Stories about the people, places, and events along the Mississippi River.
Minnesota If don’t remember the shape of the State of Minnesota, glance at the map I posted and look at the very top. You’ll notice a small part, roughly in the shape of a chimney or a partly smashed top hat, that extends farther north than the rest of Minnesota, which is
The average family vacation cost around $1600 in 2010 according to AAA and Money Magazine. If you are planning on driving for your vacation, how will the rising cost of gasoline hurt your plans? Here’s some math for ya: If you drive a vehicle that averages 20 miles per gallon, an increase in the price
I don’t know if Ole T. Westby was a fan of ski jumping, but the small city with a big Norwegian heritage named after him sure is. In February 1923, just three years after Westby incorporated as a city, its first ski jump competition caught some air. A novelty at the time, the event drew
It was a Monday night in January, and I was heading to Bemidji City Park to check out broomball at the outdoor rink. I had not entirely convinced myself that this is how I wanted to spend my time, because: a) it’s freaking cold outside (around 10°F); and b) I have a cold. But, I haven’t played broomball since high school and feel like I need a broomball refresher course, so I can include it in a piece I want to write about the joy that is winter in northern Minnesota. When I noticed that the curling arena next to the rink was busy, however, I was handed the excuse I needed to change my plans and went inside to investigate.
Camping at Nelson Dewey State Park I’ve had two chances to camp this summer at Nelson Dewey State Park near Cassville, Wisconsin, the park that is named for Wisconsin’s first governor. Dewey was a remarkable man. He gave up a cushy gig in the family lawyering business to go west, became rich through
Dubuque’s capitalists struck it rich and poured money into extravagant buildings to prove their worth. Fortunately for us, many of those buildings are still around, including four churches that would be treasures in a city much larger than modest Dubuque.
