Northward Bound: Destination the Headwaters of the Mississippi
"And the Mississippi's mighty
But it starts in Minnesota
At a place that you could walk across
With five steps down" Ghost by Emily Saliers, Indigo Girls
In what has become another one of my annual traditions with one of my pals, the famous TB2, we headed out on another trek to discover the unknown, the hidden, the passed by and the overlooked. Along the way, one of us laughed so hard she started crying. We start out with an end goal and then we research what fun things might be found along the way. Your definition of fun and our definition of fun may be very different. You can see what we thought was fun on our route to and from the headwaters of the Mississippi River.
Long Prairie, Todd County - Veterans Memorial Park
This is a small corner lot turned into a Veterans Memorial Park, with a tribute to the Battle of Iwo Jima, but also veterans of the Korean War, Vietnam War and the more recent Gulf Wars. There is a lot of history packed into this little park. There are benches to sit and reflect or perhaps listen to a presentation. Definitely glad TB2 added this to our route.
Menagha, Wadena County - St. Urho, Grasshopper Chaser
St. Urho is the Finnish patron saint of grasshoppers. He was created by a few imaginative folks in northern Minnesota who apparently felt left out of festivities held by their Irish neighbors for St. Patrick's Day. This was a quick roadside stop; there's also a museum with limited hours, especially after Labor Day.
(here is where I would put a little note about Emmaville, population 4, but someone forgot to go there)
We were finally on our way to Itasca State Park (Hubbard, Clearwater, Becker counties) (vehicle fee $7) and the headwaters. It had been a really nice day until we hit the most outdoorsy part of the trip when it started raining. Seriously? Grrr. We went to the Visitor Center, got our daily permit and some directions. The Visitor Center is really nice, with a gift shop, maps and some displays of artifacts, etc. A good place to start. It's five miles to the parking area near the Interpretive Center and a five minute walk to the headlands. It was beautiful, and I was hoping peaceful, but the uncontrolled shrieking of a herd of young girls, and their belief that this was their private playground quickly reinforced my belief in zero population growth. We contemplated walking across the rocks, but they looked more slippery than in my mind, so we did walk across, but on an easier bridge. I was hoping for something, but I didn't quite get it, I don't know, some a-ha moment. I'm so glad we did it, though.
photo by TB2
Bemidji, Beltrami Country - Paul Bunyan and Babe, Nanabozho/Nanobouzo, Chief Bemidji, Niiemii
We got to stretch our legs a little in Bemidji, walking along Lake Bemidji and checking different works of art off our list. The weather had cleared and the sun was out. We were only in town for about an hour, but I'd like to go back and spend more time there.
Akeley, Hubbard County - World's Largest Paul Bunyan
Hackensack, Cass County - Lucette, Paul Bunyan's Sweetheart This stop is dedicated to my co-pilot, TB2, thanks for the laugh. Who knew?
Pine River, Cass County - Paul Bunyan's Footprints and Baby Boots, Babe the Recycling Ox
But it starts in Minnesota
At a place that you could walk across
With five steps down" Ghost by Emily Saliers, Indigo Girls
In what has become another one of my annual traditions with one of my pals, the famous TB2, we headed out on another trek to discover the unknown, the hidden, the passed by and the overlooked. Along the way, one of us laughed so hard she started crying. We start out with an end goal and then we research what fun things might be found along the way. Your definition of fun and our definition of fun may be very different. You can see what we thought was fun on our route to and from the headwaters of the Mississippi River.
Long Prairie, Todd County - Veterans Memorial Park
This is a small corner lot turned into a Veterans Memorial Park, with a tribute to the Battle of Iwo Jima, but also veterans of the Korean War, Vietnam War and the more recent Gulf Wars. There is a lot of history packed into this little park. There are benches to sit and reflect or perhaps listen to a presentation. Definitely glad TB2 added this to our route.
Menagha, Wadena County - St. Urho, Grasshopper Chaser
St. Urho is the Finnish patron saint of grasshoppers. He was created by a few imaginative folks in northern Minnesota who apparently felt left out of festivities held by their Irish neighbors for St. Patrick's Day. This was a quick roadside stop; there's also a museum with limited hours, especially after Labor Day.
We were finally on our way to Itasca State Park (Hubbard, Clearwater, Becker counties) (vehicle fee $7) and the headwaters. It had been a really nice day until we hit the most outdoorsy part of the trip when it started raining. Seriously? Grrr. We went to the Visitor Center, got our daily permit and some directions. The Visitor Center is really nice, with a gift shop, maps and some displays of artifacts, etc. A good place to start. It's five miles to the parking area near the Interpretive Center and a five minute walk to the headlands. It was beautiful, and I was hoping peaceful, but the uncontrolled shrieking of a herd of young girls, and their belief that this was their private playground quickly reinforced my belief in zero population growth. We contemplated walking across the rocks, but they looked more slippery than in my mind, so we did walk across, but on an easier bridge. I was hoping for something, but I didn't quite get it, I don't know, some a-ha moment. I'm so glad we did it, though.
photo by TB2
Bemidji, Beltrami Country - Paul Bunyan and Babe, Nanabozho/Nanobouzo, Chief Bemidji, NiiemiiWe got to stretch our legs a little in Bemidji, walking along Lake Bemidji and checking different works of art off our list. The weather had cleared and the sun was out. We were only in town for about an hour, but I'd like to go back and spend more time there.
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| Nanabozho and Linus |
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| Chief Bemidji and Niiemii |
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| Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox |
Hackensack, Cass County - Lucette, Paul Bunyan's Sweetheart This stop is dedicated to my co-pilot, TB2, thanks for the laugh. Who knew?
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| Peaceful afternoon stop at Birch Lake, Hackensack |
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Pequot Lakes, Crow Wing County - Fishing Bobber Water Tower, Babe, Giant Chair     |
Brainerd, Crow Wing County - Paul Bunyan Land
It was closed, but we still managed to grab a couple of snaps.
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| Heading home after an awesome day |
It was a long day, roughly 15 hours; we had rain and sun; hits and misses, but I think it might have been the best of our road trips so far. I love exploring Minnesota with one of my best pals. Thanks again TB. Can't wait for next year.
If you missed the previous adventures of Tammy and Tracy, click below.
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