I touched on it a bit in another thread and here is it with a couple of options. I would also like to start doing a mini cruise every month if possible. Again, nothing huge or fancy, just a sub 200 mile (round trip) drive with a stop some place to get some food. So here is my first idea. The plan. Meet up in Forest Lake and head up to either Danbury casino or Hinckley casino. Then depending on the arrival time, we will hit up the buffet for some lunch/dinner. From there you can do some gambling or head back home. Really it is more about the drive and get some food more than the gambling. The directions. I plan on taking highway 8 up through Taylors Falls and then over to WI 35 and head north to Danbury. Once in Danbury, you can take 48 back to Hinckley or 35 and take 35 all they way back to the cities for the return trip. Here is the map for the way up. http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...1644,-92.26593&spn=0.779207,1.896515&t=h&z=10 The options. There is going to be 4 options. 1 - Sat Jan 22, meet around 11am expect to eat a lunch buffet (lunch is from 12-3pm) 2 - Sat Jan 22, meet around 1:30pm and expect a dinner buffet (dinner is from 4-10pm) 3 - Sat Jan 29, meet around 11am expect to eat a lunch buffet (lunch is from 12-3pm) 4 - Sat Jan 29, meet around 1:30pm and expect a dinner buffet (dinner is from 4-10pm) Again, this is just going to be a leisurely cruise to the casino for a buffet lunch/dinner with a little gambling thrown in. This is NOT going to be a "fun run" on back roads. The speed limit will be followed all the way to our final destination. Once our lunch/dinner is completed you are free to do as you please. I am also not looking to make this a huge cruise. Also, these times are all subject to changed based on what can/will work better for the group. The buffet times are set, we can adjust out times to hit whichever buffet people would rather go to. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Other than picking one of the 2 weekends, nothing is really set in stone. Russ
And again, the 29th works best for me, so if no one else wants to go, that is the day I am going. If there is only 2-3 other people that want to go, we will go with what date and time works better. The general idea is to start getting people out to do some fun things. It doesn't need to be a super huge group, and really, I would rather have 10 cars or less. It becomes much more manageable for the drive through the small towns and for getting everyone in to eat at the same table. Russ
i wanted 2 start a casino run get out of my head! anyway love the idea im good with the 29th i have a safe place 2 park that can hold a lot of cars if needed? and yes its in forest lake right off of 8
I like the idea. Sounds fun. Nice way to get people together. I'm not much of a gambler, but I like to play some slots once in a while. I think the 29th works for me.
I really love this idea! I won't be participating in this event, but I certainly will participate in/possibly host future cruises when the STI and myself come out of hibernation
You know as we discussed I'm interested, just have to see if either date works. I know we'll be out of town one of the weekends but don't know which one yet.
I will leave the poll open until the end of the week. Then we can start planning out some of the finer details and go from there. Russ
Ok, it looks like the dinner buffet will be the way to go. Does anyone have a preference to which buffet we go to?? I have never been to the Danbury buffet and it has been 6-7 years since I was at the Hinckley buffet.\ I was also thinking that since we are going to a casino, that we could set this up as a poker run. We will be going through 6-7 small towns on the way up, so we could just stop in each one along the way and give out another card. I can also throw in a MNSubaru swag package as part of the prize for winning. Things we need to determine. Meet and leave time from Forest lake. What casino we want to have the buffet at. If we want to make a poker run out of the drive up. A head count. Based off of what casino we want to eat at and if we want to do a poker run, that will determine when we will leave. According to google maps, the drive to Danbury is a little less than 90 min and from what I remember it is 30ish back over to Hinckley. Russ
I've still not been informed by my wife/in-laws when we will be heading outta town but still "in" if we are in around. I like the poker run thing and really doesn't matter on the buffet thing.
Anyone else?? I want to finalize everything by this weekend so everyone has a week to figure out if they can make it or not. Russ
sorry haven't been able 2 get online lately. but im up just for the trip eat wherever stop wherever. . . card idea is brilliant and i know we won't need it but i still have the south side of a parking lot off 8 (15 spots) and have arranged the possibility of police watching the cars left behind (chief of police is a long time friend). again this probable won't be needed i just wanted 2 be ready if need be.
I am in for any buffet location, however, I too have never been to Danbury. The Poker Run sounds great, a nice little something extra to have some fun with! I am in for the 29th! I will watch for updates. St. Croix Casino Danbury right? Wasn't sure what the specific place was in Danbury.
Yes, Danbury has 2 casino's, St. Croix casino (that one I was referring too) and Hole in the wall (which is/was much smaller). From what I heard, hole in the wall got a upgrade, but their website hasn't, so I am not sure if they have a buffet or not. St. Croix does (I have never eat there) and Hinckley does, and they both open at 4pm. Hinckley was the only one with a lunch buffet that ends at 3pm. Russ
Hmmm...I may have to give an old friend a call. She was/may still be some sort of upper management at the Hinkley Casino. Maybe she will have ideas to make this or a future visit more fun/interesting as a group event.
personally i have never been to danbury, but i was at hinkley a few months ago and was not so happy with the buffet, it wasnt what i remembered it to be, but then again it could have just been a bad day/time
Sounds like we are heading outta town this weekend so, I should be good to go next week. I haven't voted cause time or day it doesn't make or break if I go or not.
Ok, after re-reading the thread, I think this will be the game plan. Since I also ended up with a week off of work, I might make the trip up just to scout the roads a bit since it has been 6-7 years since I have traveled these roads. this will be with the poke run included. Meet in Forest Lake around 1-1:15pm Leave Forest lake by 1:30 pm Figure 5 stops on the way up, Chisago/Linstrom, Centuria, Fredric, Siren/Webster, and Danbury Pending weather, traffic and poker stops, figure we should be rolling into Danbury around 3:30-3:45 Buffet opens at 4pm It looks like the drive from Danbury to 35 on the Minnesota side is about 27 miles/30 minutes. So you are looking at around a 200ish mile round trip (to get back to the cities), so plan accordingly. Again, all these times are just estimates. If we want to skip the poke run portion, we could probably push everything back 30 or so minutes. So if I could get a head/car count to get some kinda of idea on what to expect, that would be sweet. Again, this is not going to a "fun run" style drive, it will be more like the LAX style cruise (follow all speed limits and laws), but hopefully much smaller. Thanks Russ
I'm in! I'm most likely rolling solo too. Wife bailed on me. And if I'm not mistaken, I think the "Hole in the Wall" was replaced with the St. Croix Danbury. That's what I found... http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=862742
Yes, we will meet at the target parking lot in Forest Lake. I just did the drive this morning and everything looks good. No closed roads or any weird stuff. I think I am going to re-plan the poker run. After doing the drive today I think we will be stopping too much. I think we will do 2 cards in Forest lake, then 1 in Taylors falls, then 1 in Siren/webster and the final one in Danbury. If we dealt a card at each one of the original places, we would be stopping every 15-20 min and there really isn't many good stopping places in some of the towns. Of course, we can play that whole thing be ear and make last minute decisions on it. Russ
ya that should be it, i was thinking it was on the other side of the free way but that is kmart i think??
Yep, that is the correct place. I will see everyone tomorrow. I would like to get rolling around 1:30. I will check this thread again in the morning. Russ
I'm being caretaker for a sick wife but if I can get her settled down and find another date I'll still make the cruise. Otherwise Forest Lake isn't too far maybe I could swing up to say hey.
Sick wife on her birthday and a new puppy, sounds like the perfect time to leave the house for a few hours.:laugh: I should be there right around 1. I printed off a couple of extra maps incase someone wants one. I also will have a few freebees to give away for those that make it. Russ
I agree! Luckily we don't actually get the puppyfor another week, unfortunately the sick wife is more than just a cold/flu type thing.
