2012 International Meet - June 25 through 28

The 2012 International Meet will be in Duluth, MN on the shores of Lake Superior June 25th through June 28th. Known as “The Air Conditioned City”, Duluth is the most inland seaport in the nation with oceangoing ships moving cargo in and out of the harbor via the St. Lawrence Seaway. Superior is the largest of the great lakes and has miles of scenic shoreline drives and many shipping and fishing towns on its shores. The city of Duluth is 26 miles long by 1 mile wide and is built along the steep hill which descends to the lake.
Ships enter the Duluth harbor from the lake via a short canal over which is the highly photographed lift bridge. When ships enter or exit the harbor, car traffic is stopped and the lift bridge rises to allow the ship to pass under it. These events are a popular spectator activity and our hotel posts daily ship arrivals and departures in the lobby.
Our host hotel – “The Inn On Lake Superior is located in Canal Park a short distance from the canal and lift bridge. The hotel and conference center is a first class facility with a very large breakfast area, two pools and lakeside rooms. The facility will accommodate all our meeting room needs – board meetings, member meeting, auction and banquet. Every evening the hotel hosts a “smores” event at the fire-pits located between the lobby and the lake. Hotel and meet registrations are due by May 23rd 2012. The hotel rate is $99 plus tax per night and includes a hot breakfast. The hotel can be contacted toll free at 888-668-4252 or 218-726-1111. Their web address is: www.theinnonlakesuperior.com. When you submit your meet registration you will be sent a confirmation package which will include a map to the hotel and to the trailer-RV parking area. Meet hosts strongly recommend those pulling trailers or with RVs go directly to the trailer-RV parking area. Trailers and RVs cannot be accommodated in the hotel parking lot. The trailer-RV parking area is an easy walk from the hotel. Depending on your stride, it will be about 800 to 1000 steps away from the hotel. The host chapter will provide a scheduled shuttle service between the trailer-RV parking and the hotel. Our antique cars (and modern) will be parked in the hotel lot.

Canal Park historically was an industrial area with large warehouses for the freight activity in the harbor. Today many of the warehouses have been converted into lofts, hotels, restaurants and unique shops. Nearby is an ore ship converted into a floating museum, a maritime museum, an aquarium, and the harbor tours “Vista Fleet”. All of these attractions are within easy walking distance from the hotel. Of significant importance is the Dairy Queen a convenient block away from the hotel. There is also a walkway along the lake behind our hotel that connects to other historic downtown areas. Nearby is the large “Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC). It is their large parking area that we will use for our trucks, trailers and RVs.

The meet will kick off on Monday June 25th with a Welcome Picnic at a park near our hotel. We will drive across the Lift Bridge to the park. Those who arrive early on Monday may participate in the early- bird afternoon tour of the Amsoil production facility in Superior, Wisconsin. On Tuesday we’ll visit the grounds of “Glensheen Mansion”, and then drive Seven Bridges Road and Skyline Drive overlooking the city and Lake Superior. About noon we’ll enjoy a box lunch at Enger Tower then spend the afternoon at the “Lake Superior Train and Heritage Museum”. Wednesday we’ll go for a leisurely drive up the North Shore of Lake Superior with stops at “Gooseberry Falls State Park”, and the famous “Split Rock Light House”. Lunch will be at “Split Rock State Park”. Each may return to Duluth at their own pace. Some may want to stop in Two Harbors, Minnesota to shop antique stores, or at some of the famous pie shops on the way back. Just be sure to get back for the membership meeting in the evening! Thursday morning will feature the swap meet and auction. The afternoon is open for seminars, shopping, museum visits and harbor tours. Within walking distance of our hotel is the famous Lift Bridge, the Lake Superior Maritime Museum, the William A. Irvin Ore Ship tour, the Great Lakes Aquarium and the “Vista Fleet Excursion” boats that give harbor tours. Our banquet will be Thursday evening at our hotel and conference center.

For those wishing to plan an extended vacation around the meet, there are fabulous places to visit nearby including: Itasca State Park which is the headwaters of the Mississippi River, Voyagers National Park, The Boundary Waters Canoe Area, The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, MN and Open Pit Iron Ore Mines near Hibbing, MN.