Rockmen at Goverment Plaza, Minneapolis, MN

In front of the U.S. District Courthouse in Minnesota’s largest city, you will find a very unique setting. This ‘courtyard’ of sorts is actually a 50,000 square foot plaza featuring grass mounds planted with small pine trees – an oasis of sorts in a concrete jungle.  While downtown Minneapolis certainly has its charm, this little slice of green islands also features something more curious – the “Rockmen.”

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Treasure City, Royalton, MN


A sacred tradition for Minnesotans each summer is going up to the lake for the weekend, especially those landlocked in the concrete jungle of the Twin Cities.  Considering Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes, just about everyone has special memories of spending a summer weekend on the water. One of the most common arteries up to this gateway to paradise is U.S. Highway 10.  And just past St. Cloud on your way northbound, is the legendary tourist trap Treasure City.

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Happy Chefs of Minnesota

Once a thriving restaurant chain in Minnesota and neighboring states, the Happy Chef was born in 1962 in Mankato, MN.  At its peak, there were 56 of these eateries mostly in Minnesota and 6 other states,  and most of them featured the eponymous Happy Chef perched right outside.  Many of these iconic statues even had a voicebox that would spout off greetings at the push of a button located on the base of the structure.

So what happened to the once-popular franchise, and more importantly, its beloved statues that greeted hungry families out front? Let’s find out! Continue reading

World’s Largest Hockey Stick & Puck, Eveleth, MN

Minnesota is hockey country, no question about that.  There are over 200 past and present NHL players from here, and the University of MN (Minneapolis and Duluth) have produced dozens of pros as well over the years.  And the further North you go, the more prevalent hockey is.  Moorhead, Thief River Falls, Roseau, Warroad, Virginia, Eveleth, and plenty of other towns have long been associated with the sport, given the cold weather climate.

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