This year's Minnesota 1000 will have bonuses in three different time zones. [Has that ever occurred before during a 24-hour rally?]

Yes, in 2004 and maybe other years, there were bonuses in Mountain and Eastern time zones as well as Central. But maybe those aren't the three you had in mind!

Regarding the '04 edition: I believe the bonus furthest to the west was the Chief Standing Bear bridge just east of Niobrara, which is most definitely not in Mountain time zone. I know it occurred on the MN2000, and perhaps on some of the rallies which offered the "Friday night departure" option. (No, there will not be an early departure/36-hour option this year).

I was thinking of Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone, and Mackinac Bridge in Michigan. Mackinac was '04, but Fishing Bridge was '03. I don't remember if there were any Eastern time zone bonuses in '03. Maybe that year's RM can speak up.

ask Eddie,for years he would have the Hells half acre location (Mtn time) and I thought there was a Motorcycle hall of fame or the AMA hqtrs (eastrn) as a bonus in the same year.

"Maybe that year's RM can speak up."

'03 had Marty going to Yellowstone's fishing bridge on Friday night. I don't recall any bonuses in the eastern time zone that year. I'd have to look up what we did in '04 and '05. Maybe yes. Maybe no. All I know for sure is there's no Love in Texas.

Isn't Thunder Bay in Eastern time?

That's on the way to that crazy end-of-the-road-place hint that Bart dropped on us last week.

Jim

Seems simple enough to me the question is how long will you be waiting in the dead zone?

Ya'll riders better come up with a second source of that little chunk of non observance.

snip...Isn't Thunder Bay in Eastern time? That's on the way to that crazy end-of-the-road-place hint that Bart dropped on us last week...snip

Yes, and yes. Try putting White Otter Lake on S&T and look at the goat trails. There's one shown that ends 2 miles from the lake.

And the UP is also in Eastern time - pasties anyone??

There was the year that Woody Creek was on the list, I was headed there but ended up dead in the water with a bad fuel pump in Alliance Ne.

Gillam Manitoba

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gillam,_Manitoba

Or was it Flin Flon?

... to Gillam and Flin Flon and I think not possible in a 24-hour rally.

I was on my way to Gillam in the Minnesota 2000, but not far out of Thompson I met Dick Fish who tried going there but ran out of tire plugs on the dirt road and decided to turn back. Good thing I met him, because he told me there was no gas between Thompson and Gillam and I would have run out for sure.

Back then I was running the SR500 without a fuel cell. While it got more than 60 mpg, the stock tank still wasn't enough to get me to Gillam, which was a classic Eddie and Adam sucker bonus. Thank goodness Bart wouldn't tempt us with something like that!

It was a good thing Dick turned back that day. When I met him on the road to Gillam, his rear tire was nearly flat again. I traded him a couple of tire plugs for his planned route for the rest of the Minnesota 2000.

I hope to get to Gillam someday, though. Years ago I went to Reindeer Lake, which is at the end of the road that is a little more to the north of Gillam, but northwest of Thompson, while Gillam is to the northeast.

I'm pretty sure Gillam is on the rail line that takes you to Churchhill and it's as close as you can get by motorcycle to the west shores of Hudson Bay.

One of the neatest things I ever saw was the hundreds of rabbits that were on the highway at night going up to Thompson. They were in big groups; possibly they were on some kind of rabbit rally. As long as I'm telling the story, I might as well make it a little better. Therefore, I didn't see just hundreds of rabbits, I saw thousands and thousands of them. And they were as big as sheep!

Jim

But were they talking to you Jim?

Flin Flon is this place on the map that has always dared me to go there. Pretty much straight north for 1000 miles. What would one see on the way, and what could one see when there? I understand they have this big smokestack, and something about steps on a hill. That is surely reason enough to go, but I'm just wondering if anyone knows of any other "can't miss" sights.

I don't think I'm kidding.

Why, Flin Flon is full of delightful surprises.


http://www.flinflon.net/flinflon/

Like Flintabatty Flonatin?

The required bonus picture for Flin Flon in the Minnesota 2000 was of Flintabattey Flonatin. You can see a picture of him if you click onhttp://www.flinflon.net/flinflon/ and then click on the "attractions" button and scroll down a bit.

The statue sort of reminds me of someone.

Here's what it said about Flintabattey:

While engaged in searching for mineral bodies, a group of prospectors ran across a dime novel called "The Sunless City", the novel told of a man's trip to a bottomless lake where he found a sunless city laden with gold. The hero of the novel was Josiah Flintabattey Flonatin. When the team came across a promising outcrop on a lake that reminded them of Flinty's they named the claim Flin Flon. The city of Flin Flon is proud to be the only city named after a sci-fi character.

Kerry, if you are looking for a little more adventure, I'd suggest going to another little town up there, Lynn Lake, and then go to a primitive campground north of there at Reindeer Lake. That's as far north as you can get, at least in that general area north of Winnipeg. The trip to Reindeer Lake includes some nice dirt roads.

I was stranded there some years back till I discovered a crack in the petcock vacuum hose on the mighty SR500.

While there I had a nice visit with some rabbits that were as big as sheep.

Jim