Letters From the Loony Bin

Welcome to Minnesota.....

The North Star State, The Gopher State and Land of 10,000 Lakes!

Minnesota was once part of the Minnesota Territory which was formed in 1849. It was admitted into the union on May 11, 1858 as it's 32nd state. The word Minnesota originated from the Dakota Sioux, it's meaning is "sky-tinted water."

Commonly known as the Land of 10,000 lakes, Minnesota boasts more the 90,000 miles of shoreline; more than California, Florida and Hawaii combined. Lakes are widely used by residents as summer recreational areas. One such recreation area is Itasca State Park, located in northern Minnesota. It is the headwaters of the mighty Mississippi River.

The official state bird is the common loon, a bird that is graceful and whose call is hauntingly enchanting.

Minnesota is the birthplace of the snowmobile. Northern Minnesota is home to two of the major snowmobile manufacturers in the Nation. Roseau, Minnesota is home to Polaris Industries and Arctic Cat resides in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. Both companies manufacture snowmobiles (or snowcats as us northerners say), ATVs and other recreational vehicles.

My Grandpa still rides one of Arctic Cat's first snowcats while my Uncle Rick rides beside him on a much more modern machine. This antique is still in running condition with it's original engine!

Minnesota's climate is one of extremes. Winter temperatures often dip below freezing with a record low of -60 °. Alternatively, summer temperatures can be rather sauna like at 90° with humidity nearing 100%.

Winter snowfall can total upwards of 150 inches. Over Christmas this winter, we were pummeled with 27.5 inches of snow in a two day period.

This massive amount of snow has caused severe flooding in recent years. In 1997 our fair city of East Grand Forks was completely inundated by the Red River of the North. It was the most severe flood since 1826.

After the river crested at 54 feet, 26 feet above flood stage, and the water receded, a wake of $3.5 billion in damages was left behind. 1000s lost homes, but thankfully not one life was lost. Through all of this, our community has rebuilt and been reborn.

Our community of East Grand Forks, Minnesota sits on the border of Minnesota and North Dakota in northern Minnesota. EGF's population is only 8,355, but with our sister city across the border, the entire metro area hosts a population of 97,478.

Thanks for taking my tour of Minnesota and my community! We love it here! Also, thank you to Carabee from Blogtrotting for choosing my as your tour guide for today!