Oddball Minnesota: A Guide to Some Really Strange Places

by Jerome Pohlen

Land of the world’s largest prairie chicken, birthplace of Spam, and home of the world’s oldest rock, this is Minnesota, where summers are short, winters are long, and back-road wonders abound. This entertaining guide wastes no time with descriptions of scenic lakes, pristine bike trails, or quaint cafés. Instead it directs travelers (and residents) to the spot where Tiny Tim strummed his last notes on the ukulele; to the Cold Spring chapel where two grasshoppers bow down to the Virgin Mary; and to the McLeod County Museum, where the mummy on display could be from Peru or outer space. While ordinary tourists are fighting off mosquitoes in the Boundary Waters, oddball travelers can size up the world’s largest ear of corn and admire the fourth Zamboni ever built. And one last there aren’t 10,000 lakes in Minnesota; there are 14,215. For travelers who are in search of the unusual, there is no better reason to park the bike and hiking boots in the garage, fill up the gas tank, and hit the road to Minnesota, where weirdness awaits.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel

244 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Stephanie Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Casually written with a folksy tone, a welcome book to show off the land of midwest weird. We're recent transplants to the area and I carefully marked many of these places on Google Maps. I doubt we'll make a special drive to any of them, but if we're passing by, who doesn't like a giant statue of some person or animal?

[Astrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oddball is right. Interesting book to read for vacations.

[Jeff J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read but needs updating.

[Rick Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've only been in MN a couple of times, but I am a fan of local oddities and roadside attractions, so a book like this always makes for a fun read.

So many Paul Bunyan statues! Who knew?

This delivers pretty much exactly what it promises. There are some ideas for sights to see, some interesting local history, and some oddball MN trivia.

The tone can be a bit uneven in places, shifting rapidly from quirky sculptures to accounts of infamous and gruesome crimes.

But all in all, this was an entertaining read, and it will come with me if I'm heading back to MN at some point.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was mainly just useless trivia about MN and it's love for giant roadside statues. It was a fun read and I did learn quite a few little tidbits about my home state. I would recommend for some very light reading.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super funny, now I want to read the whole series!

[Jane Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book--we keep making road trips to find more of these sites.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I shall have more to say after a visit to the "Spam Museum" in Austin, MN!