Ely,MN

[bowhunter73]

I had my first trip to Ely, MN last year and it was better than I ever imagined. So I ended up going back about 6 weeks later. Now I am hoping to get up there this year and the next and so on.
 Just wondering how many of you have ever been there. All of my friends and co-workers just assumed I had been there because I’m the outdoor guy .So if you have been there where did you go? What did you like? Not like? And when was the last time you went? And maybe a pic.


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[Lee Borgersen]

My first name is LEE and spelled backwards it's EEL, therefore I am also known as EEL-LEE. (Ely)

We used to travel to Canada for vacation until one day 38 yrs ago we stumbled into Ely for a one week camping/fishing vacation. That's when the romance began. It was love at first site. We spend 3 wks in a row there every Summer.

 Before 9-11  I was making 3 trips a year there for a total of 5 weeks. After my better half retires next year we will be spending a lot more time in the Ely area.
If you would like to see some photos from Lee's Boundary Waters Adventures 2004/05/06/07 visit my web-site http://leeslakegenevaguideservice.com/boundry_%2707.htm

Things I like like best:

The local people
The beauty of the region
Variety of lakes
The friendly service
Fishing potential
The wilderness
Wild life (creatures)
Relaxation
Basswood Lake (BWCA)
Anticipation all year long

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[UncleDave]

I was lucky enough to live in Ely back in the late 80s early 90s.  A fun little town with some great fishing/hunting opportunities.  Even though I lived there for 2 years I never stopped at the wolf center and still haven't.  I did take a quick gander at the Dorothy Molter exibit.  If I could make a living up there I would go back.     

[Tami]

I live here..
Moved away for awhile
But came back
It's just the place to be

Theres a quite a few of us who live here...

[Lee Borgersen]

We will be arriving in Ely in about:

Eighty eight days
One hour &
16 minutes (that's give or take a few minutes)

At that point we will taking up permanent residency for three wonderful weeks.
The wife may even be able to talk me into doing some fishing.

[backwoods]

Dorothy Molter was a hoot and a holler...I helped her celebrate one of her birthdays at her cabin and have great memories of that.

I liked Ely before commercialism started to chew on it, but its still a great place.  I like to sneak up for a few days and drink coffee and blend into the woodwork.  Always liked that big place that had great coffee and great breakfasts, right on the corner on the left as you were pulling into town, was closed last time I was there.

[thunderpout]

I like Ely because like Grand Marias, its kind of the gateway to the BWCA... yeah both cities have gotten larger and more commercialized over the years, but not at the rate that alot of other northern towns have, NO fast food resturants... (well, Ely has a Pizza Hut & GM has a DQ) but you know what Im sayin, both have that throwback mentality, without being too small, nothing going on towns.... except for maybe Red Wing Shoes in Red Wing MN, Ely has a few of the best outdoor equipment stores in the state or maybe the country,  The Steiger Mukluk store and Wintergreen... all their stuff is made right there in Ely, by MN folks...(Great stuff!)  Yeah, like Uncle Dave, if I could earn a living there I could definatly see myself living there... really nice area, very close to all the good, wild, outdoor stuff... just far enough away from the large cities to keep the masses from developing it too much... (Yet... ) Oh yeah, they have the best radio station there, Im not sure of the call letters, but I think its called "back road radio" , I listen whenever Im in the area grouse hunting, fishing or camping....

[snmann]

My grandparents grew up in Ely, my Dad grew up in Ely and we still have a family cabin on the East end of Burtside.  I have been going there for 37 years.  Every time I go, I always stop at Zup's for get some homemade sausage and wildrice stuffed brats.

They have a great 4th of July parade & Fireworks show over Miner's lake.

[MnMoose]

 
Wow those pics bring back some great memories!!  I went to college at good ol' VCC.  I was I guess blessed with the wind storm of 4th of July in 99.  I did a lot of volunteer work clearing portages and campsites for some time.  It was a riot.  Its amazing what nature can do and how it responds to different detriments.  I myself personally, love the echo trail.  It has countless opportunities for anythings and everything a person would do in the wilderness.  And if ya make it up far enough I dont know if it still exists, but visit the old chainsaw sisters bar!!  Have a ball!!

[Harold]

Charles Kuralt owned the radio stadio there at one time and one of the ads they used to run was Charles saying:

We are Boundary Waters Broadcasters and this is Ely MN.  One of the two nicest places in the world.  The other one?..................................Well, we haven't found that yet.

There is a good book he wrote many years ago about his ten favorite places in America.  Ely was one of them.  If you can pick up the book on tape, it's a very good listen.  When we do our annual boys trip in Sept at my Beddys cabin on Burntside, I always make everyone sit for 15 minutes and listen.  Ole Chuck always had a way with words.

Having grown up in Ely, it'll always be home for me.