Back In The Cities

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind.  A really great whirlwind.  And we've landed back in the Twin Cities.  Hooray!  This should lead to more blog posts.  Finally.  For now, I will leave you with a taste of the Great Minnesota Get Together (a.k.a The State Fair).

Cheese Curds

Walleye Roll--Giggles' Campfire Grill

Strawberry Scone--French Meadow Bakery

Cosmic Black & White Cupcake--French Meadow Bakery

And two of our favorite signs (although we didn't actually eat at either place)...

We're looking forward to writing more and soon!

Little House

Growing up, I was a huge fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder. I read all the Little House books, watched the series and did as many book reports as I possibly could on her. Total nerd. :) So, it's a no-brainer that I would want to visit Walnut Grove, MN and see the museum.

Now, the town of Walnut Grove is home to 534 people--give or take. It's small and, unfortunately, there isn't too much to do besides visit the museum. That aside, the museum itself is fun, especially for kids.



It's set up like a little town with a handful of buildings to explore. There's even a room filled with interactive stations for kids--like learning to wash clothes using a washboard. Fun, right? There's a covered wagon that can actually be climbed on and a room filled with memorabilia from the television series.



The well-stocked gift shop has everything from peppermint sticks and bonnets to books and series DVDs. What else does a prairie fan need? :)

If you do want to make the drive to Walnut Grove, my main recommendation would be to pack a lunch, because I'm serious when I say there isn't much else. They do have a Nellie's Cafe, but it seems to close early (at least it's was closed when we went). Besides, it might be more fun to have a picnic along the banks of Plum Creek.

sod house replica

schoolhouse replica

a letter written by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I Spy: Adam Turman Prints

Minneapolis-based graphic artist Adam Turman captures the best aspects of Minnesota with his striking illustrations and prints. I love walking around the Cities and seeing his work pop up everywhere. Whether it's his cityscapes, cycling prints or retro pin-up girls, his work charms me with its vibrant colors and captivating images. It also has the ability to fill me up with all that warm and fuzzy Minnesota pride.

Below is a small taste of his work (I also put a few more prints on my other blog) and make sure to check out his website too!

© AdamTurman.com 2011. All rights reserved.

© AdamTurman.com 2011. All rights reserved.

© AdamTurman.com 2011. All rights reserved.

Red Jacket Trail

We went on our first official bike ride of the season this weekend.



We parked next to Mount Kato, which is the local snowboarding/skiing/mountain biking hill and tried out the The Red Jacket Trail that runs from Mankato to Rapidan. First, we rode into Mankato and then turned around and went for a bit in the other direction. The ride was great--lots of trees. We went over the Le Sueur River too.



Only one problem--we didn't bike over the river in the fashion I'd have liked. Instead, we crossed it by biking alongside a regular old road. Booooooring.

The way we should have crossed it was on a giant 80 foot bridge. Unfortunately, it's going through some repair work.



An entire chunk is currently missing. Personally, I think I could have made the jump. ;) EXTREME!!!

My favorite part of the ride--the lemonade. There were all these makeshift lemonade stands thrown together by wee wandering peddlers. It was Lemonade Day, doncha know? All along the trail kids had set up booths at strategic points to lure unsuspecting cyclists in for 50 cent lemonade and chocolate chip cookies.

They didn't stop at just drinks and sweets either--they also sold items like homemade bracelets. Shrewd marketers, I tell you. They set up persuasive little billboards along the way that said things like, "Thirsty, yet?" and "You're almost to Crazy Cat Lemonade!" I really liked the Crazy Cat kids because they even drew a crazy cat on their billboards. Jonathan and I only had a dollar on us, otherwise I think we'd have been completely taken in by those gypsies.

What I Want To Do

Sitting here in our humid, windswept apartment on the prairie (we have no central air conditioning), I've been daydreaming about what kind of fun and/or illuminating experiences I want to have while we're living in the The Star of the North.

So, here's the beginning of the list I've been dreaming up:

1. Kayak down the Mississippi River

2. Visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove, MN--because why wouldn't you?

3. Go to a Twins Game (better yet, BIKE to a Twins Game)

4. Do the Tweed Ride

5. Take classes at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts--I really, really love this place and the attached Coffee Gallery sells yummy brownies! So, it's definitely a win-win. :)

6. Participate in workshops at The Loft

7. Bike on as many trails as we can find

8. See something at MPR's Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul

9. Go to the St. Paul Winter Carnival

10. Explore the Boundary Waters

11. Visit lots of museums, like the Mill City Museum or the MIA, as much as possible

12. Find Paul Bunyan and share some s'mores

13. Get strong enough and crazy enough to do the Muddy Buddy

14. Eat Lutefisk...um...well...um...maybe just nibble a small piece of lutefisk and then move on to the lefse--Uff da!

15. Hang out with Sven, Ole and Lena and eat more lutefisk. :)

Phew, that's it for now.

The Search Begins

Spring has sprung from its icy trap and Jonathan and I can finally wander about in search of adventure. One of the "must-do-soon" items on our list is dropping our poor, dusty kayaks into some refreshing waters.

We started our investigation of the local waterways at Rapidan Dam Park.

The Blue Earth River runs along the park.

It looks both scenic . . .



. . .and tranquil.



The park has a canoe launch and a Dam Store (that's just fun to say). Apparently, the Dam Store is famous for its delicious homemade pies. We'll have to try them some time and see.

And as the name suggests, there's also a dam to walk across--which we did.



This looks like a promising place to start paddling. Hopefully, we'll get a chance to wet our toes soon!

Springtime: Some Antics (and Semantics!)

Spring arrived in Minnesota last month and the mid-March backdrop was not a pretty sight. The landscape wakes up, bringing to mind a hung over party goer waking up after a big night out on the town. The melting snow is a runny mascara that leaves blotches of gray grass like bags under the eyes. Barren trees evoke images of unshaved chin stubble, a five o'clock (am) shadow. As one can imagine this imagery doesn't leave much to report on aside from making tabloid-fodder of the countryside's morning walk of shame.

Before...

Fortunately with the thawing of winter's snowy blanket comes the Spring floods, like a refreshing shower that washes away the dirty salt and pepper piles of plowed snow, road salt, and sand used for winter traction. The lawn's once brown and barren pallid appearance became flush and green thriving after the first rainstorm. As the temperatures heat up rural life returns to normal: farmers take to the fields, trees sprout leaves and gardens start to grow, ready to start the cycle anew.

...and after.

With the snow gone the landscape has changed, revealing new things. A recent drive to the cities unveiled a lake in the middle of what we thought was just snow coated farm land. Likewise, on my way home from work I noticed a golf course that I had driven by every day without recognizing it for what it was because of the snowdrifts atop it. Like a gopher sticking his head out from the ground after a long winter nap, we've been poking around exploring the nearby countryside making exciting discoveries (more on that another time).

Another note we've made over the Winter season are the little differences in language from home. Just as some areas of the country call carbonated beverages "soda," "pop" or even "Coke," rural Minnesota has it's own quirks and preferred word usage. For instance, at work the term "punch list" is used in place of "check list." "Dinner" is the meal you eat on your lunch break, and more often than not trash or garbage is referred to as rubbish.

In the weeks ahead we're looking forward to learning what else has thawed out and is waiting to be discovered.