I love driving through small-town Minnesota in December, seeing all the vintage Christmas lights. One Saturday in 2014 we drove up Old 61 to Duluth, stopping in every town along the way. Out-of-order, here’s what we saw.
Rudolph in Hinckley.
Dala horse in Cloquet.
Festive dinosaur on the playground in Mahtowa.
A stocking in Rutledge.
A couple candles in Sandstone.
A bell in Sturgeon Lake.
Curb-to-curb garland in Pine City.
Starburst in Barnum.
Light poles wrapped in garland in Carlton.
Wreaths are a popular choice on Minnesota main streets. Finlayson, North Branch, and Pine City have the same style.
Harris, Rush City, and Moose Lake have other styles of wreaths.
We finished the adventure at Bentleyville in Duluth.
The Lift Bridge in lights:
Paul and Babe:
And, perhaps in a nod to Mahtowa, dinosaurs:
A couple other favorites from the season, though not from this trip:
Folsom House in Taylors Falls, with each room decorated for Christmas by a local business.
A wreath again in Scandia.
Rice Park in downtown St. Paul.
These photos were retroactively posted on Dec. 1, 2015. I don’t know why I didn’t create this post in 2014; perhaps it’s because I recorded it all on Instagram instead.
87 Counties 