We're off to see the Wizard - a day trip to Grand Rapids, MN

 

A visit to the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, MN, has been on my wish list for a long time, and we finally made it up there. My friend and I took one of our road trips, and she planned a few diversions on the way there and back, including the Dala horse in Mora, the Hull Rust Mine View in Hibbing on the way home, as well as the mass grave in Moose Lake for victms of the 1918 fires that swept  through Moose Lake, Cloquet and many other towns in the north.

It was one of those beautiful summer days that makes you forget about winter in Minnesota. We arrived at the museum around 11, and immediately we were smiling and laughing at all the cutouts that greet you, where you can stick your head through and be the Tin Man, the Lion, a witch or Dorothy. The museum is adjacent to the Children's Discovery Museum, so if you come with kids, you could spend a couple of hours. Even though the big attraction for most of us was probably the Wizard of Oz connection, Judy Garland had an extensive movie and concert career, and there is a lot of memorabilia from those films, like A Star is Born, Easter Parade, her many films with Mickey Rooney, and her live performances. Her house is connected and has been lovingly restored with placards about the young Garland family, including Judy's sisters. The house has been relocated, so it is not in the exact place where Judy lived, but I didn't think that was important. If you are wondering about the ruby slippers they were stolen, but have been recovered and are still in the custody of the FBI until the trial is over for the accused thief; there is a replica pair, that if I remember correctly, were handmade. 

I grew up as a Judy Garland fan, and it was a real treat to visit. 

Porch

Front room with sewing machine

Bedroom

After lunch we headed back home, taking a different route. We had a couple of options if we wanted to spend more time up north, maybe make it longer day or even a weekend, but we headed home, this time taking the route through Hibbing to see the Hull Rust Mine View. I've never been to Iron Range, and this was a nice introduction. It is hard to comprehend the scope of the mining and the size of the land. I don't know all the correct terminology, so please excuse me in advance. The view overlooks an active mining operation, which on Saturday were still operating, but probably on a smaller level than during the week. The small visitor area has several overlooks, equipment where you can get up close and climb on, shovels you can stand in. The equipment is simply massive. It was free to visit and the visitor trailer is supported by volunteers. There is a lot of history on the range, and I would like to go back and explore some more. We did skip the Greyhound Bus Museum; I just wasn't really up to it and was kind of tired, but if that's your thing, it is two minutes from the Mine View.

After our little playtime, we drove down to Moose Lake to see the mass grave of 100 victims of the 1918 fires that tore through Moose Lake. The fires devastated many communities in northern Minnesota, the same time they were being hit by the Spanish Flu and their men and boys leaving to fight in World War I. The markers were grown over and hard to identify as even being there, but the memorial is still standing, and now that I know about the fire, it feels more impactful.

I love these little road trips; we cover a lot of ground, mostly have good weather, and get to learn more about Minnesota history. I'm going to try and do another road trip before the snow flies, so stay tuned.