The Minnesota State Public School Orphanage Museum is part of the former Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children in Owatonna. The “State School” was created by an act of the Minnesota legislature in 1885 as an effort to provide safe, transitional housing for the state’s orphaned, abandoned and abused children who had […]
This year, Albert Lea hosted the Minnesota Governors Fishing Opener. Now in its 72nd year, it is the kickoff to the Minnesota summer tourism season. The #MNGFO has been a tradition in since 1948. Put on through the partnership of Explore Minnesota Tourism and the host community, the event helps to showcase the city and […]
A few months back, I had posted Explore Minnesota’s Minnesota Bucket List. I had nearly every box checked with the exception of the SPAM Museum in Austin, Minnesota. During the #MNGFO2019, I was finally able to check it off my list! SPAM, if you aren’t familiar, is a brand of canned cooked pork made by […]
If you are looking for a day trip away from the city, I suggest planning a trip to the National Eagle Center in Wabasha. Beginning in 1989, the now-center started as EagleWatch, Inc. as a group of volunteers sharing with visitors to Wabasha views of wintering bald eagles from an outdoor observation deck along the […]
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 […]
Judy Garland Museum has been a must-stop for travelers and locals alike since 1975. For those unfamiliar, Francis Gumm who would later become Judy Garland is the jewel of Grand Rapids. She is the star of Wizard of Oz, MGM’s 1939 film that has been seen by over 3 billion people and continues to be […]
Now that we are faced with darker, shorter days and soon-to-be-dropping temperatures, I have started looking for things to do that keep me inside. Summers in Minnesota are meant to be lived outside and I save anything indoors for the chillier months. With that, I found the Rourke Art Museum in Moorhead to keep me […]
Moorhead holds an incredible, unique, not-so-well-kept secret that you have to see in person to believe. The Hjemkomst, meaning homecoming in Norwegian, is a handmade replica of a burial Viking ship called the Gokstad that was discovered in Norway in 1880. The Gokstad had been unearthed from a burial mound near Sandefjord, Norway and was […]
During the #MNGPHO2018, I headed over the Rock County Veterans Memorial Building which houses Brandenburg Gallery, and the Luverne Chamber of Commerce, and the Herreid Military Museum. The Herreid opened in July 2009 and is located on the third level of the four-story former jail. Floors filled with stories, photos, videos, artifacts, memorabilia, and dioramas […]
Blue Mounds State Park is in Rock County near the town of Luverne. Named for the linear escarpment of Precambrian Sioux Quartzite bedrock you can see protruding from the prairie polka-dotting the landscape. The old quartzite quarries in the park were owned and operated by the Luverne Granite Company. The stone was used to construct […]
When I headed down to Luverne for the Minnesota Governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener (#MNGPHO2018), I had no idea what to expect. As soon as I got into town, I heard a stranger say to his companion, “Did you see all the nutcrackers at the History Center? We should go there.” I immediately turned my eavesdropping […]
After I went to Big Bog State Recreation Area, I decided I had to see Willie Walleye, the 40-foot, 2 ½ ton fiberglass fish in Baudette. I am a purveyor of all things roadside attractions so taking a trip to see the famed “symbol of the Lake of the Woods” was a must. The idea […]
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 […]
