The Twin Cities 400 Tavern in North Minneapolis is an expansive restaurant and bar inside the Marriot. Located in an industrial area off of Broadway, the restaurant was formerly Scalzo’s Italian Grille, and prior to that, the Itasca Room at the Ramada Plaza Minneapolis (now the Marriot). It is named for the Twin Cities 400 […]
This past weekend was the 70th Annual Paul Bunyan Days Festival in Akeley. Some say 68th, some say 69th, but most residents say 70th and I tend to follow local lore. The large, crouching Paul Bunyan statue created by Dean Krotzer has become Akeley’s claim to fame. The mythical lumberjack is directly tied to Akeley’s […]
If you have some time this week, I highly recommend visiting the 24th Street pedestrian bridge that stretches across I-35W in Minneapolis. Scheduled to be torn down this Friday as part of the I-35W reconstruction project, the bridge has stood since the 70s, linking the Phillips and Whittier neighborhoods. It has become a haven for […]
There are multiple claims to the world’s biggest ball of twine record in the United States. The four giant twine balls each hail from different states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Missouri. Of course, I’m biased. Francis A. Johnson, son of Magnus Johnson, a U.S. Senator from Minnesota, began rolling a ball of twine in his […]
While venturing around Willmar during the #MNGFO2018, I stumbled upon the pedestrian bridge that extends across the stacks of railroad tracks. It is not out of the ordinary to see long trains in Willmar. Kandiyohi County has been a railroad hub for more than 120 years. The long strings of engines pull commodities like coal, […]
I was lucky enough to attend the preview party at the American Swedish Institute’s newest exhibit, The Fantastical Worlds of Kim Simonsson. We began by stepping inside the “moss-covered”, fairytale-like imagination of Finnish artist/sculptor, Kim Simonsson, filled with life-sized, “moss-covered” children, animals and other mysterious characters. The American Swedish Institute exhibition displays 35 selections of […]
If you are interested in history, you need to check out the “The 1968 Exhibit” at the Minnesota History Center. 1968 was a pivotal year. ‘68 saw the Tet Offensive, the turning point of the Vietnam War, the assassinations of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, the rise of Black Power, […]
Did you know that Pequot Lakes is the home of Paul Bunyan’s Fishing Bobber? Yep, it totally is! A major landmark, “The World’s Largest Fishing Bobber” sits in Bobber Park. Built in 1960, the former water tower’s claim-to-fame began in 1987 when a when the water tower needed to be painted and then-council member Dale […]
Located on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the heart of one of the country’s strongest arts districts sits the awe-inspiring historic Grain Belt Brewery. In the early 1890s, four brewers, Heinrich Brewing, Germania Brewing, Norenburg Brewing and Orth Brewing, combined their businesses to create the Minneapolis Brewing and Malting Company, later changing […]
Welcome to 2018! A great way to open the new year is through bright, shiny, glowing lights! Enter the relighting of the forever iconic Grain Belt Beer Sign! Grain Belt beer was originally produced by the Minneapolis Brewing Company which formed in 1891. Later produced in the still standing Grain Belt Brewery in Minneapolis, Minnesota […]
Hidden in the Phillips West neighborhood of Minneapolis, sits the turn-of-the-20th-century Historic Turnblad Mansion.Built for Swedish immigrants Swan and Christina Turnblad and daughter Lillian who officially lived in the mansion from 1908 to 1929. Swan Turnblad was a prominent Swedish Minnesotan and the manager, editor, and publisher of Svenska Amerikanska Posten, a Swedish American newspaper. […]
I was lucky enough to watch the sunrise in Mille Lacs Kathio State Park this morning. The light peering through the tree line made the perfect brisk backdrop for all the whitetail. Also known as Kathio Site, the Mille Lacs Kathio State Park preserves habitation sites and mound groups, believed to date between 3000 BC […]
My last stop during the Minnesota Governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener was the Lyon County Museum. Nestled in downtown Marshall, the museum is home to the Lyon County Historical Society (LCHS) and the Prairieland Genealogical Society. LCHS was formally founded in 1954 and showcases the history of the entire county. It includes resources like obituary files, […]
I was lucky enough to attend the 7th Annual Minnesota Governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener (GPHO) in Marshall, Minnesota. Ahem, not to be confused with Marshall County. Over the next two weeks I will be telling you all about my trip and what makes Marshall such an incredible place to visit. I’ll be highlighting a few […]
Munsinger Gardens and Clemens Gardens are two distinct, adjacent gardens on the banks of the Mississippi River northwest of the intersection of University Drive and Kilian Blvd near SCSU. Both showcasing the most beautiful parts of a Minnesota summer, Munsinger Gardens on the lower east bank of the Mississippi River was originally the H.J. Anderson sawmill during the […]
One of the best parts about the Governor’s Fishing Opener is seeing the hidden gems of the host community. The first of many for the St. Cloud area is the Quarry Park and Nature Preserve in Waite Park. The granite quarries opened over 100 years ago, seeking out the Saint Cloud Red Granite, a stone […]
The Lake Superior Zoo, formerly Duluth Fairmount Zoo, was founded in 1923 by Bert Onsgard, a West Duluth businessman who rescued a small fawn and built a pen for it. The whitetail deer named ”Billy-Billy” was found in Fairmount Park, hence the name. Sitting at the base of Spirit Mountain and recently covering over 16 […]
Because I am a lifelong-learner, it only made sense to have my first stop in Duluth be at the University. The Tweed Museum of Art on the campus of the University of Minnesota Duluth is free and open to the public to tour. The gallery is home to a collection of more than 9,000 art […]
I like to go off the beaten path and in this case, it means venturing off I-35 to meander through the smaller, less trafficked towns. Askov, off Highway 23 in Pine County is one of such towns. Home to the annual Askov Fair and Rutabaga Festival, the town was originally the Village of Partridge, initially […]
When it comes to Paul Bunyan lore, I will go just about anywhere to follow in his exploits. The World’s Largest Walleye in Rush City, caught by none other than the Mackinaw-wearing gargantuan was no exception. Weighing in at a whopping 1,999 pounds, 15.5 ounce and enticed by a 35 pound Tiger Muskie and brought […]
