The Area of Man

The Area of Man is located in the heart of Minnesota's Iron Range at Giants Ridge Golf and Ski Resort in Biwabik, MN. Two world-class golf courses, two lakes, and a large full-service resort are located at Giants Ridge, all within a mile radius.

In addition to Giants Ridge, Fortune Bay Resort and Casino, located directly on the shores of Lake Vermilion will serve as the northern border of The Area of Man. Fortune Bay has a golf course every bit the equal of the two presented at Giants Ridge as well as a casino and a wonderful restaurant at the golf course clubhouse. All of this is located on the southern shore of Lake Vermilion, arguably one of the most beautiful in all the country.

Driving

Should you elect to drive, as many a Man local to the northern Midwest will surely elect to do, finding The Area of Man with your eyes at ground level is not a difficult task. This journey to the Northern reaches of this country will take you approximately three and one half hours to complete.

From the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metropolitan Area, you will begin your journey North via Interstate 35 towards Duluth. When you reach Cloquet you will exit the Eisenhower Interstate System for State Highway 33, following the IRON RANGE exit. Continue on Highway 33 which will merge with U.S. Highway 53. About a half an hour after you merge you will come upon Eveleth, Minnesota, home to the world's largest hockey stick. While undoubtedly a site to be seen, I encourage you to continue to The Area of Man by exiting onto Highway 37 East and turning right at the bottom of the exit ramp, bidding farewell to the U.S. highway system and again retreating to the comfort of Minnesota State Highways. Highway 37 will end after going through Gilbert, MN and you will follow MN State Highway 135 to the North, turning right. Eight minutes later after traveling through Biwabik, MN your eyes will strike a large sign indicating you have reached The Area of Man. When you see the large Giants Ridge sign on your left, turn onto the road that immediately preceeds it. Continue your journey until the Villas at Giants Ridge which will appear about two miles later on your right, and bask in your triumphant arrival.

Should you need a graphical representation of this route, I have provided a Google map.

Commercial Air Travel

Northwest Airlines has commercial air service to Duluth, Minnesota, the nearest municipality that receives such service. Connecting flights are provided from all reaches of the globe through the 16th busiest airport in the world, Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. For flight times, visit Northwest Airlines, an operating entity of Delta Airlines and Skyteam Alliance member.

From Duluth, you must travel overland via car to reach The Area of Man. The directions are similar to those who venture from the further reaches of Minneapolis and St. Paul. To ease navigation, I have provided another Google map to aid those in their quest.

General Aviation

Any Man who seeks to arrive at The Area of Man in what would undoubtedly be the quickest, and also the most elite, will choose general aviation as their means of travel. There are two small municipal airports near the Area of Man, one just south of Eveleth, MN and the other within five miles of Fortune Bay.

KEVM (Eveleth-Virginia Municipal Airport) offers a full service Fixed Base Operator and Giants Ridge will provide shuttle service to and from the airport.



12D (Tower Municipal Airport) is a small single-runway airport on the shores of Lake Vermilion, providing limited aircraft amenenties with fuel available. Tower Muni is also home to the Lake Vermilion Sea Plane Base.



A DME beacon is adjacent to the field at KEVM, providing easy VOR navigation. Should you choose to fly via VOR airways, the recommended route of flight from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metropolitan Area is:

GEP - V505 - RZN - V13-505 - DLH - V505 - EVM
162 nautical miles

More advanced aircraft with GPS navigation may choose the much more direct route:

GEP - EVM
147 nautical miles

Tranisitioning to 12D from EVM must be done under VFR, as there are no precision approaches or navigation equipment provided into 12D. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area (located on the North edge of Lake Vermilion) is a restricted flight area, so navigate carefully.

Twin Cities and Green Bay sectional charts are required.

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