When most roadside attraction-ites visit Bemidji, MN,  the obvious first stop is the legendary Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox set on the shores of Lake Bemidji.  And nearby the Paul & Babe statues are many more sculptures, including three separate Indians (one being a Muffler Man), a giant hockey player, and many other assorted pieces along Bemidji’s “Sculpture Walk” around the downtown area. But many often miss the Fireplace of States, inside the Tourist Information Center, only steps away from Paul Bunyan and Babe.
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If you’ve never heard of Solway, MN, you are probably not alone.  It’s not a big place; the population is just shy of 100. It’s more or less a small settlement located just west of Bemidji on Highway 2. There are a few random businesses like an auto garage and a bar, a few blocks of ordinary-looking houses, and that’s pretty much it.  But, like many quiet little towns in Minnesota, there is a curious secret hidden within.  Solway’s is a miniature village of stone structures that a local resident created right in his yard.

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I had visited the Glensheen Mansion as a youngster with my parents and had been wanting to go back for quite some time. I was afforded that opportunity to finally visit again in March 2014, which was much more fulfilling as an adult.  The mansion, set on the shores of scenic Lake Superior on the east side of Duluth, has an interesting past right out of a murder-mystery novel akin to the game “Clue.”  Aside from its dubious past, the mansion has been preserved down to the intricate details as to how it looked in the early 1900’s.
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Perched high up on a hill in beautiful Duluth, MN, stands an 80-ft tall, hexagonal-shaped bluestone observation tower that dates back to 1937.  Rising 531 feet above the surface of Lake Superior, visitors can climb the steps to the top and take in the stunning panoramic views of Lake Superior, Canal Park, and the surrounding hills of Duluth.

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