Wisconsin Feargrounds: frightful fun
Tim Gavinski’s livelihood depends upon what happens during 14 days of frightening work this month. He has built a production that requires 152 paid actors […]
Midwest
Little Lanesboro’s slogan: Live local, live well
Engrave your name on a brick or add it to the back of an auditorium seat: That’s how a lot of nonprofit enterprises raise money. […]
North House Folk School in Grand Marais
Forty miles southwest of the border with Canada, a Minnesota village of 1,400 overlooks a shore of near-paradise, its foundation hardy in character and nostalgic […]
German heritage strong in New Ulm, Minn.
Forces of nature brought me to New Ulm, Minn., for an overnight that I didn’t expect to be pretty. Tornado-level winds and blinding rain had […]
Mackinac Island: a study of high horsepower
Most people who visit Michigan’s Mackinac Island come for just a few hours, so they’re more likely to study fudge shops and fort history than […]
Cornucopia, Bayfield County, buffing it up?
Thanks to a “road closed” sign, my route into town changes abruptly. First it’s farmland, then woods, while navigating from roads of concrete to dirt […]
Fairfield, Iowa: Full of influences from India
I dunk a wedge of focaccia into the day’s soup – Bogota Potato, spiced with a mild curry – at Revelations Cafe and Bookstore, while […]
Off-the-grid living: Fern Hollow, Decorah
Fresh flowers show up in a half-dozen containers. Gingersnaps cover a fancy ceramic plate. A jar of mint-flavored water chills in the refrigerator. I read […]
Iowa State Fair: good contests and cookin’
We’re deep into fair weather, throughout the Midwest, but only one state fair nationwide makes the cut in the 2003 bestseller “1,000 Places to See […]
Enlarged Madison Children’s Museum opens
When people see a part of themselves in a project, it creates a sense of ownership, and that sure seems like a sturdy foundation for […]
Stone Barn, Nelson: pizza on the farm
“Build it, and they will come,” I think, while climbing the hilly roads that dance with the creeks and curves of northwest Buffalo County. They […]
Duluth: Solglimt, smokehaus, Park Point, pie
People who vacation in Duluth find their way to Canal Park, an area where a fine mesh of lodging, restaurants and boutiques complement the gleaming […]