Minnesota Marvels: Roadside Attractions in the Land of Lakes

by Eric Dregni Dregni and Eric Dregni

Book Overview

Only in Minnesota can you snap a Polaroid of a fifty-five-foot-tall grinning green man with a size seventy-eight shoe or marvel at the spunk of a Swede who dedicated his life to spinning a gigantic ball of twine. The world's largest hockey stick, as well as the biggest pelican, prairie chicken, turkey, fish, otter, fox, and loon also make Minnesota their home. Where else can you ponder the mysterious "miracle meat" of Spam in a museum dedicated...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 081663632X
• ISBN13: 9780816636327
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: University of Minnesota Press
• Length: 364 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Land of 10,000 Roadside Attractions

My husband and I brought this book with us on a trip to Minnesota in April 2002. We are sure glad we did! This book lists so many great roadside attractions. We stopped and saw a giant fiberglass walleye, Frank Lloyd Wright's gas station, the Jolly Green Giant, a giant hockey stick, a huge dala horse, the spam museum and multiple other fascinating sights listed in this book. That made our trip so memorable. Our friends loved seeing our pictures. Using the book, we were even able to plan day trips from Minneapolis to hit several sites. I only wish we'd had time to see it all! A must-buy book for a traveler in Minnesota.

Interesting and Fun! Recommended!

I received this book for Christmas 2001. Had been looking forward to it as I've always been interested in the roadside attractions of MN, ND, and the upper midwest. This is an excellent book that not only covers the gigantic roadside statues in MN, but also a number of unique events and places--such as the "Museum of Questionable Medical Devices" in MPLS.My only complaint regarding the book is that the photos are in black and white. Color would've added a lot to the book (including a higher price, I'm sure). Also, I would've like to have seen more than just one poto for several of the icons--e.g., the picture of the Frazee turkey burning down is great, but how about a picture of the new one? Also, the black duck (Blackduck, MN) is the old one, what about the new one? How about that "famous" picture of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker standing in front of the black duck?Regardless of these minor complaints, the book is full of great information about the attractions, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy it. In fact, I have made a couple more purchases for friends. It makes a wonderful gift for those interested in travel, those who have visited MN, or ex-patriots of the state. It also serves as a great compliment to the book "Roadside America", for it's added information about each statue/attraction.