Ilene wrote (in a fascinating post):

     "To cap off the experience I found a open pit iron ore mine which only
     closed in the last 5-10 years."

     The absolutely most fantastic iron mining place I have ever seen (not
     that I've seen that much) is the Hull-Rust-Mahoning Mine near Hibbing.
      It's really in the middle of nowhere and has been abandoned for some
     time, but is so huge that it is practically impossible to get a real
     sense how big it is.

     The most fascinating part for me was the town of Old Hibbing, right
     next to the mine.   A thriving town of mine workers in the early 20th
     century, the town was eventually "eaten" by the mine and picked up and
     moved to a new location, the present town of Hibbing.  Old Hibbing has
     streets, street signs, street lights, and concrete steps leading up
     to--nothing.  Permanent metal signage shows what the same area looked
     like before it was moved.  Eerie.  Seems to be much more of a ghost
     town that those picturesque ruins in the West.

     The landscape around is dotted with skeletons of mining equipment and
     abandoned pits--particularly dramatic must before sundown.

     There is also a really cool Wolf Center in Ely) the wolves are usually
     sacked out, but they have all kinds of neat displays, a good gift
     shop, and the most wonderful recording of baby wolves practicing
     howling.

     Marilyn