I am all for small town pizza joints and Poor Gary’s Pizza fits the bill. Located in the downtown area of Moose Lake, Poor Gary’s is family owned, and couldn’t be more Mom-and-Pop if they tried. Think, old school lighted letterboard menus, bucket booth seats, and customizable everything. I mean, they didn’t even flinch at […]
If you love worn vinyl, live music, and an infusion of caffeine, look no further than the Payne Phalen neighborhood gem, Caydence Records & Coffee. The coffeehouse-meets-record shop is in the Eastside of St Paul, on the corner of Payne and York. Serving up St Paul’s own Bootstrap Coffee Roasters and other fun, creative, specialty […]
At the intersection of 75 and 23 is Pipestone, Minnesota. Here you’ll find the Pipestone National Monument, the Historic Calumet Inn, and Lange’s Cafe. Lange’s Cafe is a family recipe heavy, history-laden, made-from-scratch local pride favorite. So, of course, I had to try it. As soon as I walked in, I totally fell in love […]
Have you heard of QC Pizza? Short for Quad City, QC Pizza is between Century and 494 in Mahtomedi and is the only place you will find Quad-City style pizza in Minnesota. What is Quad style, you say? Well, let me explain. Quad-City Style Pizza comes from the Quad Cities region of northwest Illinois and […]
If you love kitschy holiday décor and themed drinks, make your way to Lawless Distillery this month. Lawless is the only place in Minnesota where you will find Miracle, a holiday-themed pop-up bar. Originally launched in 2014 in New York City, Miracle has become an annual tradition for restaurants and bars all over the world […]
I have another event to add to your December traditions; The St Paul European Christmas Market held on the East Plaza at Union Depot! The market was inspired by “Christkindlmarkt,” an outdoor open-air holiday market and festival common across central European countries during the Advent season. Since the Middle Ages, this 500-year-old world tradition fosters […]
My absolute, most-favorite event of the year is the Union Depot’s Annual Holiday Bake Sale. Hosting the top Twin Cities bakeries for 6 years in a row in the Union Depot’s gorgeous Waiting Room, it certainly doesn’t disappoint! More than just a bake sale, it includes all kinds of events like baking and cooking demonstrations, radio […]
If you love pizza as much as I do, boy do I have a place for you. Angelo’s Italian Restaurant has been around since 1971 and is a south St Paul staple. Unassuming in its strip mall location, it is everything you could want in a hometown Italian joint. Angelos serves up giant meatballs, hoagies, […]
I spend a considerable amount of time in Northwoods coffee shops. Whether I am researching or writing about Paul Bunyan, you can always bet I’ll be huddled up with a cup of hot apple cider and a sweet of some sort. Enter, Joe Jitters Coffee House in Moose Lake. 45 miles south of Duluth off […]
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 […]
So here’s the thing, Moxie Java didn’t start in Minnesota. MJ actually started in Boise, Idaho. The coffeehouse has become so popular, it franchised and stretches to North Dakota, South Carolina and now Minnesota with its Moorhead location. Founded by John Roberts and Chris Minion, Moxie Java nabs a place on my #mnbucketlist for a […]
“There’s such a good vibe in Minneapolis. You’ve got an upscale downtown, and yet people aren’t afraid to sit around the fire pit in the middle of winter and drink a beer. It’s amazing.” ― Philip Winchester
Banning State Park is located directly off Interstate 35. Stretched along 10 miles of the Kettle River near Sandstone in Pine County, the park is known for camping, picnicking, and cross-country skiing. It is a favorite for those seeking beautiful trails, however, there is also quite a lot of history to soak in such as […]
One of the last places I stopped during the #MNPHO2018 was Take 16 Brewing. Housed in a former auto parts store and auto repair shop, Luverne’s first-ever brewery is named for old Highway 16 that connected Detroit to Yellowstone National Park. The highway was established in 1926 and was the main traffic route west and […]
Saint Croix State Park is located on the eastern edge of the Mille Lacs Uplands and borders Chengwatana State Forest to the southwest and Saint Croix State Forest to the northeast. The largest of Minnesota’s state parks, Saint Croix State Park follows the shore of the St. Croix River and contains the last 7 miles […]
As soon as I got into Luverne for the Minnesota Governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener (#MNGPHO2018), I passed by an old would-be drive-in. After a few events, and coaxing from friends (I’m looking at you, Greta!), I headed over to JJ’s Tasty Drive-In. Mom-and-pop establishment, check. Treasured local dive, check. Malts so thick you could eat […]
From the Minnesota Bucket List!
The Governors Pheasant Hunting Opener (#MNGPHO2018) is one of my favorite events of the year. It brings much of what I love about Minnesota together; allowing you to brave the crisp, morning air, feel the warmth release and rise from the covered ground as you quietly make your way across the field, while the wind […]
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 […]
