Compass American Guides: Minnesota, 2nd Edition

by BREINING, GREGCHESLEY, PAUL

• ISBN13: 9780679004370
• ISBN10: 0679004378
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2000-07-01
• Publisher: Compass America Guides

Summary

Compass Minnesota 2nd ed."The most literate and elegant series of guides ever written about North America." --Maine in Print Created by local writers and photographers, Compass American Guides are the ultimate insider's guides, providing in-depth coverage of the history, culture and character of America's most spectacular destinations. Covering everything there is to see and do as well as choice lodging and dining, these gorgeous full-color guides are perfect for new and longtime residents as well as vacationers who want a deep understanding of the region they're visiting. Outstanding color photography, plus a wealth of archival imagesTopical essays and literary extractsDetailed color mapsGreat ideas for things to see and doCapsule reviews of hotels and restaurants

Table of Contents

Facts About Minnesota	10	(1)
map of Minnesota	11	(1)
OVERVIEW	12	(5)
LANDSCAPE AND HISTORY	17	(41)
Geology	17	(1)
Geography and Climate	18	(2)
History and Natural Features map	19	(1)
Native American History	20	(10)
Exploration and the Fur Trade	30	(3)
America Flexes Its Might	33	(3)
The Claim to Land	36	(2)
Logging	38	(2)
Settlement	40	(1)
Civil War	41	(1)
The Dakota War	42	(3)
Railroads	45	(2)
Immigration	47	(4)
Labor and Industry	51	(3)
Minnesotans Today	54	(4)
PRAIRIE PATH	58	(38)
map of Southwest	59	(1)
Continental Grassland	60	(6)
Minnesota River Valley	66	(1)
Minnesota River Driving Tour	67	(11)
Coteau des Prairies	78	(10)
Red River Valley	88	(8)
map of the Red River Valley	91	(5)
SOUTHEASTERN HILLS	96	(40)
map of Southeast	97	(1)
Mississippi River History	98	(5)
Following the Mississippi	103	(7)
Lake Pepin	110	(4)
Wabasha, Weaver, and Winona	114	(3)
Coulee Country	117	(2)
Root River Valley	119	(3)
Trail of Trout Streams	122	(1)
Rochester and Vicinity	123	(3)
1-35: Towns Along the Way	126	(10)
TWIN CITIES: SHARED RIVER AND HISTORY	136	(20)
map of greater Minneapolis/St. Paul	138	(2)
Early History of the Twin Cities	140	(2)
Fort Snelling	142	(6)
The Mississippi River Today	148	(8)
ST. PAUL	156	(24)
map of St. Paul	158	(1)
Downtown St. Paul	158	(12)
Historic Summit Avenue	170	(5)
Como Area	175	(1)
St. Paul Suburbs	176	(4)
MINNEAPOLIS	180	(22)
St. Anthony Falls	182	(6)
Downtown Minneapolis	188	(3)
map of Minneapolis	188	(3)
South Minneapolis	191	(3)
Parks and Natural Areas	194	(2)
University of Minnesota	196	(1)
Minneapolis Suburbs	196	(6)
ST. CROIX RIVER	202	(21)
St. Croix River Logging	203	(2)
Wild and Scenic River	205	(1)
map of St. Croix River Valley	205	(1)
Up the River	206	(1)
Stillwater	207
Up the River	206	(1)
Stillwater	207	(3)
Through the St. Croix Valley	210	(1)
Taylors Falls and St. Croix Dalles	211	(3)
Off the Beaten Path	214	(1)
Snake River	215	(6)
St. Croix State Park	221	(1)
Kettle River	221	(2)
NORTH SHORE AND THE ARROWHEAD	223	(51)
Lake Superior	223	(4)
map of North Shore and Arrowhead	226	(1)
Duluth	227	(9)
North Shore Drive	236	(17)
Voyageurs' Highway	253	(2)
Boundary Waters	255	(5)
Voyageurs National Park	260	(3)
Home on the Iron Range	263	(4)
Driving Tour	267	(7)
NORTHERN REACHES	274	(8)
History, Treaties, and Angles	274	(4)
map of Northern Reaches	276	(2)
Peatlands	278	(4)
GLACIAL LAKES	282	(30)
Down the Mississippi	283	(4)
map of Glacial Lakes region	285	(2)
In the Beginning	287	(2)
Chippewa National Forest	289	(3)
Grand Rapids	292	(1)
Cuyuna Range	293	(2)
Brainerd Lakes	295	(2)
Mille Lacs	297	(3)
Little Falls and St. Cloud	300	(1)
Western Lakes	301	(1)
Gopher Prairie	302	(3)
Minnesota Vikings	305	(1)
Parks and Wildlife	306	(4)
Fergus Falls	310	(1)
Detroit Lakes	310	(2)
TRAVELERS INFORMATION	312	(26)
Area Codes	312	(1)
Metric Conversions	312	(1)
When to Come/Climate	312	(1)
Getting Around	313	(1)
map of restaurants and lodging	314	(1)
Food & Lodging by town	314	(18)
General Information Numbers	332	(1)
Festivals and Events	333	(5)
Recommended Reading	338	(2)
Index	340

Excerpts

LANDSCAPE AND HISTORY

In Northern Minnesota, somewhere north of Hibbing in a forest of conifers and aspen near County Road 5, lies a spot at once prosaic and remarkable.  Here, at a point unmarked and for practical purposes inexact, a falling raindrop has an equal chance of draining east through a maze of tributaries to the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean, north to Hudson bay, or south down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.  Because of this confluence of major divides, historian William E. Lass calls Minnesota "mother of three seas."  I've never heard the phrase elsewhere, even though I'm a life-long Minnesotan.  But we'd do well to adopt it.  It's a beautiful metaphor and symbolizes as well as anything the crossroads of geology, geography, landscapes, people, and cultures that make Minnesota the diverse state that it is today.

Prairie Path of the Southwest and Red River Valley

Once a seemingly endless grassland roamed by bison and Dakotas on horseback; the Southwest is now Minnesota's richest farmland.  Historic towns, monuments, and parks tell the tales of pioneers and their efforts to homestead on the prairie.

Southeastern Hills and Mississippi River

Passed over by the last ice age, southeastern Minnesota is carved by deep river valleys.  Picturesque towns from the 1800s sit in the shadows of limestone bluffs.  Quick waters provide trout fishing and pleasant canoe trips.  Trails and country roads make for pleasant bike routes.

Minneapolis

Look to Minneapolis for its hustle and bustle, big business, and lively nightlife.  Stroll the city's many lakeside parks or tour the remnants of its milling days.  This is truly one of America's most "civilized" cities -- friendly, safe, and clean.

St. Paul

Born of the trade and exploration along the Mississippi River, Minneapolis and St. Paul grew up as rivals, each with its own character and sense of itself.  Visit St. Paul, the state's capital, for historic sites such as the Landmark Center and the James J. Hill House, and for Victorian neighborhoods, intimate old bars, and ethnic restaurants.

St. Croix River Valley

Once the heart of Minnesota's white-pine logging industry, the St. Croix River Valley is today known for its natural beauty.  The river was one of the nation's first designated wild and scenic rivers.  Towns such as Stillwater and Taylors Falls are among the state's oldest and most picturesque.

North Shore and the Arrowhead

Lake Superior has a powerful presence.  People visit the rugged North Shore for the crashing surf, tumultuous streams and waterfalls, and brilliant fall color.  In the arrowhead-shaped tip of northeastern Minnesota lie the famous Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the Mesabi Range, which provided the iron that built early 20th-century America.

Northern Reaches

This is bog country where the landscape consists of vast, wet flatlands.  The Northwest Angle, the northernmost point of the contiguous United States, juts into the enormous Lake of the Woods -- a sportsman's paradise.

Glacial Lakes

When Minnesotans want to get away they "go to the lake," often a cabin tucked away among central Minnesota's glacial hills and sparkling lakes.  The region caters to folks on vacation, whether they fish, ride bikes, or play golf.  Of historic interest are the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

  

---

Excerpted from Minnesota by Greg Breining, Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc. Staff
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.