A line began forming a little after 5 a.m. Jan. 3 at the Grand Marais Recreation park office as campers took advantage of the opening day to make reservations for the summer at the park. Most, if not all of the people came to claim a spot for the four-day Fisherman’s Picnic held the first weekend in August. The park office opened at 8 a.m. While the staff dealt with the throngs of people who had been waiting in line, the phones started ringing off the hook, and would continue to ring non-stop for the next two days.
Buzz, Buzz, Buzz. That was the sound Jennifer Serpico heard last year when she called the Grand Marais Recreation Park office on the third of January, the first day the park was open to taking reservations for the upcoming summer. Serpico, like most callers, was trying to get reservations for the four-day Fisherman’s Picnic festival.
All told Jennifer called 775 times. She put her phone on robocall, and it kept track of the number of calls. In the end, she got through in time to secure a spot for her family’s trailer. But the stress was too much, so she and Denise Deithert, a girlfriend whose family also comes and camps at the park, drove from Hudson, Wisconsin this year to stand in line with dozens of other like-minded people determined to get a spot for the “Picnic.”
Deithert and Serpico don’t come to Grand Marais just to vacation; they also come as volunteers to help with the log rolling events over the four-day festival. To make sure they would make it for the 8 a.m. opening of the recreation office, the two booked a hotel room the night before and ate at My Sister’s Place that evening. They were in line at 7 a.m. and in the park office a little after 8 a.m., the time the office opened for a busy day.
Denise Deithert (L) and Jennifer Serpico drove from Hudson, Wisconsin to take their place in line early in the morning at the Grand Marais Recreation Park office on Tuesday, January 3. People come from near and far to claim a spot at the park for the Fisherman’s Picnic weekend on the first day reservations are taken for 2017.
Thoughts of summer and a good sense of humor helped the first 60 to 70 people who had driven—some through the night—from the Twin Cities, Wisconsin, and northern Ontario to stand and shiver in a long line at the park office very early in the morning. Some, like Serpico and Deithert were new to this venture. Some had taken this trip many times.
Phil Juntti of Eden Prairie has paid “50 to 60” visits to the Grand Marais Recreation Park over the last 15 years, but on Tuesday, January 3, he said, “This is my first time driving here to stand in line to make sure I get a spot in the park for Fisherman’s Picnic.”
Leaving nothing to chance, Lee Thorton of Hermantown is a committed veteran. “I was here one year, and it was 20 degrees below zero. This is balmy,” Thorton said of the 25 degrees F temperature.
Randy Memitz said his wife were so excited to get a place in line, “She had me cruise the parking lot last night to see if anyone was camping down here to get a head start.”
The couple from Zimmerman, Minnesota arrived at 5:30 a.m. to take their spot. They weren’t the first to arrive. That honor went to James from Duluth, who was determined to secure a camping spot even though virtually everyone else standing behind him was signing up for a spot to park their RVs or campers.
“This is our first time here,” said Memitz. “We have been snowmobiling on the North Shore Trail, and I would give the trail a 13 out of 10. The trail is in fabulous shape. We decided to stay another day so we could get a spot so we could come back for the Fisherman’s Picnic. I heard it’s a great time.”
“Did you say you were from Zimmerman?” Joe asked Memitz.
“Yep. Where you from?” Memitz replied.
“I’m from Zimmerman too,” said Joe.
And so the two “almost neighbors,” laughed as they exchanged addresses, discussing snowmobiling and how much of a coincidence it was that they would meet early morning in Grand Marais in January.
John and Deb Lyla of Inver Grove Heights had never made the January drive to the recreation park, but they said they were glad to make the sacrifice so they could come back in the summer when it was warmer. And it was light out. And there was no snow.
Just by looking at him, one could tell Allen, who hailed from Thunder Bay, Ontario, was a veteran of the line.
“How many times have I done this?” Allen pondered the question for a bit. Pondered some more. Stared off into the darkness and then slowly said, “Often. Quite often. Yes, quite often.”
Not everyone was a ray of sunshine. Dave, from Duluth, groused, “You need to tell your city council to put an end to this. Is this any way to treat your customers?”
Dave’s words floated away like listless snowflakes to the ground.
“Do you know that this is the dog-friendliest town anywhere?” one man stated. Another lady quipped, “In the summer there are dogs everywhere, and store owners let them come in the stores. Even some restaurants allow leashed dogs in. It’s absolutely the best place to come and visit with your dog.”
There was a lot of nodding in agreement about how doggone friendly Grand Marais business owners are to dogs and their dog-loving owners. One woman said she would like to open a doggy daycare downtown, so dog owners could get off the leash, so to speak, and take a break from their canines.
As daylight broke and routed the darkness, park manager Dave Tersteeg and his crew showed up, put some coffee on and got ready for the “Picnic dreamers,” a line that was growing by the minute. Inside the phones began ringing and Jennifer Serpico had to smile as she signed for a reservation. No robocalls this year.
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