EXPLORING THE HOTEL LINCOLN
November 10th, 2002

Max Action, Urban Waste, Slim Jim, Danarchy, Brian Insane, & Rascal

We first heard about the Hotel Lincoln in July of 2002, thanks to a tip left on our guestbook by a Duluthian named Yasmine Robinson. Danarchy scouted it out not long thereafter, and reported that it had looked pretty cool. However, months went by before Action Squad actually got around to getting up that way. We're getting old, and slow. Heh.

The cold November day that we e had been way up north trying to explore a semi-vacant industrial complex in the middle of the North woods. However, our ninja-esque stealth and style was rather severely cramped by the unexpected necessity of wearing lots bright orange clothing: we hadn't realized that the day we'd chosen for our little roadtrip was the opening day of hunting season until we'd arrived and found the surrounding woods swarming with hunters. The details of this (mis)adventure will be left for another day, but, in a nutshell, let's just say that we were not entirely successful. Gee, I wonder why?

So, on the way back down toward Minneapolis, we stopped in Duluth to explore the Hotel Lincoln. Fortunately, were able to ditch the florescent orange gear, since we did not need to worry about having our heads blown off by drunken deer hunters, the hotel being downtown and it being too late to be hunting anyway. I was limping terribly at this point: I'd hurt my knees and then walked and jogged about 10 miles on them during the day's earlier activities. Descending stairs and slopes was especially painful. Ugh. They're fine now, but if you want to send prescription pain killers my way, feel free.

Anyway, we got into the hotel and we explored the place, basement to roof and everything between. We did not bump into anyone else while inside, although there were signs that people had lived there in the past (yes, I mean after it was condemned, not before, wise-ass). Overall, there was surprisingly little vandalism for a hotel that had been abandoned in the downtown area for so many years; a few scattered rooms with a bunch of writing on the walls was the extent of it.

 

Most of the windows were broken, but many were blocked by sheets of wood, or had mattresses propped against them to keep out the elements. There was limited fire damage, and major water damage. Paint was peeling everywhere, and plaster from walls and ceilings lay in soggy chunks underfoot throughout the place. There was quite a bit of furniture and relics remaining to investigate, and I had a great time despite the cold and my aching knees. The basement was flooded a couple feet deep in water, but not so much so that it prevented a few of us from exploring it thoroughly. I'd had the foresight to bring an extra set of socks, which made leading the charge into the frigid basement waters seem much braver than it perhaps was. Heh heh. The mold down there was incredible; billowing, white clouds of it blanketing the most unlikely surfaces.

Hmmm. The excursion was interesting and a lot of fun, but it was also largely uneventful, which renders an extended narrative both boring and unncecessary. Clickin' on and checking out the pictures and corresponding captions will give a good idea of what it was like. So click on them, already.  Enjoy!