Signed up for Minnesota and Maine

 Change of plans.  For the state of Minnesota, I have raced at Minneapolis in 2018.  It was originally scheduled as a half mary but due to a freak heat wave, it was shortened to a 6.7 mile race.  Even though I covered approximately the full distance on my own with a long warm and cool, I chose not to count it towards the 50 states.  North Dakota is the least visited state in the Union and I have only been to the Fargo area.  This state does have some hidden gems including Government Bay near the Capitol of Bismarck and Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  The original plan was to find a small race in western Minnesota and explore more of North Dakota.  I could not find a good fit and many races are still being canceled due to COVID.  (I refuse to call it Virtual). The best option is a race called Pike Lake on 5/15 in Duluth, Minnesota

I'll have to scratch North Dakota for now but that's okay.  This trip could be a good one.  The race is on a Saturday so I will most likely fly to Minneapolis on Thursday then drive 2.5 hours north to Duluth.  Northern Minnesota is uncharted territory for me.  I've visited Minneapolis and the I-94 corridor towards Fargo but nowhere else.  I'm leaning towards flying out of Atlanta for the direct option.  I REALLY don't want to miss a connection and get in late on Thursday.  Though the airport is several miles from downtown Minneapolis, I worry about being anywhere near there at night.  Who knows what will happen with the George Floyd case?  There will most definitely be riots if the cop is acquitted and probably riots if he is convicted of a lesser charge. 

I hope to arrive in Minneapolis by mid-afternoon on Thursday then it's about 2.5 hours to Duluth on I-35.  That will be enough for the day and I'll just settle in for the night.  On Friday, I'll have to pick up my race packet then it will be a relatively leisurely day in the Duluth area.  There are some nice parks on Lake Superior not far from downtown and I'm sure I'll cross into Wisconsin just for the heck of it.  Saturday is race day then it will be a VERY scenic drive on the north shore on Highway 61.  Grand Portage State Park on the Canadian border is just 2 hr 45 minutes from Duluth and there are several other must see stops along the way.  The waterfalls and lakeside scenery both look great on YouTube.  There is no way that I can do this all in one day so I won't leave Minnesota until Sunday afternoon.  

As for Maine, the race is a small one called Blueberry Cove on the coast near the town of St. George.  That is in between Portland and Bar Harbor.  The date is August 28, which is perfect.  That's within the small window of time in which the Maine ocean is warm enough for a swim without a wet suit.  Must dos include Mt. Washington, Acadia NP and both the Maine and New Hampshire coast.  Plenty of time to plan in more detail.  

If both races go off as planned and I can finish both, it takes me up to 49 states with only Hawaii to go.  I would prefer an Oahu race near Honolulu but I won't be too choosy.  I'll settle for any live race there though I want to go somewhere other than the Big Island since I've already been there.  Both states require a negative COVID test but the PCR is acceptable so there should be no SNAFU.