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| Up North 1958 - 1997 |
| 1958 | We only did the typical Minnesota holiday once. In 1958 we went North and stayed at one of the 10,000 lakes. In particular, Little Mantrap Lake. On the way there we stopped at Paul Bunyan Land. We got out fishing a few times and did alright. I remember coming in with a bucket filled with very large bluegills. Uncle Fred came down from his farm and went out with us one day. I did a cast and hooked his hat brim on my backswing. To this day I am so grateful that I didn't hook onto his face and tear a piece out. | 
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| 1965 | ||
| Aug 15 | Steve, Kincy and I went up to North Star Lake. Steve's grandmother was in the hospital so we had the whole place to ourselves. Set up our tent on Fredrickson's land and we had a boat to use. |  |
| Aug 16 | Explored the logging trails. Went into Marcel to Steve's uncle's store/cafe/laundromat. Brought his cousin back to the tent for the night and played poker. I won 35¢. |  |
| Aug 17 | We brought Steve's cousin, Dale, back to Marcel and had a meal at his uncle's restaurant. Stayed late helping Dale babysit before heading back to the tent. |  |
| Aug 18 | We drove around to north side of lake to rent a boat and motor and spent the day fishing in our favorite spot, Silver Dollar bay, but not much luck. |  |
| 1967 | Jul 3. After work Kincy, Steve and I drove to Newstrom's hunting shed/cabin on North Star Lake. We ate supper at Sportsman cafe, arriving at lake at 10:30PM.
Road/track completely overgrown so we had to hunt for the cabin in the dark. Found all kinds of junk inside. see photos.
Jul 4. Tried to drive the car in to the cabin, but got it stuck in all the weeds growing on the road. Unloaded our stuff and organized the cabin. Fireworks from the dock on North Star Lake. Jul 5. Went to Marcel to wash clothes and get supplies. At night we played poker and I won $4.50. Jul 6. Chopped down trees for raft. Long hard work so we didn't as many cut as we planned. Jul 7. Rained, so we went to Grand Rapids for supplies. We hauled the logs down to the water, but not enough of them for a raft to hold all three of us. Jul 8. Rented a boat and motor and went fishing on North Star lake. I caught 3 perch to Steve and Kincy's 2. Played poker and lost 45¢. Jul 9. ot home from North Star lake around 7PM. Picked up my paycheck = $17.91. Shaved my beard down to a gotee. Stopped for photo at Continental Divide. |
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| 1968 | July 19. Les drove Dan, Don and me up to Darrell's lake cabin for Dan's farewell (Army) after dropping Judy at Beatrice's in Fridley. Had a flat near Isanti and the spare was flat. So Dan and Les walked the tires to a station. Klyberg and I played catch and blackjack for 2 hours while we waited. Got to the cabin after midnight and the guys went for a swim. July 20: Jim Michaels drove up in the morning. I sprained my ankle and wrist (ending my participation for the weekend), slipping on rocks on basketball court in Warba. That night after poker (I lost 32¢) Dan got so drunk that he put on the black girdle we gave him and then jumped into the lake; later he would eat a live moth sandwich between two pickle slices. When he tried to eat the second one with a wingspan of 3", he heaved. My foot kept me awake all night, so I was up and was able to observe Dan pouring beer on a sleeping Les. | 
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| 1968 | July 20. Darrell's lake home: Jim Michaels drove up in the morning. I sprained my ankle and wrist (ending my participation for the weekend), slipping on rocks on basketball court in Warba. That night after poker (I lost 32¢) Dan got so drunk that he put on the black girdle we gave him and then jumped into the lake; later he would eat a live moth sandwich between two pickle slices. When he tried to eat the second one with a wingspan of 3", he heaved. My foot kept me awake all night, so I was up and was able to observe Dan pouring beer on a sleeping Les. He blasted records until he passed out and then the record player was stuck and wouldn't rise, so there was a monotonous repeating scratch. Didn't bother anyone else as they probably all had passed out. So I had to crawl (sprained ankle) in the dark to find it. Don't click! | 
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| 1968 | Aug 15. Steve, Kincy and I drove up to stay in Newstrom family hunters' cabin (shed) at North Star Lake near Marcell. |  |
| 1968 | Aug 16. We spent the day clearing out the area surrounding the shed. In the evening we played cards and gave Kincy a bottle of champagne for his birthday. |  |
| 1968 | Aug 17. Steve, Kincy and I spend whole day fishing on North Star - I catch a rock bass and 2 blue gills, so I was the champ, again. |  |
| 1968 | Sep 6. Brought Darrell up to Les and Judy's cabin, then Steve and I continued up to North Star lake. We got there at 2:30AM and found the lock off, but inside seemed okay. It was very cold.
Sep 7. Steve and I had breakfast in Big Fork. It was raining so we didn't get much done around the lake property. Played cards with his cousin, Dale, in the evening. Sep 8. Steve and I went to town for breakfast at the Birkland store and ended up playing Scrabble with his Aunt Betty. |
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| 1969 | May 29. Go to North Star Lake, where there millions of mosquitos, with Steve (on leave from Navy) making a potty stop for Steve and we stay in the hunting shed aka Marcel Playboy Club. |  | May 30. Steve and I went fishing at 10AM and didn't have any luck. We decided to leave the shed and rented a cabin at Sunset Resort. Went fishing after supper and scored big time with tons of sunfish. Played cards. |  |
May 31. North Star Lake with Steve: Had a storm over night that blew the roof off the Marcel Inn and cut our electricity for awhile. We stopped somewhere for breakfast. Left my lights on and so flat battery. Luckily, gas station next door was open (Memorial Day) and we were able to push the car over to get a jump. Then in the back woods of Northern Minnesota this red Sting Ray passes us, so we took after it in my 442 Olds with top down. So I was definitely speeding on the day. But when I passed a slow moving car closer to Milacs I was pulled over for speeding. First of all the car is registered to my mom under the name of Fisher, so the cop was suspicious when my name is Malecek. Told him I was coasting back to speed limit after passing a car which was the truth, but he claimed there was no car following me. So I got the ticket [ed. - got out of court appearance and paid the $14 fine]. |  |
| 1969 | July 18: Drove up to Darrell's lake home with Darrell and Klyberg in my car. We raced Storlie, Dunk and Evets. Too fast on a right-angled corner on gravel road and we both ended up in a ditch. But easy to get out and no damage. First thing out the car and Darrell dove into the lake. July 19: Klyberg and I cruise the lake on a pantoon boat playing cribbage. We all played basketball in the evening. | 
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| 1975 | Jul 4. He lent us two sleeping bags, a life preserver and his Coleman light. We left at noon drove up Highways 71 and then 6
to North Star Lake to camp with Newstroms, including Betty and Mark Birkeland who had their camper. Ron Newstrom was there with about 10 friends - they used the cabin, a tent and a camper.
We stayed in a big green mobile house, Steve and I set off bottle rockets and firecrackers. Big storm blew in a 11PM.
Jul 5. Into Marcel to get ice, fishing license and souvenirs. Steve patched his canoe and we went fishing. Paddled out to a grass island and I caught a perch. Moved to another spot where we got 20 sunfish. After supper Gail and I went out for a cruise in the canoe. Saw two loons and offspring and a beaver and its lodge. Jul 6. Had sunfish for breakfast. Helped Steve and his uncle, Mark, build steps down to dock and clear a spot to store the canoe. We left at 1PM and headed north to Effie, then down through Park Rapids, hitting Dawson 7 hours later. | 
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| 1975 | Gail had a course in Morehead. I picked her up there and we went to stay with Aunt Margie on her farm in Indian reservation lands. Go to album page for our visit to the Hartmann farm. | |
| 1982 | ||
| Aug 21. I tried to replicate the 1958 trip by staying at the same resort on Little Man Trap. Went to Mille Lacs to stay with Chuck and Inez, Chuck, the kids and I went in his new Dodge Ram truck to a stream. Ne caught her first fish, a small sunny off a bridge. Rain sent us home for a supper of crappies and it stopped setting up the tent. Sugar slept in the garage and we were in the guest bedroom. | 
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| Aug 22. Went to Paul Bunyan (or Bald Onion as Ne called it) Land in Brainerd (where everything is BIG including the mail box). Kids did train ride. Watched to Mark Johnson and Rusty Hinges ventriloquist act. Played a round of mini golf. Got to Wilderness Bay on Little Mantrap lake around 6PM. Real neat main lodge/office with so much character. We chose to stay in Squirrel's Nest cabin. | 
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| Aug 23. Took a boat for a spin around the whole lake. Tried a spot and got a few nibbles. Ne caught a small one that we threw back. Had lunch in a sheltered bay next to a beaver lodge with large turtles swimming about. Let David bring us through the channel to the main lake. Found a good spot and Ne caught around 20 fish. David caught a large sunfish and Gail got a large crappie. | 
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| Aug 24. Went to Itasca State Park guided tour with about 20 others. Viewed an abandoned saw mill (1900). Told about the Quaking Aspen (Popple) once used for newsprint now run into a large "pencil sharpener" to make particle board. David brought back a bunch of jack pine cones to see if they pop when heated. Guide showed us a field of pansies, which when dried are used for model railway "trees". We found and crossed the Mississippi River headwaters. Wandered through Indian burial mounds. Had lunch on the lake and then did the museum and an old cabin which had been a store and post office. Drove around the whole park to get to the fire watch tower. On the way we stopped to look at the biggest white pine (112') and red pine (120' - 300 years old 37" diameter). Ne and I climbed to the top of the 100' tower. Was windy up there and I had to hang onto Ne. | 
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| Aug 25. Fished all day and night. Gail got a big perch and Ne caught the most. David cast his rod into the lake and we couldn't retrieve it. Had lunch on the boat. Set up the tent. Back out after supper and got 4 bluegills. Rain came but kids still wanted to sleep in the tent. |  | |
| Aug 26. Bemidji where we stopped for photos by statues. In the Chamber of Commerce we saw all the oversized objects that Paul Bunyan used. Also had a stuffed Lobo, legendary deer killer wolf. At the Indian Trading Post we bought gifts. Had lunch in the State park. Did the Rocky Point track and there where we found an infestation of millions of catepillars. Back to resort at 7PM. Quick supper and out in the boat - only teenie fish caught. A pair of loons with a juvenile were near us. Kids slept in the car after finding the tent too cold last night. | 
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| Aug 27. Took 71 down to Sebeka where we went around the historic society museum in an old school house. Picnic at a lake in Sauk Center. Tramped around Sibley State Park, north of Willmar. Saw many frogs, grasshoppers, dragonflies and a skink. |  Sibley SP | |
| 1982 | Sept 11. Went to Lake Alice in William O'Brien State Park. Played a little football and went for a walk along the river. Had hot dogs kids went swimming. Hot humid day. | |
| 1983 | ||
| August 12. We north went to be at Lessers' wedding, staying in a Wadena motel, Brookside. | ||
| August 13. Drove to Ralph Stone's farm west of Verndale for Tom and Kathy's wedding. I was best man and walked up the "aisle" (ceremony outside on the lawn next to gravel road) with Kathy's cousin, Naomi. Pastor George read words made up by the couple. The only "guests" were Tom's sister, Carrie, and family. Her daughters, Margo and Lucy, were flower girls. Walked down the road a bit to get photos with horses. Helped set up for a reception. Kids spent the afternoon on tractors and in the corn crib and all over the farm. I sat inside with the old folks who came: Naomi's parent: Bill and Orlet. Ralph let the kids watch cows being milked. Tom gave me a bottle of Praline. We left about 6:30PM and drove to Lake Carlos State Park. Only 8 spots of the 146 were vacant. Set up tents and made supper. | 
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| August 14. We rented a boat and went up the Long Prairie River as far as a man-made waterfall and had lunch there. Saw many turtles. Caught a fish in Lake Carlos and even have a swim in it. Bought firewood ($1.35) and cooked supper. Did the Maple-Basswood Trail. Self-guiding and 1.3 miles. Would have been nice but the mosquitos were unbelieveable. Saw two ducks that looked as if they were stuck in a slime covered pond. Spent the next day on the boat and caught crappies. | 
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| August 15. Rented a boat and spend day fishing. Bought about 40 minnows for $1 and used half of them. Caught a couple crappies. Very long lake and whole day in the sun giving me a burn. Others went swimming while I tried to recover from exhaustion. Only ones left in the campground. Cooked the fish and they were very good. | 
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| 1984 | May 26. Went to Riverside Resort Motel near Park Rapids, MN where we shared a cabin with Tom and Kathy. Two hours on a paddle boat but no fish to show for it. Pigmania after hamburger roast. See photos |  |
| May 27. Renee was first one up and she went straight out fishing. After breakfast it was more fishing and she picked up casting real quick. Caught 3 little ones. Went for a bike ride on Heartland Trail, for about 5 miserable miles. Ne was upset the whole time because she had a small old rickety bike and David got a 10-speed. Gail and I were on a tandem and just couldn't get it going in unison. When we got back it was naps for everyone except Ne who went out fishing. Tom, David and I played catch while supper cooked. And then it was out on the paddleboat for more fishing. | 
 | May 28. Tom took the kids fishing while we packed. Left at 10AM for Deertown. Not much for $7, but the kids liked it. I picked up a couple jams and David bought a whoopie cushion. Once we hit the interstate it was bumper to bumper boats and RV's. See Deertown photos | .
