MINNESOTA OFF THE BEATEN PATH® TENTH EDITION

Generally speaking, the interstate highway system has been good for our country. It has made motor vehicle travel faster, safer, and much easier for getting from point A to point B and beyond. It’s scary to think of where our standard of living would be if we didn’t have thousands of miles of interstate crisscrossing our country.

But we pay a price for all the convenience that interstates have brought us. As more miles of concrete sprang from the countryside, the travel habits of Americans changed. Instead of the leisurely trip where the drive was part of the experience, the multiple lanes of concrete caused us to begin treating the driving portion as strictly utilitarian. Got to get there as soon as possible, can’t stop, got to make time.

As our travel habits changed, ubiquity became the feature most valued by travelers and truckers. McDonald’s and Wendy’s replaced Mom’s Place and Al’s Diner as the favorite haunts of hungry drivers, and generic convenience stores usurped the position occupied by the full- service, get-your- oil- checked- and-windows- washed gas station.

Which brings us to Minnesota Off the Beaten Path. This book encourages the reader to turn off the impersonal interstates and travel the back roads that define our state. Leave the fast lanes to explore the rolling prairie country of the south and west where Plains Indians and massive herds of buffalo once lived in harmony. Take a two- lane ribbon of blacktop through lake country as it winds through tunnels of greenery and past thousands of large and small watery gems. Follow intimate country lanes in southeastern Minnesota through narrow ravines and around regal bluffs. Seek the unique in the Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

When you leave the interstates, time seems to slow, especially when you find yourself behind a piece of farm equipment. This slower pace provides the time to explore the lands of the Vikings, stoic Norwegian and German farmers, miners, lumberjacks, and fur traders. And though you can find some unique and even some undiscovered sites close to the interstates and major highways, to truly taste the local flavor of each region you must reach beyond and explore the minor highways and county roads.

Stray even slightly from the beaten path in such an environment and there’s no telling where you might wind up. It could be in a squat canvas tent observing the bizarre courtship rituals of the prairie chicken. Or it could be enjoying an incomparable Mississippi River sunset from the roof of a chartered houseboat. But no matter how unexpected the turn of events, if the people around you are refreshingly civil and sometimes use quaint expressions like “Uff- da” and “You betcha,” know that you aren’t really lost—you’re just somewhere off the beaten path in Minnesota.

The more than 300 destinations described in this book were selected following extensive firsthand field research. They reflect the breadth of attractions that Minnesota offers those travelers willing to venture down the back roads that radiate through our farmland and forests. There are sites of historical, geological, and archaeological interest; novel recreational opportunities; unusual restaurants, taverns, shops, and country inns; unique events and festivals; buildings of special architectural significance; compelling tours; fascinating museums and art galleries; and those occasional phenomena that refuse to be pigeonholed. As much as possible, these areas of interest have been represented equally in each region of the state. Consult the index if you are having trouble locating a specific destination in the text.

More than any state, Minnesota occupies a large geographical transition zone. From west to east, the landscape changes from prairie to hardwood forest. And from south to north it goes from prairie and hardwood forest to bogs and pine forest. Besides the obvious differences in landscape, the climate changes—often dramatically—along these lines of geographical demarcation.

Rainfall increases as you drive from west to east in Minnesota, which helps nurture the lush forests, streams, and lakes of this often ravine- riven landscape. While driving north, it’s easy to see the effect of cooler temperatures and thinner soil as farms shrink in size, conifers become the dominant tree, and rock becomes an omnipresent feature of the topography. And to completely mix up the climatic equation, Lake Superior acts as a giant air conditioner in the summer, often causing dramatic temperature differences along its spectacular shores.

The Twin Cities region, which includes Minneapolis and St. Paul, occupies some choice Minnesota landscape. Located along the banks of the Mississippi, the state’s largest cities also lie close to two other major rivers, the St. Croix and Minnesota. The region has many lakes, scenic parks bordering the rivers, and cultural attractions. Fun seekers could start their day canoeing the wild upper St. Croix and end it with a play at either the Guthrie or Ordway Theater. From nature lover to culture lover all in one day.

Bluffland runs southeast of the Twin Cities along the Mississippi and is a land of deep valleys, clear trout streams, and imposing limestone bluffs. Glaciers didn’t scour this area as they did much of Minnesota. Instead of ice, torrents of meltwater from massive glacial lakes sculpted the broad Mississippi Valley, countless ravines, and caves. Small towns nestle between river and bluff, and picturesque views await the traveler around every curve or crest of a hill.

Prairieland covers a large chunk of southwestern and western Minnesota. This is the type of landscape many people drive through and call boring, and that’s unfortunate. By putting on the blinders, these travelers miss the essence of this region. Rolling farm fields stretch around you for miles, oases of hard-woods provide shelter for wildlife during harsh winters and scorching summer days, and historical significance abounds in the settlement of the prairies. It’s both a harsh region where winters are often brutal and a nurturing one where wildflowers and fields of small grain coexist under gentle summer breezes.

Red River Country includes the part of Minnesota once covered by Glacial Lake Agassiz, a body of water that at one time or another covered an area larger than all the Great Lakes combined. As you enter this region in northwestern Minnesota, you’ll quickly see the legacy of this enormous lake—a landscape so flat that highway overpasses offer the only relief. As the lake receded, it also left behind incredibly rich soil that has led to this region becoming one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world. Featureless, prone to flooding because of the shallow river channels and tabletop- flat surroundings, and located in a region of harsh weather extremes, Red River Country has always exacted a toll on inhabitants lured by the promise of productive land.

In the form of lakes, rivers, swamps, and bogs, water best defines the Headwaters region. And though much of the region sports a thick carpet of pine forest, it’s the lakes that draw people. Lake Itasca is perhaps the best- known body of water in this area because the Mississippi River begins its impressive journey from this humble lake. Besides this famous body of water, visitors to the area will find thousands of lakes dotted with hundreds of resorts. As you drive from south to north, the landscape changes gradually from sand plains and farmland with scattered lakes to sand, forest, and more lakes, and finally to peat and sand with thick forest and lakes and swamps around every curve in the road or clearing in the woods.

The Arrowhead region covers the northeastern part of Minnesota and is an area of vast forests, clear lakes, fast-flowing rivers, and the highest hills in the state. But the attraction that best defines this region and occupies a special place in the hearts of native Minnesotans lies in its farthest northeast corner. Lake Superior, with its 150 miles of Minnesota shoreline, dominates this part of the state. As the largest freshwater lake in the world, Superior exerts its influence over the north shore. During the summer, temperatures may run twenty to thirty degrees cooler along the lake than just a few miles inland, and in the winter the big lake helps keep the bitter cold from invading the shoreline. The soaring cliffs, rocky shore, and narrow canyons make this region the most unique landscape in Minnesota.

At the end of each chapter in this book, you will find phone numbers for chambers of commerce for most of the cities or towns featured in that chapter, websites where available, and a list of motels and restaurants. For general information on the state, or to receive an excellent travel guide, contact the Minnesota Office of Tourism at one of the following phone numbers: toll- free at (888) 868-7476, in the Twin Cities at (651) 296-5029, or TTY Relay Service for the Deaf at (800) 627-3529. The website is exploreminnesota.com and the e-mail address is explore@state.mn.us. The Explore Minnesota Travel Guide has an extensive listing of 151 chambers of commerce and good descriptions of each region in Minnesota.

Except where indicated otherwise, prices in the text are described in general terms according to these rough guidelines: Meals in restaurants are deemed inexpensive or modest if under $10, moderately priced if $10 to $20, and expensive if over $20. Accommodations are listed as modest or inexpensive if under $40, moderately priced if $40 to $100, and expensive if over $100. Admission prices are termed token, modest, or inexpensive if under $5; moderately priced if $5 to $20; and expensive if above $20.

At the end of each chapter, you will find a short list of scenic roads to try. While I have probably missed a few, some of those listed will take you even farther off the beaten path and may lead you to even more scenic routes through the ever- changing landscapes of Minnesota.

Climate

Minnesota has four distinct seasons. Summer highs average in the upper seventies to mid-eighties, with winter temperatures averaging from the low teens to twenties. The southern part of the state usually has about fifteen to twenty days of temperatures at or above ninety degrees, with the north rarely getting that warm. Winter can see temperatures as cold as thirty below zero, with several cold snaps of minus ten to minus twenty common throughout most of the state.

Autumn features cool mornings with warmer days and lower humidity than much of the summer. Spring features gradually warmer days and a dramatic growth of plants and trees. However, it has been known to snow in May.

Newspapers

Transition Zones

Besides having thousands of lakes and a landscape shaped by glaciers, Minnesota also has a geographic feature unique to this area . Unlike any other state, Minnesota straddles two transition zones: one that runs north and south, with another running east and west . The zone that runs north–south divides the state into prairie and forest, with the northern part of this line cutting through Red River Country .

Much of western Minnesota has the traits of the prairies, including few trees or lakes, less precipitation, and flat to gently rolling terrain . One area near Granite Falls in western Minnesota even has cactus . Moving east through the zone, rainfall increases, thick forest replaces grassland, river valleys get deeper, and lakes and wetlands begin to dominate the landscape .

On the Minnesota prairies, Indians hunted buffalo and traveled by horse, while settlers built sod houses as they turned the fertile soil . In the forested eastern and northern parts of Minnesota, Indians used canoes to travel through the labyrinth of lakes and rivers, while settlers exploited the vast tracts of huge white pine to form a lumber boom . Even today, the sizes of farms and cities reflect the type of geography, the amount of yearly precipitation, and the proximity of large rivers suitable for transportation .

Introduction

Climate

Newspapers

For More Information