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 […]
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 […]
Hi there, Jessica here! I am headed up to Duluth, Minnesota for the weekend to bucket list and would love to see if there are places you think I need to stop! What are your favorite things to do in Duluth? Tag some of your favorites and tell me what makes that restaurant, park, mural, […]
The World’s Largest Workboot ever witnessed by the civilized public! The World’s Largest Boot a bewildering 2,300 lbs of sheer gargantuan bulk! At 20 feet long and 16 feet tall it’s a colossal curiosity fit for a 12 story human giant! A fantastic modern engineering wonder of human invention! In case you haven’t guessed, the […]
The Rum River bends between the towns of Cambridge and Princeton and lands in the unincorporated community of Spencer Brook, in Isanti County. The town itself was settled in the late 1850s by newcomers, many Civil War veterans, coming from the east coast. Spencer Brook includes the historic country school and was named after Benjamin Nicholson […]
I have mentioned Anoka, Minnesota as “The Halloween Capital of the World,” but I haven’t told you why. While the holiday had been recognized for quite some time, it wasn’t until 1920 when George Green and other Anoka civic leaders suggested the idea of a giant celebration that included an evening parade to keep young […]
When I say that Anoka is ”The Halloween Capital of the World”, its not just because of the fun parades or the inflatable pumpkins. Anoka carries a much more sinister past. Anoka State Hospital, also known as First State Asylum for the Insane, Anoka State Asylum and most recently Anoka-Metro Regional Treatment Center, Minnesota’s largest […]
The Palmer House Hotel; no better place to get a slice of strawberry rhubarb pie, a dollop of whipped cream and a heavy dose of the paranormal. Built in 1901, the hotel was erected after the Sauk Centre House (the area’s first hotel) burned down. It was the first building in town to have electricity, […]
This weekend means a great many things, but first and foremost, it is a commemoration of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, declaring us a new nation, the United States of America. While we’re busy hosting barbecues, attending celebrations and watching parades and fireworks shows, I thought it a good time to talk about […]
When I travel, my first instinct is to search for history, after finding food of course. The legacy and lives that we lived in these places I go. The last stop on my road trip is Sauk Center, the perfect place for someone enticed by roots and stories. Birthplace and childhood home of Sinclair Lewis, […]
As a great admirer of spiral staircases, I love going to International Market Square because this one just happens to be there. IMS is in Minneapolis, in the Sumner-Glenwood neighborhood and is a favorite for hosting large parties. Built in 1904, the 650,000 square foot complex was the city’s first entirely reinforced concrete building. Originally […]
