Minnesota State Fair

It's known as the "great Minnesota get-together", and it is that. The day we went, the attendance was just over 130,000. Total people count for the 12 day run of the Fair is just over 1.7 million, on average.

How much can one see in one trip to the Fair? Well, considering that the fairgrounds encompasses over 320 acres and is built like a small city, it all depends on how fast you walk and how long you are there. The open hours are from 6 am until 12 midnight. Still, even if one went to the fair every day it's probably impossible to take in everything. Too many buildings, too many displays, two midways (one is called the Kidway), and more food stands than you can shake a stick at. A little pun there, as many of the food offerings are things "on a stick."

Twelve grand stand shows, over 90 stage shows, 37 marching bands, 16 horse shows, as well as all the judging events for livestock, cats, dogs, and etc. Eight hours is about the limit of our physical endurance, and in that time we saw only a fraction of what was offered on the day we chose to attend.

I'll have to confess that during this visit we didn't eat a single thing on a stick, but I did eat a Spam Burger! You don't find those just everywhere. There are some other things that are (almost) exclusively Minnesotan, such as Gedney Pickles, Fresh-baked Lefse, Sardine Pie, and Fair-Do's. One trip to the Minnesota State Fair will definitely give you a feel for the likes, customs and other things that make Minnesota well, Minnesota.

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Minnesota Renaissance Festival

The Minnesota Renaissance Festival is a huge event, and it's been around for nearly 40 years. Pat and I had not been to the Festival since before we moved to Washington ten years ago. When we were living in Minnesota we attended almost every year. It's a "different" kind of atmosphere, one in which normally perfectly normal and clean-cut people tend to talk funny and act weird.

We went on a Sunday, the first weekend of the Festival. Came home after about 9 hours of sun, heat, dust, and a glut of people. It's a good way to spend a day. The artisan portion of the event is juried, and the quality of the goods is excellent - as it has always been. We made a few purchases (I got a diamond willow walking stick) and enjoyed some of the food items available. Many of the food items are just a little unusual, not the sort of thing you might fix at home and won't find in many restaurants.

Our time in Minnesota is rapidly coming to an end. In about 2 weeks we will be going back to Illinois. Stay tuned for more. Next week we're having a (family) yard sale, and then it's on to the Minnesota State fair.

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Another day in Saint Paul

We have discovered that no matter where you are there is way too much stuff to do and you can only do what you can do. Saint Paul is no exception. Too much stuff to do, and too little time. We pick and choose what we can do and then do it as weather and time permit.

Recently, we visited downtown Saint Paul, took in the Minnesota Museum of Science, the River Walk, and then had lunch at Mickey's diner. Mickey's has been a landmark since 1939, and not much has changed since then. I hadn't been in Mickey's for at least 15 years, and I can testify that nothing looks much different than it did then.

Enjoy the photos. Stay in touch.

Dave & Pat

It's Oshkosh, B'gosh!

A mere 4 days after returning to Saint Paul from the North Shore, we headed into Wisconsin to visit the Experimental Aircraft Association annual show, Airventure 2008. It was a multi-purpose trip. We needed to return Granddaughter Malwina to Roscoe, IL so her Dad could pick her up to take her home to Mascoutah (near St. Louis); from there we needed to pick up Grandson Dominic and return him to Saint Paul; and since we were going anyway, we took another Granddaughter, Meghan, on the round-trip with us.

The first day was dedicated to (mostly) travel, as Oshkosh is far enough from Saint Paul that by the time you get there the day is pretty well over. So we allowed time for a side-trip to Wisconsin Dells where we rode the Wisconsin Ducks. When I was a young man Wisconsin Dells was already a major tourist attraction. However, in those earlier years the emphasis was on nature, scenery, and the beauty of the area. Over time Wisconsin Dells and Lake Delton sort of melded together into one large community comprised of motels, water parks, gift shops, museums, and every sort of mechanical attraction known to civilization. Some people think it has become ugly. I guess that's in the eye of the beholder, because it's still the #1 tourist destination in Wisconsin, and after summer is over and autumn returns, Wisconsin Dells reverts to a quiet village of about 2200 population. Tourists have left enough money there during the summer to keep everything in local government solvent for the rest of the year. Tourism is not all bad. For all the glitz and plastic it's still a beautiful area and the water, forest and wildlife is still there for those who wish to view it. Riding the Ducks is an exercise in viewing the natural beauty of the Dells area.

The second day was dedicated to a full day at Airventure 2008, and what a full day it was. We easily could have spent the entire week there (and may do just that next year). One day is just not enough, but given the grandkid transportation thing we were doing it was all the time we could spare. Can't tell you how many visitors come to Oshkosh during Airventure week, but the total has to be in the 100's of thousands. All the highways in the vicinity are shut down and converted to all lanes in in the morning, and all lanes out in the afternoon. It's a major traffic snarl - and that's just on the ground. The airfield becomes the busiest airfield in the world for one week. You would have to see the number of airplanes on the ground and in the air to believe it. Whatever I might tell you would probably be considered a lie, you know, sort of like a big fish story. The sky is as busy as the highway. It's a unique situtation, and it only happens at Oshkosh, and only for one week a year.

We're back in Saint Paul, and will be here for the rest of the month. One of the weekend things we will be doing is the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. This festival has grown since its inception nearly 30 years ago. It has been a national draw for tourists for many years. The festival is held weekends in August, and the Labor Day w/e. It's a world-class event and is a good pattern for other areas to follow in planning their own festivals. Other than that, it's just life in the slow lane for us, one day at a time.

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Dave & Pat