10/30/2010 Fargo Halloween BOO-Galoo Parade

On October 30, 2010, My family was in downtown Fargo, ND for the 2nd Annual Halloween BOO-Gaboo Parade.  While it was a little chilly, there were lots of families and people out watching the parade and getting a head-start on collecting candy!  I dressed as Ariel from Disney's "The Little Mermaid," and brought some of my sisters along for the ride!  Bralynne dressed as Belle from "Beauty and the Beast;"  Brynn was Cinderella from "Cinderella;"  and Brenna was Snow White from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."  We all had a great time waving to the crowd.  I was fortunate to have two of my brothers, Brett and Brayden, follow behind us handing out my platform brochures, encouraging teens to "Explore Your Backyard:  Visit Your Minnesota State Parks and Trails." 

Once again, I'd like to thank our good friends at Muscatell for lining up another great truck for us!

Maplewood State Park

Maplewood State Park is a naturalist's paradise!  The park has about 25 miles of hiking trails and if you are quiet, you can spot lots of wildlife.  The park boasts over 150 species of birds and well over 50 species of mammals.  For those not so inclined to hike the trails, the park also has a beautiful scenic drive.  On this trip my family stopped for a short visit after a piano ensemble festival in Detroit Lakes and on our way to Fargo so we didn't venture out on the trails, instead, electing the drive.  However, from past experience, I can say the wildlife here is worth the hike, plus, there are many kinds of trees, from red cedar, sugar maples, dogwood, oaks, and tamaracks.  A visit in the fall will result in an amazing palette of color!

 
On this trip, you will also see snow in the pictures.  We had a little snowball fight in the park because, believe it or not, we did not have snow further north where we live.  See all the fun you can have at Maplewood State Park?  Come try it out for yourself!

Upper Sioux Agency State Park

Upper Sioux Agency is a somber place.  This area used to be known sa Yellow Medicine Agency.  It was created as part of the Treaty of Traverse Des Sioux of 1851.  The treaty moved the Dakota Indians from parts of Minnesota and Iowa to this area, which was a reservation about 20 miles wide and followed along the Minnesota River Valley from Big Stone Lake (northwest) to Fort Ridgely (southeast). The Yellow Medicine Agency was established to administer the terms of the treaty.  It was widely thought by the Dakota that the Agency was not following the terms of the treaty very fairly and in 1862, the Dakota began a conflict known as the Sioux Uprising.  In the summer of 1862, the Yellow Medicine Agency was destroyed during this conflict.  The park was built to preserve the historic agency, good and bad, and to provide recreational opportunities in the Minnesota River Valley.  While we were there we got up close and personal with several deer, including a 10 point buck, that decided to explore us.  The came very close to us while hiking and even came close to our van!  We toured around the old Agency building.  The campsite is very cool, too.  It boasts a remote campsite including two rentable Tee-Pees.  What a unique experience!  We are going to return to camp in the Tee-Pees!

Fort Ridgely State Park

Fort Ridgely State Park is part of Minnesota's history and the Indian Wars of 1862.  It starts with the building of Fort Ridgely from 1853-1855.  The Fort housed 300+ soldiers and civilians and was located on the edge of the Dakota indian reservation.  During the 1850s and early 1860s The United States government made several treaties with the Dakota and the Indian Agents repeatedly made late and unfair payments required by the treaties;  the result was many Dakota starving and angry.  In 1862 the Dakota chose to attack the settlers in the area to push them out of their native lands.  They also attacked the Fort.  Several soldiers were killed and over the next few months, as many as 800 civilians were killed.  By December 1862, the US Army had taken control and forced the Dakota out of Minnesota.  The US Government negated the treaties and ultimately, sentanced 38 Dakota to death by hanging.  The hanging occurred on December 26, 1862 in a public execution in Mankato.  This remains the largest public execution in American history.  Another notable result from this execution is that it was commonplace during that time to take bodies of those executed and use them for medical study.  One of the bodies ended up with Dr. William Mayo, a founder of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.  A visit to this park is worth the effort to learn about this vital, pivotal, and contoversial piece of Minnesota history.  You will leave the park feeling very somber, but more informed.

Flandrau State Park

 

Flandrau State Park, located in New Ulm, MN, sits in the Big Cottonwood River valley and was originally named Cottonwood River State Park.  The area was formed by glaciers melting and the resulting runoff cutting through the rocks.  In the case of this park, that run off cut through over 150 feet of rock!  Thats a lot of water runoff!  To try to fathom how much water and time this would take, let me suggest a little experiment-  ask your parents if they have a circulating pump, like a submersible sump pump.  Together with your parents, fill a 30 gallon garbage can with about 5 gallons of water.  Put a large rock in there so that the rock is above the water line.  Set the submersible pump at the bottom and run the hose up the side of the garbage can and direct the flow from the hose right over the rock.  See how long it takes to disolve the rock.  Hint-  it takes a really, really, really, really, really long time!  That should give you somewhat of an idea how long it took to wear down 150 feet of rock.  I'd suggest that after a few hours of pumping water over the rock, which won't likely disolve any noticeable amount at all, should be enough to get an idea of how long it would take.  Make sure to shut off your pump!

When I visited the park I learned that it was the site of a Work Projects Administration (WPA) work camp in the 1930s and 1940s. There are several park buildings remaining today that show the achitecture that they used.  Simple but stunning.  During the 40s and World War II, the same camp was used as a German POW camp. I also learned that the park was renamed Flandrau by the state of Minnesota on March 15, 1945, to honor Charles E. Flandrau. He helped to draft the Minnesota constitution and was a member of the first Minnesota Supreme Court. Lots of history and beauty in this park.  Take the time to come check it out for yourself!  Did I mention the man-made swimming beach and the scenic campground?

Minneopa State Park

 Minneopa State Park is Minnesota's third state park.  In 1905 the State set aside this area near Mankato Minneopa for public use, thus establishing Minneopa State Park. The beauty and splendor of this area was well known and thousands of tourists came on the raiload to Minneopa. The small town had sprung up around a rail depot in 1870. More tourists came by steam powered paddle boat up the Minnesota River and then walked to the falls. Local people came from miles around by wagon to relax with their families.  The word "minneopa" means "water falling twice" in the Dakota language and what all these tourists came to see was a beautiful series of water falls gently flowing through the town.  Tradesmen also came for the Seppmann mill, which was completed in 1864 and could grind as much as 150 bushels of wheat into flour, daily.  Droughts in the 1870s brought three consecutive grasshopper plagues which pretty much wiped out the area crops and brought about the end of the little town of Minneopa.  The depot did continue for a while, to serve tourists that kept coming for the falls and family recreation, but soon ceased to exist.  Today, you can still enjoy the picnic area next to the falls like the park's other visitors have for almost two hundred years.  There are lots of hiking opportunities, which I enjoyed, and of course, a modern eco-tourism activity, Geo-caching, is tons of fun here, too!  Get on the train or hitch your wagon up and head on out to Minneopa State Park!

Nerstrand Big Woods State Park

Nerstrand Big Woods State Park is nothing short of amazing.  Settlers to the area discovered it around 1854.  This park is loaded full of Sugar maples, aspen, elm, hickory, oak, basswood, ash, and more.  I couldn't help but think how beautiful the fall colors would have been a mere two weeks before I was there.  The canopy of leaves from this variety of trees would have been chock full of oranges, reds, purples, yellow, tans, and more!  For those that come here in the Spring and Summer, the park is well known for over 200 varieties of wildflowers, including the dwarf trout lily, which is a federally-listed endangered wildflower.  On my visit I went on a hike in the woods with my three oldest brothers, Brett, Brayden, and Brock.  We practiced the principles of "Leave No Trace" while we were there, and marvelled the whole time about the potential for fall colors.  We decided to come back next fall for a camping outing as the leaves change.....