A couple weeks ago I ’ m having breakfast when my Facebook Messenger goes off . It ’ s a guy from Hibbing MN that I didn ’ t know . He was wanting a value on a J . F . Kernan Grain Belt cardboard with an original frame . He said he was told I was the guy to ask about Grain Belt .
I felt a little honored that someone said that about me . Thanks Dr ! So I looked at his photos and gave him a value range and went back to eating my breakfast . Then I pulled my head out of the place where the sun doesn ’ t shine and asked him if he was buying or selling ? He said he was selling for a friend . So I shot him an offer . He said my offer was fine and we had a deal , but he said “ I ” m way up here in Hibbing ”. I said I make road trips for beer signs . Next thing was to inform the wife . One never knows how that will be recieved . So throw in a road trip , hotel and some time in Duluth and she ’ s on board with it . Who doesn ’ t like Duluth ? So she books us a nice hotel in Canal Park and we ’ re off . We leave Friday morning with the kids in tow . First stop is the Northeastern Saloon in Cloquet . I sold a pheasant insert for a Fitgers 1948 solunar calendar to Bert Whittington . He had the calendar and the Muskie , but not the pheasant for the fall months . We had a few beers and then up the hill to Gordy ’ s Hi Hat for supper . Then we ’ re off to Duluth . We check into our hotel and get settled in . It was a cold rainy night . I ventured out to a local liqour store and picked up a 12 box of Grain Belt Big Friendly ’ s for the room . The kids went swimming . We went to bed at a reasonable hour and got up and had the hotel breakfast for the sake of saving time . We started out for Hibbing in the fog and arrived about 10:30 . These two guys were in the garage having a beer and a smoke and shooting the bull . I went in and inspected the Kernan , paid the seller and visited for a little bit . They said I should drive by Bob Dylan ’ s childhood home , their high school and the Hull Rust Mine ( which resembles a mini Grand Canyon ). Dylan ’ s house is just a driveby for now , but they said it might become a museum with tours in the future . The High School is impressive ! Massive ! The one guy was on the school board and said the insurance was capped at $ 500,000,000 to replace it . Built in the 1920 ’ s with Tiffany lamps and 2 pools . Unfortunately the Hull Rust Mine was closed . Next time . We saw a cool looking bar with an old Hamm ’ s sign I want to visit also . We headed back to Duluth to stop at the Harley store A few hundred dollars later we head back to downtown Duluth . The fog is still there . We hit the mall and the girls go shopping . Everyone ’ s happy . Continued on page 10
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