Murphsmom wrote:
And for heaven's sake...don't forget the Spam Museum in Austin MN!
Actually, I agree with this! We have taken out-of-town visitors to the Spam museum and they have loved it! You can also get specialty flavors of Spam there not available anywhere else in the country! It is actually a well-done museum!
Then, if you're in Minnesota, head north. You should visit Paul Bunyon and Babe the Blue Ox in Brainard, MN. Then, head over to Itasca State Park and spend a day there hiking. You can walk across the headwaters of the Mississippi River, take a boat tour on the lake that sources the Mississippi, or rent some bicycles and ride trails along the river.
If you're in South Western Minnesota, check out the Pipestone National Monument. There is a very soft red rock, Pipestone, that native americans used to carve peace pipes, turtles, and other items. We totally enjoyed the ranger programs there and it was a real teat to visit with the artists that dig the pipestone and then sculpt it. (A cool thing happened....we were visiting with an artist and admiring his work - he was just as nice as could be - talked about capturing the essence of a persons spirit... then, later, the ranger told us this artist was leaving tomorrow to be recognized by the Smithsonian Museum for his talent!)
Enjoy your trip! Sounds like it will be a great lifetime memory!
