The List of Lists '08: Minnesota

Best day trip

1. Duluth
2. Stillwater
3. Taylors Falls
4. Red Wing
5. Mall of America
6. Lake Pepin
7. Chicago
8. Apple River, Wis.
9. Biking the Grand Rounds, Mpls.
10. Hwy. 61

If I weren't living in Minnesota, I'd live in:

1. Chicago
2. London
3. Seattle
4. New York City
5. Paris
6. Denver
7. Switzerland
8. Vancouver
9. Portland
10. Prague

"Chi-town is too far for a day trip. I've done Milwaukee for a Verve show; it nearly killed me." --MattMartigan

Best hot dish your mom makes

1. Tater Tot hot dish
2. Green bean casserole
3. Cheesy hash brown
4. Tuna casserole
5. Chow mein hot dish
6. Cream corn hot dish
7. Spaghetti hot dish
8. Goulash
9. Taco hot dish

Common Minnesota phrases

1. "Ya know"
2. "You betcha"
3. "Okie-doke"
4. "You bet"
5. "Ya, Ya"
6. "If it's not too much trouble ... "
7. "Excuse me"
8. "Oh, for cute"
9. "Sorry"
10. "So, the weather ... "

How to merge, for Minnesota drivers

1. Accelerate to freeway speed by the end of the merge lane
2. Do not stop at the end of the merge lane
3. Do not brake when someone is trying to merge behind you
4. It's up to the person merging to assimilate to the speed of traffic

Excuses for going to the Renaissance Festival

1. Women in corsets
2. Never been there before
3. Turkey drumsticks
4. I'm a dork
5. Egyptian mead
6. To take photos of the nerds
7. It's the only time you can drink beer out of a skull mug without being called creepy
8. The State Fair is over. Where else am I to go to feed my cheese-curd addiction?
9. Pickle salesmen
10. Interesting gifts

Best books written by Minnesotans

1. "The Great Gatsby"
2. "On the Banks of Plum Creek"
3. "Hatchet"
4. "Main Street"
5. "Candy Girl"
6. "Tender Is the Night"
7. "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown"
8. "The Long Winter"
9. "Lake Wobegon Days"
10. "Peace Like a River"