GREAT LAKES OF NORTH AMERICA
take you back to 1827, when this Lindbergh. In 1927, ‘Lucky
The futuristic Walker
Art Center
was a real frontier outpost. Lindy’ fl ew solo from New York
Minneapolis provides a to Paris in the Spirit of St Louis,
contrast, with its glass and steel a single-engine plane. Good-
skyscrapers. The ‘fi rst city of the looking as well as
West’ was originally a milltown, brave, he was an
thanks to Saint Anthony Falls, instant superstar;
DON’T MISS
ge
the only major waterfall on the visit his home to
Min
nes
ota
bo
ast
s a
ra
n
Mississippi. Their power made learn that he did not
of ‘
mu
st s
ee’
att
rac
tio
ns.

Minneapolis the fl our-mill capital of enjoy school – but he
These include:
A,
the world from 1880 to 1930, and did like to tinker with
● MALL OF AMERIC
General Mills’ HQ is still in the city. machines!
Blo
om
ing
ton
: T
he
lar
ges
t sh
opp
ing
and
en
ter
tai
nm
ent
co
mp
lex
in
the
US

Barges still ply the river, although Worth an hour’s
offers some 520 stores, 50 restaurants
now they carry coal, gravel or salt detour for literature
and
att
rac
tio
ns
like
th
e a
ma
zin
g
ark.

rather than grain. fans is Sauk Centre,
Nick
elodeon Universe Amusement P
First stop outside the cities is home of America’s fi rst
An
d t
her
e’s
no
tax
on
clo
thi
ng
or
sho
es
home that is now a museum.
in M
inn
eso
ta!
in Rogers for the Ellingson Car Nobel Prize winner. Yet, Every June, fans join in the
Museum, whose 100-strong in 1920, locals reviled
● MINNESOT
A ZOO
, A
ppl
e V
alle
y: o
ne
annual festival to celebrate Miss
of A
me
rica
’s fi
ne
st z
oos
, w
ith
2,4
00
collection ranges from trucks and Sinclair Lewis for his
ani
ma
ls i
n r
eal
isti
c e
nvi
ron
me
nts
,
Showbiz. The town got its name
motorbikes of the early 1920s to novel Main Street, an
including the fabulous new bear exhibit,
from the 2-mile long rapids
the muscle cars of the 60s and 70s. exposé of small town life.
Ru
ssi
a’s
Gr
izz
ly C
oas
t.
,
that still power paper-mills
Then it is on to Little Now you can explore the
AN BEAR CENTER
● NORTH AMERIC
providing newsprint for Time
Falls, the home of Charles A small museum that was E
ly:
you
sh
oul
d c
ert
ain
ly v
isit
th
is b
ran
d

and Newsweek magazines.
new interpretive centre with its focus
All is explained at the nearby
on
bla
ck
bea
rs.
Ely
is
als
o h
om
e to
th
e
.
Paul Bunyan
Forest History Center, where
and ‘Babe’
INTERNA
TIONAL WOLF CENTER
: A
lon
g w
ith
costumed interpreters take you
● WALKER ART CENTER
the
Mi
nne
apo
lis
Scu
lpt
ure
Ga
rde
n, t
he
back to the 1900s.
Walk
er features a world-class collection The ‘First City on the
ma
kin
g it
on
e o
f A
me
rica
’s m
ost
-vis
ited

Mississippi’ is Bemidji,
galleries, with the famous 52ft long
y sculpture.
home of a true American
Spoonbridge and Cherr
visit
hero. Assisted by Babe, his
● SUPER SHOPPING:
blue ox, lumberjack Paul
Alb
ert
vill
e P
rem
ium
Ou
tlet
s, w
ith
10
0
th-
designer and name-brand outlets, nor
Bunyan was ‘stronger than
inf
o fr
om
we
st o
f M
inn
eap
olis
. M
ore
tville Goliath and Hercules,’ and
www
.premiumoutlets.com/alber
their towering statues are
a perfect photo op. Lake
his boyhood home and walk Bemidji, one of more than
down Sinclair Lewis Avenue – 11,000 lakes in the state, is
the original Main Street. popular for fi shing and boating,
Back on the Mississippi is while the surrounding pine
Brainerd. Short-changed forest is perfect for walking.
in the 1997 movie As for walking – why
Fargo, the town is not walk across the
better known for its Mississippi? If you
great golf courses, do, you will have a
several designed by long life, according
Arnold Palmer and to Indian legend.
Robert Trent Jones Jr. Itasca State Park,
Judy Garland sang 40 miles from Bemidji,
about being born in is the source of Ol’
a ‘trunk in Pocatello, Man River. At the
Idaho’. But, Frances head of Lake Itasca,
Ethel Gumm (her real water gurgles out in
name) was actually a stream about seven
born in Grand strides wide. Hop from
Rapids. Her dad rock to rock to make
ran the vaudeville the legend come true.
theatre; ‘Baby Then, fi nd out more
Gumm’ rehearsed about the waterway at
at her white wooden the visitor centre.
18 www.greatlakesnorthamerica.co.uk
GL09 pp17-19 Minnesota.indd 18 29/9/08 17:13:14
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