How do you link bundt cakes to grain elevators to a downtown park to a horse fountain to Lake Minnetonka to golf AND baseball? Read on to find out!
All in Explore
Peavey Plazas, Parks, and Park Avenues
In previous posts, I introduced you to the history of the Bundt Cake pan and Nordic Ware. The landmark grain silo on the Nordic Ware campus (the Peavey-Haglin Experimental Grain Elevator) led us to the Peavey family. I left you with the question: “Why does that name sound so familiar?
A History of Big Bundts
Growing up in Iowa, I’ve had my fair share of Bundt cakes. My mom also used her Bundt pan to bake pull-apart “monkey bread”. In high school, when we performed the annual Madrigal Dinner, the not-so-historically accurate Figgy Pudding was suspiciously Bundt-shaped (even with a flaming cup full of sterno filling the center hole). The fruitcake was also suspiciously sterno-flavored after being carried by distracted teenagers trying to walk, sing, and carry an open flame at the same time. I didn’t know that the Bundt was born in Minnesota! Or was it?
The Goodest Boy of Linden Hills
Today there are more than 10,000 guide dogs working in the United States. It’s really moving to think how far we’ve come in assisting people with disabilities to live normal, active lives (although we certainly can do more). Did you know that the first guide dog in the United States lived on the shores of Lake Harriet? Let me tell you more!
Can a Rock Be Racist?
Can a rock be racist? A neighborhood group brought my attention to a memorial on the shores of Bde Maka Ska. Is it just inaccurate, outdated, or flat out racist?
The Myth of Nina's Coffee Cafe
Nina Clifford was a notorious Saint Paul madame. Today, there’s a coffee shop named after her. Is it her old brothel? Did the brothel have a secret tunnel? Lets find out!
If You Love Lilacs
Lilacs only bloom for a few weeks in the spring, make sure you don’t miss your chance to enjoy them at one of these Minnesota locales.
Capital of MN: Pig's Eye
The saintly-named capital of Minnesota was the work of marketing gurus ahead of their time. Without their religious rebranding, the state would have had a much more scandalous capital city: Pig’s Eye.
There's More to Pike Island
Where is Pike Island and who is it named after? Why is it an important part of Minnesota history? Was it the site of a concentration camp? Let’s explore and find out.