A Three Day Adventure: Day 3

I woke up in Ely Minnesota, bright and early this morning.  My first stop would be in Chisholm, about an hour SW.

The Iron Men statue is the third largest free-standing memorial in the United States.  It is a memorial dedicated to the miners who, during the Industrial Age, “dug the mines and contributed to the building and expansion of this country”.  The memorial was built to honor the miners and keep the memory of their accomplishments alive while acknowledging that the Industrial Age is ebbing and the Technological Age is advancing.  

Prior to my three day adventure, I discovered that The Wall That Heals, a 3/4 scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington D.C., would be in Chisholm when I was going to be in the area.  The Wall That Heals is a traveling memorial that is hauled around the United States by semi truck.  The wall itself is displayed here on a football field, and is made of a material that allows for etchings of names on paper, just like the wall in D.C.  The memorial also includes several displays on a semi trailer, including letters from soldiers, uniforms, and historical information about the Vietnam war.  There were numerous volunteers present, providing information and assisting people in finding the names of loved ones on the wall.

The displays in the trailer were very hard to photograph because they are behind plexiglass, so its very hard to read the text, but this display includes the helmet of a helicopter pilot who flew in-country in 1966-1967 and again in 1968-1969. I couldn’t help but think of my friend who also flew helicopter in Vietnam.  

“What was it like to serve in Vietnam”.  Several years ago, I sat down in a McDonald’s with another friend and a friend of his, both who had fought in Vietnam in 1966-1967, and listened as they told me what it was like.  Their stories have left a permanent mark on my soul, and I will never forget them.  

Some pretty staggering numbers here.

My next stop was, in my opinion, much less impactful, and it happened to be on my list of stops for the Grand Tour of Minnesota.  

Where it all started for Greyhound. In 1914, two people offered free test drives of this car in an attempt to sell this car.  It turned out that more people wanted rides as opposed to wanting to buy the car.  This spawned an idea: Charge people for rides.  From there, somehow, Greyhound bus services were created.

1927 Greyhound bus.

1936 Greyhound bus.

This Bull Eye on some 1947 Greyhound buses, dubbed the “Battle of Britain Design”, was put on buses to honor the Royal Air Force for its part in saving Britain from invasion by Germany. 

Lady Greyhound, the living trademark for Greyhound for many years.

An impressive collection of Greyhound bus models.  I think I may have had one of these when I was a kid.

The Hull-Rust open pit iron mine in Hibbing.  While I was at the observation point here, I heard a couple of women talking to their kids about one of the dump trucks off in the distance.  “There’s daddy”, one of them said, so I asked if their husband or boyfriend worked in the pit.  Both women said “yes”, confirming that one woman’s husband was there and the other woman’s boyfriend was also working there.  Cool.

After Hibbing, I made my way south to an old school near Cromwell.  The building appears abandoned, but the grounds are still mowed.  It says “Eagle Lake School” in the wood above the entry, but I couldn’t find any historical information about this building.  My Sister-in-law, who lives in the area, said she’s talked to some people in the area who said it may also have been some sort of hospital or medical institution at some point.

There appears to be clothing on racks visible through the windows.  Your guess is as good as mine here.

The steps were heavily worn in in need of repair.  As I walked up the steps I noticed a sign laying in the grass alongside the railing: “Private Property - No Trespassing”.  It was time to leave.

The grounds of Eagle Lake School. In disrepair, but mowed.  Somebody still owns the property.

I rode my motorcycle 950 miles during this three day adventure, experiencing temps from 55 degrees to 94 degrees, and meeting nice people along the way, including the relatively new owner of the motel in Ely, the server at the family restaurant in the otherwise sketchy city of Superior Wisconsin, and the sweet volunteer lady manning the counter at the Greyhound Bus Museum.  The beauty that surrounds us, whether it be abandoned or in nature, and the importance of remembering the good, the bad, and even the ugly, is not lost on me, even if those experiences are uncomfortable.  Life is a journey - or should I say an adventure.

Thanks for looking!