The answer always varies from person to person and critic to critic, but the question is constant and never-ending.  Who makes the best burger around these parts?  Depending on your idea of a good burger, many purists point out everything from what style of meat is used, the type of cheese, toppings added, griddled vs. open flame,  and bun consistency. With endless options, you’ll never really get the right answer until you try them out yourself. Continue reading →

I’ve always loved Owatonna and its charming little downtown area.  Located south of the Twin Cities about an hour, the county seat of Steele County has a population of about 25,000.  At the heart of the city, near a picturesque town square with fountains and a bandshell, seated directly across from the historic courthouse, is one of the most impressive bank buildings in the state. Continue reading →

On a recent trip to Minnesota’s Northwest Angle, my brother-in-law and I had traveled from his home in Baudette over through Warroad and across the border to the Angle.  And while passing back through Warroad on the trip home, he recommended that we stop at something called “The Shed,” knowing my propensity for exploring hidden gems. Continue reading →

 An icon of not only Baudette, but Lake of the Woods and Minnesota in general, a roadside attraction known as “Willie Walleye,” was demolished in early July of 2018.  He had been around since 1959, standing on a corner of town on the shores of the Baudette River, just a stone’s throw from the confluence of the Rainy River at the Canadian Border.  The original was built of iron rebar and concrete and was an obligatory photo op for thousands of tourists each summer.  Without much warning, down he came. Continue reading →

One of the most puzzling and curious pieces of land in the contiguous United States of America is a remote, 600-square mile region of Minnesota that, if you are driving a car, is only accessible by first going through Canada. (Boats and planes can cross Lake of the Woods).  It’s remote, isolated, and beautiful.  And it’s the only place in the Lower 48 that is north of the 49th parallel. Continue reading →