Otter Tail County

The year started with one of my favorite winter activities, Checkpoint Minnesota, a statewide scavenger hunt that was unfortunately in its last year, unknown to everyone. I’ll miss it, though I admit I never officially submitted my visits, because I enjoyed the motivation to get out and explore during the cold. We only made it to four of the 10 checkpoints during this year’s event, though we had been to two of the others in the last two years, and later in 2017 we coincidentally went to two more.

a woman in a purple coat standing next to a blue sign in front of a gray windmill

a woman in a purple coat with her arm as far around a large otter statue as it goes, behind a blue Checkpoint sign

a woman in a purple coat holding onto a blue Checkpoint sign, giving a thumbs-up sign with her other hand

March for Science Minnesota

I was out of town for the women’s march in January, so I made sure to be in attendance for the March for Science in St. Paul on Earth Day. The homemade signs were clever and inspiring, and I was happy to see so many people marching proudly. I had to leave the event early for a family wedding shower, so I didn’t get to see the rally at the capitol.

Old-school Dairy Queen in Moorhead

On an overnight trip to Fargo-Moorhead, I requested dessert at the “rogue” Dairy Queen, where they play by their own rules and serve a “heritage” menu of items that more modern restaurants don’t anymore. I had a Mr. Maltie frozen chocolate malt on a stick.

Highland water tower

This St. Paul water tower is open to the public twice a year, and we climbed it during Highland Fest in July. The tower was designed by Clarence Wigington and completed in 1928. It was retired from service only a couple months ago.

Lynx win their fourth championship

Two years ago, I wrote about the Lynx dynasty after Minnesota won its third championship. Now it’s four in seven years. I was fortunate to once again be on press row taking statistics for the deciding Game 5, this time at Williams Arena.

Roadside attractions

None of these were destinations themselves this year, but it’s always fun to come across one of these statues on a road trip.

: Pelican Pete in Pelican Rapids

: Lucette in Hackensack

: Polar bear in Winger

: Smiley the Ox in Nisswa

: Babe at Paul Bunyan Land

: World’s largest northern in Erskine

: Walleye in Garrison

: Blackduck

: Lion in McIntosh

: Babe at Cragun’s resort

: Paul Bunyan statue sitting on a stump and waving

Minnesota state parks and SNAs

At one point, we were trying to visit all of the state parks. While we’re technically still working on the parks passport, we haven’t added many new stamps over the last couple years. Instead, I’ve started visiting scientific and natural areas (SNAs) more frequently. So these two categories are combined into one.

: Lost 40 SNA

: Grey Cloud Dunes SNA

: Maplewood State Park

: William O’Brien State Park

: Hastings Sand Coulee SNA

: Blanket Flower Prairie SNA

: Lost Valley Prairie SNA

: William O’Brien State Park

Minnesota Historical Society sites

I decided that 2017 was the year to complete visiting all 26 MNHS sites. And I’m happy to say I did, finishing with a Christmas tour at the Mayo House in Le Sueur on Dec. 16! Counting places I’d been before, I made it to 18 sites this year.

: Alexander Ramsey House

: Mill City Museum / Pillsbury A Mill

: Minnehaha Depot

: Charles Lindbergh House and Museum

: Historic Fort Snelling at Bdote

: Historic Forestville

: Mille Lacs trading post

: Lower Sioux Agency

: Mayo House

: Sibley Historic Site

: North West Company Fur Post

: Minnesota History Center (WW1 America exhibit)

: Mille Lacs Indian Museum

: Forest History Center

: James J. Hill House

: Marine Mill

: Split Rock Lighthouse

: Comstock House

: Plaque on the Capitol Mall

: Birch Coulee Battlefield

: Minnesota State Capitol

First-time visits

Especially with the MNHS trips, we saw a lot of towns for the first time:

Hawley

Olivia

McGregor (which has an emu!)

Pequot Lakes, during a five-day family reunion

Redwood Falls, for a family wedding

Christmas tours

And, as has already been documented, I closed out the year with road trips to see Christmas lights, within about 2 hours of the metro.

2018 resolutions

In 2017, we crossed off several longstanding wish-list visits (Moorhead DQ, Maplewood State Park, Lost 40), so I need to add some new ideas.

I’d like to go back to Moorhead to see the Hjemkomst ship and the Hopperstad Stave Church. I’d also like to eat ice cream at the Peppermint Twist in Delano, visit the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, go biking near Lanesboro, take a ghost tour in Pipestone, see a water skiing show, watch a movie at a drive-in theater, go to the Northwest Angle.

New state parks on the list: Moose Lake, Great River Bluffs, and Glacial Lakes. I’d like to go back to Interstate for a pothole tour and see the bison again at Blue Mounds. And I’d like to see five new-to-me SNAs.

On our way out of Pelican Rapids on Sunday, we saw a sign that said Maplewood State Park was only six miles away. Even though the weather was gloomy and at times rainy and at times blustery, we jumped at the chance to see this park during its peak season.

I loved seeing all the signs marking restored prairies planted in 2011, 2009, 2002, and 1999.

Our original plan was to simply take drive through the park on Park Drive. But when we saw the sign for the Hallaway Hill overlook, we parked the car and headed up the former ski hill. It’s only a 196-foot vertical climb, but the last part especially gets the blood pumping.

At the top we learned that this park has a wealth of geological features: lakes, an island, kames, kettles, moraines, eskers, and even goat prairies (areas on the hillside that were thought to be too steep for anything but goats). Nice views of the woods and Lake Lida, even on a cloudy day.