Wander Minnesota

Next week is, of course, Thanksgiving. Once you've made it through your tryptophan-laden dinner and survived the madness of early morning Black Friday sales, what else is there to do over the long weekend? Plenty.

Thanksgiving weekend marks the official kickoff to the Christmas season, and one of the splashiest events starts on Fri, Nov. 27, and runs Thurs-Sun through Dec. 20 (weather permitting): the Holidazzle Parade.

Holidazzle isn't the only festival of lights, however. Phalen Park is home to Holiday Lights in the Park, which opens 11/24 and runs nightly through the end of the year. Sponsored by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, this display charges admission, but all net proceeds go to Second Harvest Heartland, Union Gospel Mission, St. Paul Parks Conservancy, and UnderConstruction.

Taylors Falls and St. Croix Falls have a Thanksgiving weekend extravaganza planned with the 25th Annual Lighting Festival, taking place Nov. 27-29. Parades, crafts, cloggers, wagon rides, and don't forget to stop by the 1855 Folsom House to see it decorated to the hilt.

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum begins its series of Making Spirits Bright holiday musical events on Nov. 28-29, with Holiday Heralds of the Minnesota Chorale performing both days at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. (Check the link above for the full schedule of holiday performances throughout December.) While you're there, take time to explore this year's holiday displays: lavish gingerbread houses and the Windows on Winter.

The Minnesota History Center offers Family Franklin Days Nov. 27-29. To celebrate the opening of the "Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World" exhibit, Franklin Family Days participants will see the exhibit, make crafts, join an "Electricity Party," see how lightning works, dance, and conduct musical experiments. If that won't work off all the pumpkin pie, nothing will.

Nov. 27-29, learn about A Victorian Christmas at the Alexander Ramsey House. Tour the beautifully decorated home, enjoy fresh cookies out of the wood-burning oven, and stop at the Carriage House for hot cider (and maybe a little shopping). Horse-drawn carriage rides will be available on the 28th.

If you've been feeling too sedentary, maybe it's time to head over to The Depot and lace on some skates. The ice rink opens Nov. 25, and will be open all Thanksgiving weekend, including Thanksgiving Day.

There will be no Wander MN next week as we get ready to enjoy our own turkey, but I'll be back the following week. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

What else is happening in our state? Be sure to check out the 10 p.m. Sunday night WCCO newscasts, where you can learn more in the weekly segment, Finding Minnesota.

Hmmm …what's this?



Looks contractual, doesn't it? Whatever could it be?



Why — could it be a contract for me to write a new book about Minnesota, called "Backroads & Byways of Minnesota," slated for publication spring of 2011 by Countryman Press? I do believe that is exactly the case!

Please join me as I continue to explore the state of Minnesota, especially those "off the beaten path" areas that will make up the bulk of the new book. And please — if you have any favorites or suggestions, please let me know. I can hardly wait to start this new journey, and to share it with my readers here at WCCO.COM.

What else is happening in our state? Be sure to check out the 10 p.m. Sunday night WCCO newscasts, where you can learn more in the weekly segment, Finding Minnesota.

If you’ve been to the Rainforest Cafe at the Mall of America, you might have wondered -- how on earth did someone come up with this idea and turn it into a reality?

You may not have realized that the person who was behind the Rainforest Cafe is here in the Twin Cities and, in fact, has an extensive set of ideas just waiting to come to fruition. Or at least to come to a restaurant near you, but the concepts are already developed and being fine-tuned in a series of warehouses in Golden Valley.



Meet Steve Schussler, founder and CEO of Schussler Creative. The company’s motto is “Inventions, Ideas, Contraptions and Dreams,” and boy, does Schussler Creative live up to that. I recently had the fun of touring their office and warehouses, getting an advance view of restaurant concepts already up and running, and several more in the making. It just goes show, you never really know what awaits you inside a nondescript suburban warehouse.

Rainforest critters aren’t the only creatures that have attracted Schussler’s attention. Among his offerings is a restaurant at the Disneyworld Animal Kingdom in Florida called Anandapur Yak and Yeti, serving pan-Asian food. Also associated with Disney is the T-Rex Prehistoric Family Adventure .



Developing the T-Rex concept lead to an unexpected partnership between Schussler Creative and the Build-a-Bear company.



A smart move on their part, the Build a Dino now accounts for a large part of retail sales at T-Rex. But Schussler Creative isn’t only about Disney. In Pennsylvania, hot dog fans can find their favorites at the Hot Dog Hall of Fame.



It doesn’t have to be a completely new concept, after all, Schussler is the force behind the revamping of the old Wagner’s Drive-in into the new Galaxy Drive-in in St. Louis Park. (Note to dog owners -- your canine friends are not only allowed, but welcome and eligible for a free ice cream cone, or you can purchase a mini burger just for them.) Come summer, get your snow cones at the Drive-In from the Jolly Trolley, a vintage snow-cone truck.



But there are so many other designs Schussler is developing that don’t have a location, yet Schussler continues to pour his time and considerable talents into working them out. For example, what Harry Potter fan (or MagiQuest fan) wouldn’t love to have a meal at the Sorcerer’s Kitchen (currently the staff meeting room for Schussler Creative)?



Cozy up to the bar at Aerobleu.



This jazz bar is based on a fictional Parisian bar in the 1940s, a concept Schussler discovered after finding replica posters advertising the original (but not real) Aerobleu.

Or check out the Asian concept, Zi.



Complete with millions of dollars worth of antiquities purchased from China.

But I think my hands-down favorite is the one that took the concept of “ice bar” to an entirely new level.



The Polar Ultra Lounge, a fully contained ice building with ice couches, ice chairs, and an ice bar, well-stocked with very cold Grey Goose vodka. And the ice changes color. That’d be well worth bundling up for.

What else is happening in our state? Be sure to check out the 10 p.m. Sunday night WCCO newscasts, where you can learn more in the weekly segment, Finding Minnesota.  

Do you know what special event occurs this weekend, just as it does every year at this time? No, I'm not talking about Halloween—I'm talking about NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month. The brainchild of Chris Baty, NaNoWriMo is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and how it's grown: from just a few guys joking around in San Francisco to nearly 120,000 participants worldwide in 2008. The goal is to write a 50,000-word novel in the month of November. Quantity, not quality, is the goal. What's this got to do with Minnesota? Plenty. Minnesota has a highly active NaNo community, especially in the Twin Cities, which has nearly 2,000 participants registered for this year's event. Part of NaNo involves getting together with other writers for "write-ins," where the would-be authors meet up, usually at a coffee shop, and work together. (In fact, there's even a 24-hour write-in scheduled, with writers moving location every three hours).

So for this week's column, it seemed like a good idea to give suggestions of local coffee shops (in no particular order) where writers might be seen, working feverishly, from Nov. 1-30. If you see a group? Consider buying them a cuppa joe or a cookie. Much caffeine and sugar is needed to fuel this venture. And if you're a writer? Please be respectful of the coffee shop—help them stay in business by buying something while you're there and not taking up tables for hours while other paying customers are waiting.

East Side

Nina's Coffee Café (165 Western Ave No, St. Paul, 651-292-9816) is a NaNo tradition and frequent spot for write-ins. It doesn't hurt that it now shares a building with Common Good Books.

The Edge Coffee & Tea (2399 University Ave W, St. Paul, 651-641-1656) is a cozy spot with delicious lunch options.

Gingko Coffeehouse is a popular spot—sometimes so popular that it's hard to find a table. Persevere.

If you're near downtown St. Paul, stop by Black Dog, in Lowertown. Bonus: they're open later than most downtown St. Paul coffee shops.

You can combine a trip to Como Park with a visit to Java Train, also known for its good in-house foods.

Brewberry's (475 Fairview Ave So, St. Paul, 651-699-1117) is truly a neighborhood hangout and favorite.

Cahoots Coffee Bar (1562 Selby Ave, St. Paul, 651-644-6778) is not only a great caffeine spot, but they also host periodic poetry readings. Call for upcoming events.

West Side

For literary landscapes, it's hard to beat the Coffee Gallery at Open Book. Open Book is the Twin Cities' literary headquarters, home of the Loft, Milkweed Press, and the Minnesota Center for Book Arts. Plus they make great soup.

On Lyndale Ave., Common Roots Café has not only a solid roster of coffee drinks, but food prepared from local, organic ingredients.

Anodyne Coffee House on Nicollet has house-made baked goods to enjoy with your java.

Another perennial favorite is near northeast's Wilde Roast Cafe, named after the ever-literary Oscar Wilde.

East Lake St. is home to Blue Moon Coffee Café, which has the added benefit of being open until 11 p.m. daily.

Open even later are the Spyhouse Coffee Shops, on Hennepin and also on Nicollet. Midnight is the closing hour daily.

Near the University of Minnesota's east bank campus is Over Flow Espresso Café. Check out the yummy sandwich menu.

Personally, one of my favorite writing and java spots is out in Chanhassen: School II Bistro. Spacious, quiet (usually), and wonderful roasted tomato soup.

What else is happening in our state? Be sure to check out the 10 p.m. Sunday night WCCO newscasts, where you can learn more in the weekly segment, Finding Minnesota.

As the cliché goes, how time flies -- it’s been a full year since I started writing the Wander Minnesota column (oh, hey, WCCO? If you need my address to deliver that Dom Perignon, let me know). I hope you’re enjoying it -- I know I’m enjoying writing it -- and to celebrate, I’m going to do some occasional new features besides the usual listings of places and events. Periodically I’m going to take a closer look at something new or interesting around the state, starting today with a new attraction that opened last week at the Mall of America.

MagiQuest is the brainchild of a group called Creative Kingdoms, which wanted to find a way to take the parts of video games that kids find attractive and translate them into a larger framework -- one which require players to be on their feet and moving.



It doesn’t hurt that there are elements of Harry Potter thrown into the mix. When you arrive at MagiQuest for the first time, you have to choose a clan (since I was feeling rather princess-like, I chose Majestic), then you pick your personal wand and your character’s name and register. Here’s the thing: the initial fee to get in seems high, especially if you're bringing multiple children, but once you’ve gotten the wand, it’s yours to keep, and you can use it in subsequent visits, which brings the cost down. Also note: if you just want to follow your kids around and not play, you can simply be a Magi Guide for $4.99.

That said, I’d recommend trying it out. When I first went in, the space seemed simplistic.



A very Dumbledore-esque magi teaches you how to play, and he’s always available at the “Stone Circle” (a central core to the game with computer screens) to guide you on your quest. Your wand acts like a video game controller would; you use it to activate your quests, get information, and acquire the steps to complete each quest. The quests are devised of several clues that require you to travel around the MagiQuest space, searching for the answers. Some are easy -- and some are not.


Before I knew it, I was stalking clues like a crazed person, waving my wand at any particular landmark that might have any chance at the answer. Now, here’s the next cool thing about this: because the wand is specific to you and you keep it, on return visits you can pick up where you left off, rather than having to start over. Sir Loin the Vegetarian, who acted as guide for us, noted that as time goes on, new quests and adventures will be added so that the game will not be repetitive. Here’s the one I want to do:

Do I even have to confess that the boys who were with me made far greater progress in their quests than I did?



Of course there’s a shop, where you can buy accessories and even costumes for younger children.



We had a great time. The boys even worked up a sweat, running from clue to clue and quest to quest. Advice: wear comfortable shoes -- you’ll be on your feet a great deal and consider playing along. Or send grandparents; there were lots of those there this weekend, having a jolly time chasing their young Magis around the realm.

What else is happening in our state? Be sure to check out the 10 p.m. Sunday night WCCO newscasts, where you can learn more in the weekly segment, Finding Minnesota.

While the jury's still out on what kind of weather we're going to have for Halloween this year -- on a Saturday, no less -- there are myriad opportunities to explore the scary and not-so-scary aspects of the annual fright fest.

Who knows -- maybe ski season will be upon us by Halloween this year. But just in case that doesn't come to pass, Buck Hill Ski Resort in Burnsville presents Frightmares at Buck Hill, open weekends (and some weekdays) through Halloween. Visit the Orchard Manor Dead and Breakfast, the Fright Factory, the Bellharm-Lovejoy Asylum, and the Haunted Hollow. Live music on weekends -- but is it really live?

Shakopee's ValleySCARE, known during the summer as Valleyfair, kicks it into high gear for the Halloween season. Open Friday-Sunday (and Wednesday and Thursday this week, Oct. 14-15) through Nov. 1, you have the choice of gentle Halloween fun during the day (think trick-or-treat trails and coloring contests for the young ones, as well as the children's rides) to more intense events after dark (seven haunted attractions). Rides are available as well for those who find roller coasters more terrifying than any old ghost or goblin. Valleyfair season pass holders can use their pass for admittance.

Also in Shakopee is the Trail of Terror Fest, offered Thursday-Sunday through Oct. 31. Haunted hayrides. Indoor maze (3/4 mile). Bonfires. The Halls of Horror. Hypnotists. Mechanical bull rides. A multi-course Phantom's Feast (reservations strongly recommended). A 3-D circus and Phobia Frights. This one is for the serious scare fans.

Star Limousine Service offers a wise variety of Halloween-related services this year: they'll take your kids (and you) trick-or-treating to safe neighborhoods; to costume contests at various clubs across the Twin Cities; on tours to haunted houses and other trails of terror; and even to haunted hayrides -- all in style.

The Minnesota Historical Society is always a good bet for a unique take on a holiday, with several special events planned. (Call ahead, as some events require registration.)

Shadows and Spirits of the Capitol takes place Thursday-Sunday evenings at the State Capitol, which will be lit similarly to its early days and where "ghosts" of the past tell visitors stories about the Capitol's history.

The Oliver H. Kelley Farm in Elk River will offer evening performances of Reader's Theatre: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on Oct. 23-24. What better place to enjoy this scary tale than a historic farm?

The James J. Hill House is the perfect site for Victorian Ghost Stories, offered Oct. 18, 25, and Nov. 1. Costumed guides tell stories of haunted St. Paul mansions, as well as stories by Edgar Allan Poe and the Brothers Grimm. Could be too scary for children under 10.

At the Mall of America, Nickelodeon Universe hosts Nick or Treat. Forget dealing with the unpredictable Minnesota October weather. Take a hike to the MOA for costume parties, trick-or-treating, and special "ghostly" photos.

If all of this isn't enough for you, then venture out to Anoka, which bills itself as the Halloween Capital of the World. They take Halloween very seriously. A two-week celebration includes parades, Ghosts of Anoka walking tours, wine tastings, costume contests, a 5k run, live music, and a Spooktacular Carnival. See Web site for specifics.

What else is happening in our state? Be sure to check out the 10 p.m. Sunday night WCCO newscasts, where you can learn more in the weekly segment, Finding Minnesota.

Photo courtesy of Buck Hill.

School’s barely started, but it’s already time for that first long weekend of the school year, with the upcoming Education Minnesota’s Professional Conference weekend (formerly known as MEA). Parents who have just adjusted to having kids gone all day will suddenly have them home for two extra days next week (Oct. 15-16). Maybe they’ll be too exhausted from following the Twins odyssey over the next week, but just in case they’re not, here are a few suggestions for fun things to do.

Enjoy the colors of the season. The Minnesota DNR Web site offers a frequently updated fall color update, so you can easily find where the colors will be the most brilliant next weekend. Note: it’s also a good time to check one of Minnesota’s 72 state parks, as the DNR is offering a “try before you buy” promotion. You can buy a one-day pass for $5, and if you decide during your visit to buy the annual pass, your $5 will be deducted from the annual fee of $25.

Go swimming. The Waterpark of America will be open the evening of Oct. 14, as well as all day Oct. 15-18. Word to the wise: if you’re not staying at the adjoining Radisson Hotel, plan to arrive early -- hotel guests get first priority, and overflow crowds will be turned away.

Get your scare on. ValleySCARE, known during the summer months as Valleyfair, will be open evenings Oct. 14-16, and all day Oct. 17-18. The evening adventures may be too much for younger kids, but the daylight hours have some milder Halloween-themed fun.

Sneak in a little education. Take the kids to see the Science Museum’s Titanic exhibit. Older kids may appreciate the accompanying film more than younger kids, but nobody will pass up the opportunity to touch an “iceberg.”

Explore the state’s history. The fine folks at the Minnesota State Historical Society have plenty of plans for the education weekend, including a kids’ scavenger hunt at Ft. Snelling, additional hours at the James J. Hill house, extended hours at Split Rock Lighthouse, apple butter-making day at historic Forestville, and the popular annual Shadows and Spirits of the State Capitol tour on the evenings of Oct. 15-16.

Find your way through a pirate ship maze. Severs Corn Maze will, weather permitting (call ahead if the weather looks dicey), be open Oct. 15-18. This year’s maze, shown on their Web site is a pirate ship. For little mazers, there’s a hay bale maze, a corn pit, live animals, pumpkin slinging, a giant slide, and food and entertainment.

What else is happening in our state? Be sure to check out the 10 p.m. Sunday night WCCO newscasts, where you can learn more in the weekly segment, Finding Minnesota.

It's almost October, and the weather is (finally) feeling like fall. No wonder that harvest festivals are popping up everywhere. These festivals run the gamut from single-day, ingredient-themed festivities (such as pumpkins or apples), or celebrate a more general harvest theme; some are strictly entertainment, others raise money for good causes. What follows is just a sampling of what you can find over the next couple of weeks.

Deephaven's Church of St. Therese has one of the metro area's largest fall church events with its annual Oktoberfest. Events kick off Oct. 3 with a family fun run, blessing of the animals, a polka mass and brat dinner; Oct. 10 is the big day, with a kids carnival, silent auction, a polka band and Boogie Wonderland, and plenty of food and beer.

Pinehaven Farm takes the harvest festival concept very seriously -- but in a fun way, of course -- by celebrating the harvest every day through October. Mini-train rides, pumpkin patch, peddle tractors and trike tracks, magic shows, Halloween parties and even a pumpkin cannon.

The folks at the Minnesota Historical Society wouldn't let an opportunity like harvest season pass by without exploring it. At Historic Forestville, Oct. 3 is Harvest Day, with demonstrations of old-time farm implements and farming techniques, apple-cider pressing, quilting and grain fanning. There will also be free pumpkins for kids. On Oct. 17, Forestville will have Apple Butter Day, making apple butter the old-fashioned way -- in hand-pounded copper kettles over open flames.

Johnny Appleseed Days will take place Oct. 3-4 in Lake City. But it's not just about the apples -- there's a chili cook-off, a kids pedal tractor pull, scarecrow find, a craft fair and a farmers' market and food.

The first two weekends in October, apples are the star at Afton Apple's Apple Festival. Enjoy a hayride, pick some apples, watch cider being pressed and munch on apple-based goodies.

Oct. 10 is the day for Aurora's Pumpkin Fest. Craft and quilt shows, clowns, food and even stagecoach rides will be offered.

A "harvest" festival of a different sort is held in Middle River. Goose Fest features goose-calling contests, live music, parades and food of all sorts, including Uffda Tacos.

Williams celebrates Potato Day on Oct. 10 with a parade, a potato cook-off, live entertainment and a dance. (No mention if they match Barnesville's annual tradition of mashed potato wrestling.)

What else is happening in our state? Be sure to check out the 10 p.m. Sunday night WCCO newscasts, where you can learn more in the weekly segment, Finding Minnesota.

The weather may be unseasonably warm yet, but the calendar tells us it's fall. There are so many things to do around the metro—and the state—this time of year: you can go apple-picking (here's a good resource for apple orchards); enjoy the colors of the season (the Minnesota DNR is offering its annual fall foliage reports here); and you can join in the fun at one of the state's multiple fall festivals.

One thing fall brings to Minnesota is a big crop of art festivals, which makes sense when you think about it—Minnesota itself will be showing its finest artwork this fall, so why not complement it with other media?

The Upper Minnesota River Art Crawl, also known as the Meander, offers 45 artists spread out over 33 studios throughout southern Minnesota. Can't beat the scenery.

The cities of St. Peter, Mankato, and North Mankato join forces for River Crossings: an Art Fair in Motion, this year scheduled for Oct. 3-4. Visit the artists in their own habitats and enjoy live music, improv, and poetry readings.

Stillwater not only has a beautiful landscape, but it has an art and jazz festival combined. The Fall Colors Fine Art and Jazz Festival offers an outdoor art show, live music, and plenty of food.

Another art crawl of the semi-annual variety takes place in St. Paul Oct. 9-11. The St. Paul Art Crawl features art created by nearly 300 diverse artists and exhibited in their personal workspace and galleries, wine tastings, and live music—a great way to enjoy a leisurely weekend.

Another outdoor art festival in a scenic locale takes place Oct. 10-11 in downtown Red Wing. The Fall Festival of the Arts presents more than 100 juried artists in the equally scenic town of Red Wing.

Head north, not just to enjoy fall colors, but to take part in the First City of Arts Studio Cruise in Bemidji, taking place Oct. 16-18. Visit artists' studios and enjoy evening performances at the Art Center.

Using I-35W South as a starting point, wander south through the state, with stops veering off into Northfield and down through Owatonna, for the South Central Art Tour Oct. 24 and 25. Artists will have their studios open all along the way for a fine weekend of slow, artful wandering.

What else is happening in our state? Be sure to check out the 10 p.m. Sunday night WCCO newscasts, where you can learn more in the weekly segment, Finding Minnesota.    

This week's column is by St. Paul freelancer Kate Havelin, author of Best Hikes of the Twin Cities, a Midwest Book Awards finalist. Her Minnesota Running Trails: Dirt, Gravel, Rocks, and Roots won the Midwest Book Awards' Best Sports, Travel, and Recreation Book in 2007. She'll be giving a trail talk at St. Paul’s Merriam Park Library on Wednesday, September 16th at 7 p.m. For more details, check Kate’s website.

Minnesota has more miles of Mississippi River than any other state, and no city can claim more miles of the Mississippi than St. Paul. A good place to start your Capitol City Mississippi tour is in downtown, at the Science Museum. Just inside the door, you can explore the Mississippi River Visitor Center, where you’ll find gallons of information about the Mississippi River and Recreation Area.  The 72-mile stretch of river in the Twin Cities is a national park—a treasure like the Grand Canyon and the Statue of Liberty. The visitor center is free and open daily, with programs, videos, and games.

Before you leave the Science Museum, check out its marvelous Mississippi River Gallery, which includes an authentic towboat perched on a balcony 75 feet above the river. Visitors can play the Virtual River Pilot video game to find out how well they could navigate a tow load of barges through St. Paul’s bridges. And don’t miss the museum’s wall of windows overlooking the river.

When you’re ready to start walking outside, head to St. Paul’s Upper Landing, just south of the Science Museum on Shepard Road and Eagle Street. Pretty sculptures and fountains decorate the riverfront landings here. Head west along the paved Samuel H. Morgan Regional Trail hugging the river and you’ll see the six-story St. Paul Municipal Grain Elevator, which reminds visitors that this river was and still is a working river. Continue west along the riverfront and you’ll pass the 1920s era Island Station Power Plant. As you continue along the trail, you’ll see Lilydale and Harriet Island Regional Parks across the river. You can choose to stay on the Samuel Morgan Trails or walk, bike, or drive across one of St. Paul’s many bridges to get to Harriet Island and Lilydale.

Kids may want to explore Harriet Island’s playground, but this riverfront park is probably best known for being home to the popular Padelford river boats. If you want a snack, meal, or drink, step aboard the River Boat Grill, located at Harriet Island’s East entrance.

About a mile west of Harriet Island, sits Lilydale Regional Park, where, if you you’re up for a hilly hike, you can climb dirt trails, past clay pits where bricks used to be mined and fossils are still found to the Bruce Vento Scenic Overlook. From the overlook, visitors can look down at Pickerel Lake and perhaps catch site of an eagle or heron. Hundreds of species of birds depend on the river, which is an important migration corridor.

Whether you wander through Lilydale and the Big Rivers Regional Trails on the south side of the river or stay north on the Samuel Morgan trail and Shepard Road, the Mississippi River in St. Paul is rich with birds, boaters, barges, and more. About two miles west of downtown St. Paul, just west of 35E, is the south entrance to Crosby Farm Regional Park, one of the Twin Cities’ largest remaining sections of floodplain forest. Volunteers with the Friends of the Mississippi River are restoring a prairie at Crosby. Crosby hums with people, year round, from dog-walkers and anglers to birders and cross-country skiers.

Of course, you don’t have to spend the day in St. Paul to get to know the Mississippi. After all, here in the Twin Cities, the river defines where we live. To learn more about where to see eagles, other parks and recreation areas along with maps and activities, check out a Mississippi River Visitor Guide.

What else is happening in our state? Be sure to check out WCCO 4 News at 10 every Sunday night, where you can learn more in the weekly segment Finding Minnesota. Finding Minnesota