While most of the gas balloons still aloft Monday after taking off from Albuquerque Saturday were clustering over Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin, heading across the Great Lakes, a few veered over northern Minnesota, not far from Hibbing, Minn.
In fact, the Canadian entry in the Gordon Bennett gas balloon race, piloted by Leo Burman and Danielle Francoeur, landed Monday morning after logging 1,220 miles a little southeast of Hibbing.
You can check on the unofficial progress of participants in both the Gordon Bennett and the America's Challenge races here. The positions are accurate and updated frequently, but final, official standings will only be posted after each race.
But what's so special about Hibbing? It's the birthplace of, among others, Yankee home run hitter Roger Maris, Boston Celtic legend Kevin McHale, Manson family prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, Gary Puckett of Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, Chinese food mogul Jeno Paulucci and the Greyhound Bus Lines.
Contrary to popular legend, Bob Dylan wasn't born there -- that honor belongs to nearby Duluth. But he grew up in Hibbing as Robert Allen Zimmerman until he lit out for New York and immortality.
For those balloons that drifted Hibbing-way and apparently out of contention, we can only say: You DO need a weatherman to know which way the wind's blowing.

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