Minnesota State USA
Destination Guide & Hotel Reservations
Though MINNESOTA is more than a thousand miles from either coast, it's virtually a
seaboard state, thanks to Lake Superior , connected to the Atlantic via the St
Lawrence Seaway. The glaciers that, millions of years ago, flattened all but its southeast
corner gouged out more than 15,000 lakes , and major rivers run along the
eastern and western borders. Ninety-five percent of the population lives within ten
minutes of a body of water, and the very name Minnesota is a Sioux word meaning "land
of sky-tinted water."
French explorers in the sixteenth century encountered prairies to the south and, in the
north, dense forests whose abundant waterways were an ideal breeding ground for beavers
and muskrats. Fur trading, fishing and lumbering flourished, and the Ojibway
and Sioux were eased out by waves of French, British and American immigrants. Admitted to
the Union in 1858, the new state of Minnesota was at first settled by Germans and
Scandinavians, who farmed in the west and south. Other ethnic groups followed, many drawn
by the massive iron ore deposits of north central Minnesota, which are expected to
hold out for two more centuries.
Minnesota still thrives on its natural resources and on a progressive social outlook
typified by such Democratic heavyweights as Hubert Humphrey, Walter Mondale and Eugene
McCarthy. Current governor Jesse Ventura , a former professional wrestler, has
garnered attention nationally and beyond for his unconventional and outspoken approach to
politics.
More than half of Minnesota's hardy inhabitants, who endure some of the fiercest
winters in the nation, live in the southeast, around the so-called Twin Cities of Minneapolis
and St Paul . These attractive and basically friendly rivals together rank as the
Midwest's great civic double act for their combined cultural, recreational and business
opportunities. Smaller cities include the northern shipping port of Duluth , the
gateway to the Scenic Hwy-61 lakeshore drive, and Rochester , near pretty
river towns like Red Wing and Winona. The tranquil waters of Voyageurs National Park
lie halfway along the state's boundary with Canada.
In recent years, the state has earned a reputation as the "Hollywood of the
North," thanks to its increased use as an affordable, talent-rich filmmaking locale.
Internationally acclaimed fraternal filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, responsible for the
Oscar-winning, Minnesota-set Fargo , were raised in the Twin Cities' suburb of St
Louis Park.
Reserve a Hotel Room in the State of Minnesota USA
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