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Old 06-06-2010, 03:36 PM   #1
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Hi, its me suger, well I've learned so much from all you handy types in repairs and mods, I am now looking for info for a trip.
My husband, Adrian, has some memoiries of a camping trip as a youth, seeing the large statue of Paul Bunyon and Babe, in Minnisota. Hence the trip in our 13' Scamp. Then he stated he would like to see the Spam museum, and now some big fish thing. I have named the trip, "All things tacky".
I was also hoping to do a float trip in the boundry waters, and travel to that little part of the states you have to travel thru Canada to get to.
I am wondering if any of the members have any camp grounds or sites we should make part of the trip? Or any thing to avoid? And if we should be members of some type of club to get a discount? We are both very much interested in history, and how the rest of the states live, the best kept secrets of a state, no tourist traps, we live in tenn, the Smokies park is cool, but Dollywood is a place we attended once and were done.
Any info would be great, maybe we could meet some one? Looks like this trip is early September, unless advised otherwise
Thanks, Suger
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Old 06-06-2010, 05:57 PM   #2
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If your husband wants to revisit the talking Paul Bunyan from Paul Bunyanland in Brainerd, the whole shebang, including petting zoo and rides, has moved east of town. (As you entered the gate, the ticket seller asked the names of the children in the party. As they walked in, giant Paul said, "Hello, Katie! Hello, Jonny!" Of course, they were only amazed until a certain age....

As a Minnesota native, it is with some chagrin that I suggest you look for a book titled something like "Oddball Minnesota: Strange Tourist ...." I don't remember the exact title, but you'll find plenty to write about and make Kodak moments in there. The big fish place... well, how many are there? Closest to the Twin Cities is the big walleye statue on the shore of Mille Lacs Lake, near Garrison, MN. Maybe that's what he remembers. Good for a photo or two.

The Spam Museum in Austin is (relatively) new, and I haven't visited, even though I like fried spam (no thank you to the typical raisin sauce....).

You'll find plenty more... giant ball of string, ear of corn, giant teapot... and even better, you'll find beautiful little towns with even more beautiful names (Grand Meadow, Blooming Prairie, Spring Valley, Grand Marais...), and many friendly, interesting people to visit with, and more lakes than you can stick your toe in.

Membership? Stop at the very first state campground, enjoy it, and buy an annual pass to stick in your front window. You'll save some money, and support the state system. Enjoy.
Sherry

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Old 06-06-2010, 06:32 PM   #3
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One of my favorite campgrounds in Minnesota is Lake Itasca State Park, closet city is probably Bemidji. Headwaters of the Mississippi River, the lake and surounding forest contain much virgin timber. Nice hiking and one of the best habitats to see the Minnesota state bird. I will let you in on a nasty secret, the Minnesota state bird is the mosquito.
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Old 06-06-2010, 07:47 PM   #4
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I will let you in on a nasty secret, the Minnesota state bird is the mosquito.
So true.
Seriously, Minnesota has a wonderful state park system, and you'll find COE and national parks too.

If you have the time to travel west, don't miss Fargo/Moorhead area. There is a wonderful little Norwegian museum, with a Viking ship replica built by one man, whose children sailed it to Norway after his death. Also, a stave church replica built with love primarily by another amazing woodworker. (Stave churches in Norway date back to Viking times, built like an upside down boat, amazing carvings and workmanship, only a dozen or so originals have survived.)

One of my favorite state parks is Gooseberry Falls. Just a little further north, you can tour Split Rock Lighthouse, and learn how treacherous Great Lakes transport once was.
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Old 06-07-2010, 07:00 AM   #5
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"All Things Tacky!" Love travel with a theme. My son (when he was 10) and I once took a motorcycle/sidecar(fiberglass) trip for 3 days...a "Toss the Coin" trip. Whenever we came to a railroad crossing, we flipped a coin to see if we took the next road right or left. The only deviation from the plan was seeking any waterfall along the way. Spent several hours lounging in pools formed by a wonderful waterfall hidden somewhere in the Quetico. Lesson learned was enjoying life and the journey without a travel plan. What great fun!
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Old 06-07-2010, 05:17 PM   #6
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"All Things Tacky!" Love travel with a theme. My son (when he was 10) and I once took a motorcycle/sidecar(fiberglass) trip for 3 days...a "Toss the Coin" trip. Whenever we came to a railroad crossing, we flipped a coin to see if we took the next road right or left. The only deviation from the plan was seeking any waterfall along the way. Spent several hours lounging in pools formed by a wonderful waterfall hidden somewhere in the Quetico. Lesson learned was enjoying life and the journey without a travel plan. What great fun!
thanks for the tips everybody, places noted and being located on the map. and by the way, BUGS? any particular time or season to avoid?
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Old 06-07-2010, 05:30 PM   #7
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Suger,
Everything is big in Minnesota... the sky, the prairie, the lakes... and the mosquitoes.
Make sure you carry a good repellant... I like Cutter's "woodsman" type stuff, and wear a lot of thin, long pants and long-sleeved shirts in the summer evenings. Thickest clouds are dusk till superdark, then they abate a little, and a campfire is good if you want to be outside in the woods in the evening. Daytime, unless you're in wet woods, usually isn't so bad, and not much of a problem in "civilized" areas (mowed areas, non-marshy, or town...).

We're leaving soon for the Brainerd lakes district. Last year was a chilly summer, so the mosquito population wasn't as active. I'll send you a bug report in a few weeks, if you like. One of my nieces and her fiance are getting married later this month (where else!) in a state park, by the river.

We've enjoyed camping in your great state of Tennessee many times, and I hope you'll enjoy camping in my childhood home, as well. Have a great trip!
Sherry
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Old 06-07-2010, 05:36 PM   #8
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One more thing, if you want to see the Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul), you'd do best to camp in the small towns just south, or perhaps in Savage at Town and Country, and drive in. We've not stayed there, but friends have given it two thumbs up, and Savage is close to Mall of America, the zoo, downtown, the capitol, etc., etc. There's always a festival going on somewhere in the summer, in one small town or another, so pick up the papers or tune in the radio as you travel to catch a street dance, parade of tractors, local crafts, farmers market, etc.
Sherry
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Old 06-07-2010, 09:27 PM   #9
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Don't forget a trip to the motherland, Backus, birthplace of your Scamp! It's right on the Paul Bunyan rail trail, & the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway. Paul Bunyan's footprints, Paul Bunyan's boots, & Paul Bunyan's baby shoes should meet your standard of tackiness. Don't miss Colonel Cobber!
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Old 06-08-2010, 05:08 AM   #10
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I, TOO, would love to do a **tacky tour** - places like "The World's Largest Ball of Twine!!" THAT would be a dream trip!!

I believe there are books on the wild and wacky roadside America attractions.
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Old 06-08-2010, 12:23 PM   #11
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Hi Sugar,

Labor Day Weekend there is an awesome threshing show just 1/2 hour north of us. The event is located on a permanent site so there are buildings for engines, a sawmill, blacksmith, newspaper, bar, etc. There's a tractor parade every day and flea market and craft vendors. I think there is camping on site, but that might just be for exhibitors.

We're also close to Mille Lacs Lake -- a must see/do. A Big Fish statue photo opp is there to add to your album.

There's nothing famously "tacky" right here, but we're close to a lot of things so if you'd like to fill your tank with clean and tasty well water and/or park your rig here for a night as a stop-over on your way to bigger and better things you're more than welcome. Just PM me and we can exchange phone numbers, location, dates, etc.

Darnelle
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Old 06-08-2010, 12:57 PM   #12
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Hi Sugar,

Labor Day Weekend there is an awesome threshing show just 1/2 hour north of us. The event is located on a permanent site so there are buildings for engines, a sawmill, blacksmith, newspaper, bar, etc. There's a tractor parade every day and flea market and craft vendors. I think there is camping on site, but that might just be for exhibitors.

We're also close to Mille Lacs Lake -- a must see/do. A Big Fish statue photo opp is there to add to your album.

There's nothing famously "tacky" right here, but we're close to a lot of things so if you'd like to fill your tank with clean and tasty well water and/or park your rig here for a night as a stop-over on your way to bigger and better things you're more than welcome. Just PM me and we can exchange phone numbers, location, dates, etc.

Darnelle

Thanks Miss Darnelle, for the invite and the scoop on the treshing machine show/demostration. Like all farmers, Adrian and myself love looking at what most people think has "old junk". A friend of ours , who turned us on to these scamps (Bill & Julie), he restores Hit-n-Miss engines of the oil fields. They are from western PA and may joins us on this tour. Another old machine junkie.
Where is the Col. Cobber located? And why did the town put this up?

Thi s tacky tour could take a while it looks like.
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Old 06-08-2010, 06:16 PM   #13
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Colonel Cobber is in beautiful downtown Backus. Here's a link, you can even get the T shirt
http://www.backusmn.com/corn_fest.htm

We were in Backus mid March, would love to see it in the summer.

ENJOY!!
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Old 06-08-2010, 10:46 PM   #14
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I can not help you with any of those tacky things on your list, but here is what we found in MN.
No state tax on clothing and shoes in MN.

Campin' near Mall of America ** Twin Cities ***MN Lake Superior

If you get a chance to go to the Fargo area, there is a neat "Viking Museum" in Moorehead, MN: Hjemkomst Center

Maybe you will be up there for the State Fair, my daughter liked going to it. http://www.mnstatefair.org/
More things deep fried there than one could hope to find. Ha!

Carousel in Saint Paul
1914 Cafesjian's Carousel at Como Park. Worth going to for sure if in the area. http://www.ourfaircarousel.org/history.html

http://www.comozooconservatory.org/como_pa.../carousel.shtml

Location...Cafesjian's Carousel is in St. Paul's Como Park, just south of the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory and a few steps from the entrance to the conservatory and the zoo.

We enjoyed seeing the locks on the Mississippi River in Minneapolis
http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/navigation/d....asp?pageid=145
Espc. http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/navigation/d...p;subpageid=144
And This one is the ONE: http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/navigation/d...p;subpageid=145

For an experience of a life time:
http://www.cabelas.com/rogers-minnesota-store.shtml

or http://www.cabelas.com/owatonna-minnesota-store.shtml
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Old 06-09-2010, 05:31 PM   #15
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The 2 MUST use website for the tacky tour:

http://www.wlra.us/

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/


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Old 08-12-2010, 09:42 PM   #16
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Canadian Tacky

I thought of you when I went to the post office the other day and saw this new stamp collection.
Hope you see some amazing things on your tour.
Bridget
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Old 08-13-2010, 04:59 AM   #17
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Originally Posted by Bridget T View Post
I thought of you when I went to the post office the other day and saw this new stamp collection.
Hope you see some amazing things on your tour.
Bridget
Thanks brigett, just going will be great for me, I was going to take some pic,s and make notes about where we stayed, will have to learn where to post, I know about the forum for camp grounds but where do you post on "stuff" --- chat?
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Old 08-25-2010, 07:13 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by Ellen B View Post
Colonel Cobber is in beautiful downtown Backus. Here's a link, you can even get the T shirt
Corn Fest

We were in Backus mid March, would love to see it in the summer.

ENJOY!!
Obviously we missed downtown Backus both times we were there.
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Old 08-25-2010, 07:49 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by sugermc View Post
Thanks brigett, just going will be great for me, I was going to take some pic,s and make notes about where we stayed, will have to learn where to post, I know about the forum for camp grounds but where do you post on "stuff" --- chat?
Or you could start a blog and provide a link...
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Old 08-26-2010, 07:54 AM   #20
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Took this picture of a local information booth at a lunch stop outside of a town called "Gladstone".
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