's the dead (heat) of summer...



I know better than to head there in the winter...


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## CWS4322 (Sep 7, 2013)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Minot?  I could do that!


I think it would be fun--especially the ethnic foods! I'm always up for some lefse, swedish meatballs, pickled herring...if we think we want to do this, we'd have to find s/place to stay fairly early on...the hotels in Minot fill up quickly. Too bad my cousins no longer live there...


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 7, 2013)

CWS4322 said:


> I think it would be fun--especially the ethnic foods! I'm always up for some lefse, swedish meatballs, pickled herring...if we think we want to do this, we'd have to find s/place to stay fairly early on...the hotels in Minot fill up quickly. Too bad my cousins no longer live there...



It's 11.5 hours from here.  When would we want to be there?  I have to plan for vacation days.


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## CWS4322 (Sep 8, 2013)

It seems to me it runs 5 days, usually at the end of September/beginning of October. This year it is a M-F (Oct 1 - 5) (which seems odd, one would think it would include a weekend...).


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 8, 2013)

I was looking at room rates for next spring...high, many of the dates I looked at were not available.  You weren't kidding about room availability.


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## taxlady (Sep 8, 2013)

Doesn't Somebunny have an RV?


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 8, 2013)

taxlady said:


> Doesn't Somebunny have an RV?



Why, so she does...


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## jennyema (Sep 8, 2013)

I lived in Fargo ad a kid but sadly have no desire to go back to ND

Maybe New Orleans or San Fran ?


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## Dawgluver (Sep 8, 2013)

Hmm.  If I don't sell Mom's house by then, it's 3 hours away from Minot.  3BR, full finished basement, 3 bathrooms...
Just sayin'.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 8, 2013)

jennyema said:


> I lived in Fargo ad a kid but sadly have no desire to go back to ND
> 
> Maybe New Orleans or San Fran ?



I need to be able to drive in one day...  It's the only way I could afford the time and the trip.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 8, 2013)

Dawgluver said:


> Hmm.  If I don't sell Mom's house by then, it's 3 hours away from Minot.  3BR, full finished basement, 3 bathrooms...
> Just sayin'.



That would work!!  The important question is...does it have a kitchen?????


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## Dawgluver (Sep 8, 2013)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> That would work!!  The important question is...does it have a kitchen?????



Yes indeed!  With an oven, stovetop, MW, fridge...no dishwasher, need to get it fixed.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 8, 2013)

I'm a good dishwasher...


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## Dawgluver (Sep 8, 2013)

Problem is, Mom's house is on the east coast of ND.  Close to Canada, but clear across the state from Montana.  A very long drive.  :sigh:


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 8, 2013)

Dawgluver said:


> Problem is, Mom's house is on the east coast of ND.  Close to Canada, but clear across the state from Montana.  A very long drive.  :sigh:



that's only 8 more potty stops away...


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## Dawgluver (Sep 9, 2013)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> that's only 8 more potty stops away...



All righty then!  14 hours from here!


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## CatPat (Sep 9, 2013)

I wish that I could be going to there but it is the long distance.

Your friend,
~Cat


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 9, 2013)

14 hours is my limit for driving in a day.  The stops are what pack on the time.


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## Gravy Queen (Sep 9, 2013)

England anyone ?


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 9, 2013)

Gravy Queen said:


> England anyone ?



I will need a snorkel...maybe even some swim fins.


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## Alix (Sep 9, 2013)

It seems to me we are approaching this in a backward fashion. Perhaps first we should determine who would like to meet and pick a central location that way? 

Minot is pretty teeny it seems. Only 40000 residents. 

Cool idea CWS!


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## Hoot (Sep 9, 2013)

Alix said:


> Minot is pretty teeny it seems. Only 40000 residents.



Wow....My hometown has 2800 residents.


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## Alix (Sep 9, 2013)

Sorry Hoot, I guess it depends on your perspective. We're over 800,000 here not including our satellite towns.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 9, 2013)

Alix said:


> Sorry Hoot, I guess it depends on your perspective. We're over 800,000 here not including our satellite towns.



That is absolutely the BIG city...  Missoula is about the size of Minot!


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## taxlady (Sep 9, 2013)

I doubt that I will make it to Minot. According to Google maps, it's a 26 hour drive.


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## CWS4322 (Sep 9, 2013)

But TL, I thought we'd do a road trip and stop in MN on the way. The reason Minot is for the Norsk Hostfest.

Or we could hop Amtrak in Syracuse to Grand Forks and rent a car...


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## Steve Kroll (Sep 9, 2013)

I made my once-in-a-blue-moon trek through Minot (AND Missoula) back in July, so I probably wouldn't do it again so soon. Besides, I think we're heading east to upstate New York next year.

But if you do happen to have a meetup, I would expect to see some photos, so a few of us regulars can put a face with the names of people we chat with on a regular basis.


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## taxlady (Sep 9, 2013)

CWS4322 said:


> But TL, I thought we'd do a road trip and stop in MN on the way. The reason Minot is for the Norsk Hostfest.
> 
> Or we could hop Amtrak in Syracuse to Grand Forks and rent a car...


Well, if I'm up for that long a road trip, we could make it a convoy. Pick up Rocklobster near Ottawa, Chief Longwind of the North in the Upper Peninsula, collect Steve Kroll and Charlie D as we travel through Minnesota. There's probably other people along the way that I have forgotten.


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## Aunt Bea (Sep 9, 2013)

All this talk about a road trip and no mention of what snacks to pack!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 9, 2013)

Steve Kroll said:


> I made my once-in-a-blue-moon trek through Minot (AND Missoula) back in July, so I probably wouldn't do it again so soon. Besides, I think we're heading east to upstate New York next year.
> 
> But if you do happen to have a meetup, I would expect to see some photos, so a few of us regulars can put a face with the names of people we chat with on a regular basis.



It just was not in the stars...If not for the boring nurse's meeting.  I'm the one with the glasses...the most recent pic I have.


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## CWS4322 (Sep 9, 2013)

Steve Kroll said:


> I made my once-in-a-blue-moon trek through Minot (AND Missoula) back in July, so I probably wouldn't do it again so soon. Besides, I think we're heading east to upstate New York next year.
> 
> But if you do happen to have a meetup, I would expect to see some photos, so a few of us regulars can put a face with the names of people we chat with on a regular basis.


If you're going to be THAT close, you might as well come up to Ottawa and Montreal!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 9, 2013)

Aunt Bea said:


> All this talk about a road trip and no mention of what snacks to pack!



That's why I made sure there was a kitchen at Dawg's Mom's house...I think we would be bringing only those things to cook that we could not get in Minot or close by.  I would be bringing chipotles in adobo, chipotle powder and mangos...


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## Steve Kroll (Sep 9, 2013)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> It just was not in the stars...If not for the boring nurse's meeting.  I'm the one with the glasses...the most recent pic I have.


And on the way back home we made very few stops. By that time, we were so ready for vacation to be over and to get back home. 

There will be another time, I'm sure. Our daughter competes in a national forensics tournament every spring, and in 2015 it will be held in Portland, OR. So there may be another road trip in the cards. 

My profile pic is actually pretty recent, although Mrs. K says I look more gray in person.

Your little friend is a cutie!


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## Steve Kroll (Sep 9, 2013)

CWS4322 said:


> If you're going to be THAT close, you might as well come up to Ottawa and Montreal!


We've talked about that, but I think it will be a separate trip. We have friends on the US side in Chicago, Cleveland, and Buffalo that we've been promising to visit.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 9, 2013)

Steve Kroll said:


> And on the way back home we made very few stops. By that time, we were so ready for vacation to be over and to get back home.
> 
> There will be another time, I'm sure. Our daughter competes in a national forensics tournament every spring, and in 2015 it will be held in Portland, OR. So there may be another road trip in the cards.
> 
> ...



We are all more gray in person.  The cutie is Patron, king of the office and my most favorite pooch.  I never liked little dogs until I met him.  

Shrek has pics on his camera from our lake visit, but I haven't seen them yet.  He's retired, has no sense of urgency


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## Addie (Sep 9, 2013)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> That is absolutely the BIG city...  Missoula is about the size of Minot!



Isn't Missoula a cattle transfer town? Sort of like Vermont used to be? More cows than people.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 9, 2013)

Addie said:


> Isn't Missoula a cattle transfer town? Sort of like Vermont used to be? More cows than people.



Not anymore...it's a transient center, you know, you feed them and they will come.  Many of the folks here are vegetarians, we don't need so many cows.  It's more of a farm/produce/orchard area.


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## Addie (Sep 9, 2013)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Not anymore...it's a transient center, you know, you feed them and they will come.  Many of the folks here are vegetarians, we don't need so many cows.  It's more of a farm/produce/orchard area.



We stopped there once on our way cross country. There were a bunch of pens filled with steers and a lone gas tank. An old man came out and did fill our tank, but wasn't sure what to charge us. The gas was for the trucks that brought the cattle in to be shipped. He just wrote down how much they put in their tanks and then someone sent a bill to their company. We paid him in cash. We had the feeling that the company never saw that money. Fine with us.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 9, 2013)

Addie said:


> We stopped there once on our way cross country. There were a bunch of pens filled with steers and a lone gas tank. An old man came out and did fill our tank, but wasn't sure what to charge us. The gas was for the trucks that brought the cattle in to be shipped. He just wrote down how much they put in their tanks and then someone sent a bill to their company. We paid him in cash. We had the feeling that the company never saw that money. Fine with us.



That must have occurred a while ago...we even have an escalator in the mall now and not a cow pen in sight.


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## Addie (Sep 9, 2013)

About 35 years ago. Do you have a traffic light too? And more than one cop who also drives the school bus?


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 9, 2013)

Addie said:


> About 35 years ago. Do you have a traffic light too? And more than one cop who also drives the school bus?



And a Coffee Shop on every corner.


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## Cooking Goddess (Sep 9, 2013)

Probably a Dunkin' Donuts PF!   Just like "Chickenman"!
Chickenman Radio Series - YouTube

Minot is a bit far for me to want to drive 1850 miles for a meet-up, no matter HOW much fun you guys all are!  Now if we picked a place a little more centered it might be nice, but with as far spread as we are maybe two "conventions" held at the same time, one centered east of the Mississippi and one west?  We could pull them together via an internet connection and be in two places at once!


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## Addie (Sep 9, 2013)

This place had to have been on the outskirts of town. We also stopped at a diner, gift shop for a cup of coffee and something to eat. They had a boot scraper outside. The place was filled with a bunch of cowboys that had that wonderful horsey smell. And all their Ford 250 pickup trucks were parked outside. I had to explain to my son about a lot of things. Like what that thing outside the door was. This diner was the only building around. When you looked to the left, you could see the mountains at the end of the  prairie. Beautiful sight.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 9, 2013)

Addie said:


> This place had to have been on the outskirts of town. We also stopped at a diner, gift shop for a cup of coffee and something to eat. They had a boot scraper outside. The place was filled with a bunch of cowboys that had that wonderful horsey smell. And all their Ford 250 pickup trucks were parked outside. I had to explain to my son about a lot of things. Like what that thing outside the door was. This diner was the only building around. When you looked to the left, you could see the mountains at the end of the  prairie. Beautiful sight.



I'm thinking you were east of the mountains from us...out towards  Bozeman or Billings.  Cows were never a big thing in Missoula, it's a  logging town.  We are also surrounded on all sides by the mountains, not  just one side.

CG...not a single Dunkin Donuts around here...but if you like expensive espresso's, we got 'em.


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## Cooking Goddess (Sep 9, 2013)

PF, you guys ain't missin' much. DD is the biggest player, but they aren't the best IMO.  Not much in the way of donut eaters in our house, but when I want one I want a good one.  Been saving my donut calories for when a new place opens - which was supposed to be almost 2 month ago!  Small "chain" - I think ours is the 5th one?  All made from scratch in-house.  We drove a couple towns over to sample.  Boy was that donut good.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 9, 2013)

The grocery I use is a scratch bakery.  Very good, almost as good as the bakery where Shrek and I worked.


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## bakechef (Sep 10, 2013)

A small privately owned donut shop recently opened up down the street.  I bought a half dozen assorted and OMG, were they good.  Each one (even the cake) were light and soft and not too sweet.  I sure hope that they do well, because we are severely lacking donut shops here.  We have some DD, and they are ok, but not what I consider a great donut.  

We have Krispy Kreme downtown where you can get fresh made donuts but, even their fresh ones I'd put a step below DD, everything they have is too sweet (and anyone who knows me knows how much I like sweets!), and they have no idea what a cruller is, they think that it is a pretty shaped cake dount!  Their crullers and cake donuts taste the same, like a Little Debbie dunkin' stick!


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## CWS4322 (Sep 10, 2013)

Cooking Goddess said:


> Probably a Dunkin' Donuts PF!   Just like "Chickenman"!
> Chickenman Radio Series - YouTube
> 
> Minot is a bit far for me to want to drive 1850 miles for a meet-up, no matter HOW much fun you guys all are!  Now if we picked a place a little more centered it might be nice, but with as far spread as we are maybe two "conventions" held at the same time, one centered east of the Mississippi and one west?  We could pull them together via an internet connection and be in two places at once!


Minot picked because of the Scandinavian festival that is held there--not because of its location! I'd pick Finger Lakes region myself.


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## Cooking Goddess (Sep 10, 2013)

CWS4322 said:


> Minot picked because of the Scandinavian festival that is held there--not because of its location! I'd pick Finger Lakes region myself.



Oh, I know that!  But I'm thinking if we ever plan a meet-up again it might be fun to pick two food-centric locations, one each east and west.  Get it far enough east and even someone like Gravy Queen might be able to hop over the pond.  Although a single location somewhere else might work too.  Finger Lakes has wine, KC has BBQ, Charleston has lowcountry, Montreal & Quebec have European...  Just a little late-night dreaming.


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## Cooking Goddess (Sep 10, 2013)

bakechef said:


> ...We have Krispy Kreme downtown where you can get fresh made donuts but, even their fresh ones I'd put a step below DD, everything they have is too sweet (and anyone who knows me knows how much I like sweets!), and they have no idea what a cruller is...



KK donuts look like plastic dollhouse food to me!   Nothing yummy about their appearance.  This new place we're getting?  They KNOW crullers!   I'd bettr get back on the recumbent bike or I'll look like a bowling pin...


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## taxlady (Sep 10, 2013)

Montreal, Quebec also has decent local wine and wonderful ice wine & ice cider.


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## CWS4322 (Sep 10, 2013)

Cooking Goddess said:


> Oh, I know that!  But I'm thinking if we ever plan a meet-up again it might be fun to pick two food-centric locations, one each east and west.  Get it far enough east and even someone like Gravy Queen might be able to hop over the pond.  Although a single location somewhere else might work too.  Finger Lakes has wine, KC has BBQ, Charleston has lowcountry, Montreal & Quebec have European...  Just a little late-night dreaming.


I went to university in Quebec City--love Quebec City. There are lots of great places to eat. One of my favourites for brunch was Le Cochon Dingue (http://www.cochondingue.com/media/pdf/CD_Menu_dejeuner_FRA.pdf) which was 5 minutes walk from my apartment off of Sault-au-Matelot. I loved the eggs benedict with smoked salmon and cheese.


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## bakechef (Sep 10, 2013)

CWS4322 said:


> I went to university in Quebec City--love Quebec City. There are lots of great places to eat. One of my favourites for brunch was Le Cochon Dingue (http://www.cochondingue.com/media/pdf/CD_Menu_dejeuner_FRA.pdf) which was 5 minutes walk from my apartment off of Sault-au-Matelot. I loved the eggs benedict with smoked salmon and cheese.



Even though I grew up in Maine, I have never been to Quebec.  One of these years if we drive back to Maine instead of flying we definitely want to go to Quebec city!


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## CWS4322 (Sep 10, 2013)

bakechef said:


> Even though I grew up in Maine, I have never been to Quebec.  One of these years if we drive back to Maine instead of flying we definitely want to go to Quebec city!


You need to do the drive around the Gaspe peninsula to Quebec City and then to Montreal, back through Vermont (I'm thinking fall foliage time!) You'd love it!


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## bakechef (Sep 10, 2013)

CWS4322 said:


> You need to do the drive around the Gaspe peninsula to Quebec City and then to Montreal, back through Vermont (I'm thinking fall foliage time!) You'd love it!



That would be heaven, autumn in New England and Canada is amazing!


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## taxlady (Sep 10, 2013)

bakechef said:


> That would be heaven, autumn in New England and Canada is amazing!


If you do decide to do this trip, you will have to let me know, so we can get together in Montreal.


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## bakechef (Sep 10, 2013)

taxlady said:


> If you do decide to do this trip, you will have to let me know, so we can get together in Montreal.



Definitely!


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## Addie (Sep 10, 2013)

bakechef said:


> A small privately owned donut shop recently opened up down the street.  I bought a half dozen assorted and OMG, were they good.  Each one (even the cake) were light and soft and not too sweet.  I sure hope that they do well, because we are severely lacking donut shops here.  We have some DD, and they are ok, but not what I consider a great donut.
> 
> *We have Krispy Kreme downtown where you can get fresh made donuts but, even their fresh ones I'd put a step below DD, everything they have is too sweet* (and anyone who knows me knows how much I like sweets!), and they have no idea what a cruller is, they think that it is a pretty shaped cake dount!  Their crullers and cake donuts taste the same, like a Little Debbie dunkin' stick!



When I lived in Everett, they opened a KK's right down the street from me. They lasted for less than a year. Same complaint. Too sweet. I never tried one. I still prefer the DD cake ones.


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## Cooking Goddess (Sep 10, 2013)

bakechef said:


> Even though I grew up in Maine, I have never been to Quebec.  One of these years if we drive back to Maine instead of flying we definitely want to go to Quebec city!



Himself suggested we come home by way of New Orleans on our way back from the west coast of FL this November.  I told him I'd rather save the $$,  get passports and head up to Montreal and Old Quebec while we live in MA.  So close from here - I don't want to miss the chance.  If we do go to New Orleans when we head back to OH we'd drive 900 miles less round trip!  Most EVERYWHERE we want to go is so far from where we live now.


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## Addie (Sep 10, 2013)

Cooking Goddess said:


> Himself suggested we come home by way of New Orleans on our way back from the west coast of FL this November.  I told him I'd rather save the $$,  get passports and head up to Montreal and Old Quebec while we live in MA.  So close from here - I don't want to miss the chance.  If we do go to New Orleans when we head back to OH we'd drive 900 miles less round trip!  Most EVERYWHERE we want to go is so far from where we live now.



As a teenager, we would often go to NH for a cup of coffee. One weekend a bunch of us got the bright idea to head to Canada. We ended up in Montreal. Got totally lost and never did get to have coffee up there. We finally found our way back to the border and headed back home through Maine. Thank heavens there was more than one driver in the car. I was not one of them. I still don't know how to drive.


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## taxlady (Sep 10, 2013)

Addie said:


> As a teenager, we would often go to NH for a cup of coffee. One weekend a bunch of us got the bright idea to head to Canada. We ended up in Montreal. Got totally lost and never did get to have coffee up there. We finally found our way back to the border and headed back home through Maine. Thank heavens there was more than one driver in the car. I was not one of them. I still don't know how to drive.


You guys really were lost. Were you heading back to Boston? Vermont and New York are the closest border crossings to Montreal. Maine would have been a big detour between Montreal and Boston.


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## Addie (Sep 11, 2013)

taxlady said:


> You guys really were lost. Were you heading back to Boston? Vermont and New York are the closest border crossings to Montreal. Maine would have been a big detour between Montreal and Boston.



Remember we were just kids. We just wanted to get near the coast. From there we found our way home.


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