Today all state parks and historical sites have free admission. Huzzah.
On the other hand, why do we pay at all? We ought to be able to walk up to any state site and say Stand Aside, All Ye, and Let A Citizen Pass. Until that day, enjoy this vacation from user fees, and visit these little-known state historical sites:
Bemidji: Paul Bunyan's Spittoon. Filled daily. Spills over at 11, 1 and 4 p.m. Bring the kids! Also a mop, or change of socks.
Lake LeLac: French for "We just ran out of names, sorry," it is the home of the state's only Mosquito Habitat Preserve. Kids will love to meet Sting-y and Slappy, adorable mascots of the state's most famous insect, and learn about their lives. Admission waived today. (Note: usually, they pay you to go in.)
Sleepy Eye: Birthplace of Chuck Landberg, second man to fly alone across the Atlantic; he landed only 46 minutes after Charles Lindbergh, because the control tower staff was down on the field jumping up and down and shouting Hooray for America. Landberg, usually described as one of the angriest men in Minnesota, spent the rest of his life trying to be first in something, and succeeded when he robbed an Amtrak train and jumped off wearing a parachute, D.B. Cooper-style. He still holds the record for being dragged across the most counties in the state.
Statewide: Leech Lake Park is open, as is Tapeworm Falls and Spirochete Bogs Campground. Lake Mantrap is open -- yes, there's a Lake Mantrap, so named for its quicksand. Possibly the only walking trail where you're advised to bring a snorkel. Admission is free, but there will be a $9 "rope usage surcharge" to drag you out.
Tick Park is open as well. Which one's Tick Park, you ask?
All of them.
jlileks@startribune.com • 612-673-7858 More daily at www.startribune.com/buzz
