best of minnesota

County fair: Koochiching County

Monday May 14, 2012

When photographer Susan Lambert (Miller) visited all of Minnesota's 95 county fairs (some counties have more than one) for her 2009 book, "Minnesota County Fairs: Kids, Cows, Carnies, and Chow" (Minnesota Historical Society Press), she discovered they held surprisingly varied charms, from Steele's 60-year-old human cannonball to Hubbard's Dress Up Your Horse Contest. Tough call but, forced to choose, Lambert gives Koochiching, on Minnesota's northern border, points for conquering scarce resources with creativity. Fairgoers raced lawnmowers, rode a kiddy train built from halved barrels, sculpted creatures from vegetables and played "Animal Bingo," in which "they put a chicken on the board -- you can figure out how the winning number was determined."

Runner-up: Winona County (highlight: the Ugly Cake Contest)

Cultural festival you may have never heard of: Askov Fair and Rutabaga Days

Monday May 14, 2012

"Velkommen Til Askov" says the sign, and this delightful little city (population 364) means it. Founded by the Danish Peoples Society in 1906, Askov -- a couple of exits north of Hinckley on I-35 -- is worth a visit at any time, but it really comes to life the fourth weekend in August, when it hosts Rutabaga Days. Browse the craft fair, dance to the polka band, sample the rutabaga brats and (if you're really adventurous) the rutabaga malts, and gorge on the homemade pies and fried fare -- all at a fraction of the cost of the slightly better-known State extravaganza down the road.

• lakesnwoods.com/Askov.htm

Kitschy attraction: World's largest Paul Bunyan in Akeley

Monday May 14, 2012

From a pirate-themed souvenir stand in Royalton to a Spam homage in Austin, Minnesota abounds with quirky destinations. Our best kitsch is a public statement of civic pride: giant fish, turkeys, Vikings, voyageurs and other regional emblems looming larger than life over parks and main streets. But the king of Minnesota's roadside colossi is Paul Bunyan, whose bulky plaid-clad frame invites travelers to photo ops throughout the state, and the best Paul of all is in Akeley. He is so tall he has to kneel to keep his head from hitting the sky. Climb in his palm and get a townsperson to take your photo -- it's your civic duty.

Runner-up: The talking Paul Bunyan in Brainerd

Minnesota resort for families: Grand View Lodge

Friday May 11, 2012

Don't let the Adirondack chairs lining the shores of Gull Lake lure you into a stupor. Sure, you'll want to relax, but leave time for other pursuits: golfing, fishing, water skiing, hiking, horseback riding and barreling down the water slide at the indoor pool. A peak activity: being pampered at the world-class Glacial Waters Spa while the children are entertained at the kids' club. Grand View Lodge is better than the usual getaway, with rows of cabins facing the lake, plus three "villages" catering to escapists (and those who want proximity to the golf course). Its variety of accommodations are spread over nearly 1,600 acres. Best of all, it's open year-round.

• 23521 Nokomis Av., Nisswa
• 1-218-963-2234
• grandviewlodge.com

Minnesota resort for history buffs: Burntside Lodge

Friday May 11, 2012

Creak open the screen door of the main building at Burntside Lodge, with its pine paneling and stuffed wildlife, and step into a different era. Then head to your cabin for another brush with history. Burntside is on the National Register of Historic places not for one building but all of them: It is its own historic district. No surprise that the resort that began as a hunting camp in the early 1900s excels at old-school vacation delights. The lakeside resort boasts swimming, boating, fishing and a lakeside sauna, with no blaring TVs or Jet Skis. But there are important nods to the current century: sophisticated fare and wines in the cottage-like dining room, a cappuccino bar with fresh-baked pastries, even hydrobikes for a zip across the water.

• 2755 Burntside Lodge Road 489, Ely
• 1-218-365-3894
• burntside.com

Minnesota resort on Superior: Surfside

Monday May 14, 2012

Truth be told, we head to the North Shore to revel in Lake Superior's power and beauty. At Surfside on Lake Superior, your accommodations will inspire awe almost as much as the lake. Classics such as Lutsen Resort and BlueFin Bay deserve their props, but newcomer Surfside (part of the BlueFin family of resorts) ups the ante on the North Shore. Its floor-to-ceiling windows maximize views of Lake Superior. Its modern architecture accompanies modern perks: Wi-Fi, flat-screen televisions, gas fireplaces, roomy, well-stocked kitchens and the only destination spa on the shore.

• Hwy. 61, Tofte
• 1-877-361-7873
• surfsideonsuperior.com

Small-town sports venue: Mini-Met Baseball Park in Jordan

Friday May 11, 2012

Built nearly 80 years ago, the Mini-Met is a throwback ballpark that is home to the amateur, high school and Legion baseball teams in Jordan, about 35 miles southwest of Minneapolis. The manual scoreboard and creek surrounding the Mini-Met add to the charm. The upkeep is performed almost entirely by volunteers who take pride in preserving their gem of a stadium, said John Breunig, who works for the city of Jordan. "When the lights are on at night, it's just a little retreat from the rest of the world," Breunig said.

• 401 Rice St. S., Jordan
• 952-492-2535
• startribune.com/a1197

Runner-up: Clemens Stadium, St. John's University, Collegeville

Regional park: Lebanon Hills

Friday May 11, 2012

At nearly 2,000 acres, Lebanon Hills Regional Park is the largest park in Dakota County, and among the wildest in the metro. Laced with miles of trails and dotted with lakes, the park is a big draw year-round for hikers, bikers, runners, swimmers and even campers. Bring ol' Nellie, too: Miles of scenic, wooded horse trails await. Mountain bikers are also welcome. And there's kayaking and canoeing, your choice.

• 860 Cliff Road, Eagan
• 651-554-6530,
• startribune.com/a1195

State park: Whitewater

Friday May 11, 2012

Expansive, scenic state parks abound in Minnesota, covering so many different landscapes that comparisons of one to another are practically unjust. But given one dart -- and one dart only -- to toss at a map? Aim, then, for Whitewater State Park in the southeast and its miles of cool rivers, steep bluffs and deep valleys. Fish for trout here, too, or roam among the 28,000 acres of adjacent Whitewater Wildlife Management Area, listening for drumming grouse or gobbling turkeys, or alert for eagles soaring high overhead.

• 19041 Hwy. 74, Altura
• 1-507-932-3007
• www.startribune.com/a1196

Weekend nature retreat: Audubon Center of the North Woods

Tuesday May 15, 2012

It's an environmental learning center. It's a refuge for wounded raptors. It even hosts an annual trail race. But the Audubon Center, a 535-acre sanctuary of forests, wetlands and prairies on the shores of pristine Grindstone Lake near Sandstone, also offers summer camps, educational programs for kids and adults, and weekend retreats including the Women's Wellness & Adventure Weekend, promising "adventure, relaxation and renewal." If you want to get back to nature (without nature getting back at you), this is your place.

• 54165 Audubon Dr., Sandstone
• 1-320-245-2648
• audubon-center.org

Water-based getaway: Voyageurs National Park

Friday May 11, 2012

If you like to canoe, boat, fish or simply watch the sun sink into a color block of blue, get to Voyageurs National Park. Minnesota's only national park covers 218,000 acres; water accounts for 84,000 of them. Sure, it's a heck of a drive, but Voyageurs is worth the trek. Rent a boat or hop on a tour boat to get at the heart of the park, the 75,000-acre Kabetogama Peninsula, or any of the 500 islands that dot the various lakes in the park. Keep an eye out for eagles, loons and moose, which are probably more numerous than people. Only about a quarter of a million people visit each year.

• nps.gov/voya

Athlete tweeter: Chris Kluwe

Friday May 11, 2012

Vikings punter Chris Kluwe is not only smarter and funnier than the average NFL player, he's smarter and funnier than the average Tweeter, period. The Vikings punter can excoriate politicians, the NFL lords of discipline, opponents and movies with panache, and his hashtags #leaveyoulaughing. Kluwe is a voracious reader and an avid painter of (geek alert) board game fighters, plus he's addicted to "World of Warcraft." Oh, and he's married with two young kids. So you'll get a lot of commentary on cookies and ice cream ... and not that much on, uh, football.

• twitter.com/ChrisWarcraft

Rising star athlete: Ricky Rubio

Friday May 11, 2012

Timberwolves fans waited through two long, losing seasons to see if Ricky Rubio indeed was real and not some strange, mythical creature. The answer, of course, is a resounding yes. Before he suffered a torn ACL on March 9, the Wolves were in playoff contention and a new NBA commercial touted the Spanish point guard by proclaiming "El Futuro Es Big." Anybody who buys a ticket in Target Center's cheap seats and still can see Rubio's fluttering eyelashes knows there's something special about this 21-year-old. His flashy game and boyish good looks are bringing the franchise international media exposure as reporters from Sports Illustrated to the New Yorker magazine arrived in town this season to spread his story. They should be back next season when he is expected to make a full recovery.

Runner-up: Christian Ponder, Vikings quarterback

Comedian tweeter: Andy Erikson

Monday May 14, 2012

In the Twin Cities comedy scene, Andy Erikson is about as strange as they come. She's got the voice of a chipmunk, an awkward delivery and a compulsion for bizarre observations. For a peek inside her weird world, look no further than the Acme regular's Twitter feed. Instead of describing it, let's just let her do the talking, er, tweeting. One tweet reads: "If you yell shotgun on a bus, you can sit anywhere you want." Another: "One time I snoozed and I won." Oh, and a couple months ago she summed up her entire tweeting output like this: "I tweet as if a crazy homeless man hacked into my Twitter account, to share his wisdom with his disciples."

• twitter.com/andyerikson

Workplace trend: Collaborative workspaces

Friday May 11, 2012

We doubt there's a more beautiful workspace than the former trading floor at the Minneapolis Grain Exchange. With its floor-to-ceiling windows, ornate woodwork and columns, and paintings depicting the Mill City's industrial past, the newly renovated 110-year-old space is now home to business incubator CoCo, short for Coworking & Collaborative Space. The floor where commodities traders once hollered bids for wheat, corn and oats is now leased to individuals, small firms and entrepreneurial groups. Workstations can be rented for as little as $50 a month whereas corporate "campsites" go for $2,750 a month. As Google CEO Eric Schmidt remarked when he visited, "People want to work in a group. People are social." And if you want to be social in St. Paul, CoCo has space in a former warehouse in the Lowertown neighborhood.

Reborn Minnesota brand: Faribault Woolen Mill Co.

Friday May 11, 2012

Once headed for oblivion, the iconic Faribo brand is once again showing up on blankets, throws and scarves produced at the historic mill that reopened last year. Closed since 2009, the mill was deserted and its looms were tagged and ready to be carted out the door when Edina businessmen Chuck and Paul Mooty bought it last year. They had no experience in the textile business but figured there was still power in the Faribo name. The company, after all, started in 1865 making blankets for Civil War soldiers. Now luxury stalwarts like the Waldorf Astoria and Windstar Cruises have Faribo blankets on their beds. The mill recently won another big order from J.C. Penney.

• faribaultmill.com