FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[AO]

What's the best way to get tickets for the 2019 Tommie Johnnie Game? I went to the website and it looks like most of the tickets are gone?  What's left is expensive or ****ty locations. Isn't there like 20K seats in Allianz Field?  Pretty impressive if this game is going to sell out!...also were do you tailgate and can you?  Plus are adult beverages being served in the stadium?   

I plan on bringing my friends from Chicago they are inntrested in seeing what all the hype is about...

THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!!

I'm sure people will be selling more tickets on SeatGeek closer to the game.  If they're really going for $500 I might just have to sell mine too.  There are no official tailgating lots around the stadium but if they operate it like they do for MLS games they'll offer a shuttle from one of the state fair lots and have tailgating available there.

[Mr.MIAC]

Has anyone here stayed at the Kitchi Gammi Club in Duluth? They're one of our reciprocal clubs, but I'm not too familiar with the place. I'll be heading up to Duluth after the Tommie/Johnnie, and I'm trying to figure out if we should stay there or go with the old standby, Fitgers Inn.

[OzJohnnie]

Hello OZ,

Would like to say it's been a great year, but  honestly it's been pretty ****ty going through a divorce for the first time... And I know I probably should've not said that on the board..😁 I know i just opened my self to some jokes at my expense, but it's fine, I don't mind...it's kinda fun😁 I am really looking forward to football to getting rolling!     

Dang, I'm sorry to hear about the divorce.  Not pleasant for anyone (except the lawyers).  Well, make sure to hang around here more often. We're idiots, but we don't bill in six-minute increments.

[GoldandBlueBU]

Has anyone here stayed at the Kitchi Gammi Club in Duluth? They're one of our reciprocal clubs, but I'm not too familiar with the place. I'll be heading up to Duluth after the Tommie/Johnnie, and I'm trying to figure out if we should stay there or go with the old standby, Fitgers Inn.

From Duluth, and still go there from time to time, but now as a tourist, so I feel like I can speak to it a little.  Familiar with Kitchi Gammi, but can't say that I have any experience staying there, but it's well regarded, at least as a venue...I haven't hear anything about the guest rooms.

As far as hotels, I've stayed at Fitgers, once 7 or 8 years ago, and once last winter.  The rooms were getting aged and getting close to needing renovations / remodels whenever the 7 or 8 years ago trip was, and they still hadn't been done as of last winter.  They're clean, but need updating.

If I was choosing somewhere to stay in Duluth, I'd stay at Pier B.  It's new, close to Canal Park without being right in it, and very nice.

[Mr.MIAC]

Has anyone here stayed at the Kitchi Gammi Club in Duluth? They're one of our reciprocal clubs, but I'm not too familiar with the place. I'll be heading up to Duluth after the Tommie/Johnnie, and I'm trying to figure out if we should stay there or go with the old standby, Fitgers Inn.

From Duluth, and still go there from time to time, but now as a tourist, so I feel like I can speak to it a little.  Familiar with Kitchi Gammi, but can't say that I have any experience staying there, but it's well regarded, at least as a venue...I haven't hear anything about the guest rooms.

As far as hotels, I've stayed at Fitgers, once 7 or 8 years ago, and once last winter.  The rooms were getting aged and getting close to needing renovations / remodels whenever the 7 or 8 years ago trip was, and they still hadn't been done as of last winter.  They're clean, but need updating.

If I was choosing somewhere to stay in Duluth, I'd stay at Pier B.  It's new, close to Canal Park without being right in it, and very nice.

Thanks! It's unfortunate to hear that Fitgers has gone downhill. I'll check out Pier B. Is the Pickwick still a good place for dinner and drinks?

[OzJohnnie]

Not being a smart ass, but TripAdvisor is your friend.  For dinner in particular if you’re looking for good eats then it’s a foodie’s best friend.  I’m never at a loss for finding good restaurants in cities I don’t know well.

EDIT: If I were chasing a good meal in Duluth I would look for a place with good reviews for local fish or game. Burgers and steak are everywhere. Ethnic food (Italian most likely) probably isn’t a highlight of Duluth. But I reckon there could be some great fish or game restaurants to be found that aren’t necessarily in the main strip.

[MadRedFan]

Not being a smart ass, but TripAdvisor is your friend.  For dinner in particular if you're looking for good eats then it's a foodie's best friend.  I'm never at a loss for finding good restaurants in cities I don't know well.

EDIT: If I were chasing a good meal in Duluth I would look for a place with good reviews for local fish or game. Burgers and steak are everywhere. Ethnic food (Italian most likely) probably isn't a highlight of Duluth. But I reckon there could be some great fish or game restaurants to be found that aren't necessarily in the main strip.

For many years have used the book and now the web site "Roadfood" to find good local places.  Have never been disappointed - Florida to Arizona to Oregon to Texas and on and on.  Check it out.  Jane and Michael Stern.

[Mr.MIAC]

I've travelled to every state in the US and over 50 countries. I'm familiar with TripAdvisor. It's great if you're looking for feedback from people who are anonymous, unfamiliar with your personality, and unaware of your specific interests. That's why people go beyond TripAdvisor by asking friends familiar with a particular destination for advice.

[OzJohnnie]

I've travelled to over 51.

[art76]

I've travelled to every state in the US and over 50 countries. I'm familiar with TripAdvisor. It's great if you're looking for feedback from people who are anonymous, unfamiliar with your personality, and unaware of your specific interests. That's why people go beyond TripAdvisor by asking friends familiar with a particular destination for advice.

I'm with Rev on this - I much prefer a personal recommendation, both positive or negative, over a popular vote type set up of "recommended" activities or destinations. Just because everyone else has no palate and enjoys ordinary doesn't make it a "good destination" in my book.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Unless Trip Advisor has drastically improved in the 10 years since the book came out, I was stunned to read in Bill Bryson's book "The Road to Little Dribbling" that Trip Advisor refused to print his submission.  He reported that a restaurant/hotel with a good listing by TA had been fined the largest amount in British history for kitchen sanitation violations.  They declined to print his submission because they didn't print "second hand reports or rumors".  The arrogance of TA was astounding: calling the report (and subsequent penalties) by the British Health Service inspectors "second hand ... rumors"!  I take TA ratings with about three tons of salt - I'm against being poisoned when eating out!

There is absolutely no assurance that rave reviews aren't by employees or relatives thereof, or that pans are not by competitors.

[OzJohnnie]

Well, pardon my low-brow ways.  Trip Advisor has served me well.  Perhaps reviews are more useful west of the International Date Line and east of the Canary Islands.

[art76]

Just ordered Kickoff for 2019!

https://d3football.com/notables/2019/06/order-kickoff-2019-now

[jknezek]

Well, pardon my low-brow ways.  Trip Advisor has served me well.  Perhaps reviews are more useful west of the International Date Line and east of the Canary Islands.

Nah. I'm with you. But when I use TripAdvisor I don't go by one or two reviews. If there are 50, and 45 are positive, and 5 stink, then I've found it's probably pretty good. The 5 stinkers are either one offs or grudge grinders. If there are 10 and 3 stink, I tend to stay away. The ratio can be telling. No hard and fast, but it definitely helps. I find this with any online rating. There are always bad reviews. People are nuts. But we really run into the problem with campgrounds. There are no campgrounds with uniformly good reviews. Someone always plasters even the best of them. So you get used to just ignoring them if they are outliers.

Anyway, TripAdvisor is useful to me, but always with a grain of salt.

[GoldandBlueBU]

Has anyone here stayed at the Kitchi Gammi Club in Duluth? They're one of our reciprocal clubs, but I'm not too familiar with the place. I'll be heading up to Duluth after the Tommie/Johnnie, and I'm trying to figure out if we should stay there or go with the old standby, Fitgers Inn.

From Duluth, and still go there from time to time, but now as a tourist, so I feel like I can speak to it a little.  Familiar with Kitchi Gammi, but can't say that I have any experience staying there, but it's well regarded, at least as a venue...I haven't hear anything about the guest rooms.

As far as hotels, I've stayed at Fitgers, once 7 or 8 years ago, and once last winter.  The rooms were getting aged and getting close to needing renovations / remodels whenever the 7 or 8 years ago trip was, and they still hadn't been done as of last winter.  They're clean, but need updating.

If I was choosing somewhere to stay in Duluth, I'd stay at Pier B.  It's new, close to Canal Park without being right in it, and very nice.

Thanks! It's unfortunate to hear that Fitgers has gone downhill. I'll check out Pier B. Is the Pickwick still a good place for dinner and drinks?

Pickwick is still solid.

Two others, more of a diner feel, but with good food - Duluth Grill, and the OMC Smokehouse, both in West Duluth (which is actually South Duluth).  Bent Paddle has fantastic beers, but is taproom only, no food.  Canal Park Brewery has both good food and drink, but if you're looking for a Pickwick atmosphere, you might not like the ambiance.  If you're a Chipotle fan, Burrito Union on the East Duluth (geographically the north end) is a better version of it...the Fat Capitalist is my favorite.

Castle Danger brewery in Two harbors also has excellent beer if you head up that way, but again is just a taproom.

There's a relatively new distillery in Canal Park also, Vikre.  I haven't been there, but have heard good things.

Who needs Tripadvisor?  I'm your Duluth source.   

(I actually use it frequently when I'm somewhere unfamiliar.  As jknezek said, you definitely have to go with the overall opinion of the reviews.  Some people are just cranky a$$es and will complain about anything.)