Minnesota has a lot going for it: great people, gorgeous scenery, and activities in every weather. These things draw in a fair number of visitors every year, but these people often come with misconceptions about our glorious state. We can’t blame them – Minnesota doesn’t often make it to TV or movies. But that means it’s up to Minnesotans to set the record straight. Here are 12 things every Minnesotan wants the rest of the country to know.
- Yes, we’re aware that it’s cold here.
Tony Webster/Flickr At this point, the weather is part of our identity. If it’s doing anything unusual outside, we know about it. But cold? Not unusual. Just throw on some mittens and you’re good to go.
- But did you know it gets hot here, too?
Justin Meissen/Flickr Southerners might laugh, but it’s true. It’s not uncommon for summer temperatures to reach the upper 90s. And the humidity is killer. A few minutes out in the sun, and we’re wishing it was January.
- We’re not a flyover state.
University of Minnesota Duluth/Flickr And how dare other states think that we are? Minnesota is easily the best state in the Midwest, and it’s certainly worth more than flying over it. There’s a lot to do here, if you take a minute to see it.
- But if you don’t want to visit? Well, we didn’t want you anyway.
MJI Photos/Flickr Minnesota Nice, it’s not always so friendly - at least when your back is turned. We’re the state that will help you dig out your car in a raging snowstorm, but we’ll think twice before sitting down to a meal with you.
- Only we get to mock our sports teams.
Erik Drost/Flickr We know if our teams aren’t having a winning year - or decade - and we don’t need to hear it from anyone else. Still, we stick with our teams even when the only thing they deliver is disappointment.
- We have a fantastic art scene.
Collapse the Light/Flickr Seriously, there is so much art and music happening in Minnesota right now. The Twin Cities has a fantastic music scene, there are galleries galore, and we also have the most theater seats per capita outside of New York City. And many of our small towns have galleries featuring local artists. You even have to look hard, and culture will hit you right in the face.
- The North Shore is basically Minnesota’s official beach.
Rich Hoeg/Flickr Which makes Lake Superior our ocean. Landlocked we may be, but Lake Superior’s waves are just like any you’d find in a real ocean - with the added bonus that there are no sharks. Maybe that’s why people surf there.
- Fargo is not in Minnesota.
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr We repeat: Fargo is not in Minnesota. You’ll find it just a little further west. If you find yourself driving through an endless field of wheat, you’ve gone too far.
- And for the record, we don’t all talk like that.
Beth Wilson/Flickr But we are all excellent at laying the accent on thick when the mood strikes. Chances are, visitors who hear the classic “Ya sure, you betcha,” or “Uff da,” are unknowingly witnessing some Minnesota sarcasm.
- Minneapolis is not the state capital.
Ron Reiring/Flickr Minneapolis is great, but there’s a whole other - equally great - city on the other side of the river that gets a lot less attention. You can’t have the Twin Cities without St. Paul, even if Minneapolis is a little bigger.
- There’s more to Minnesota than the Mall of America.
john_hawn/Flickr So. Much. More. Like, over 10,000 lakes more. If you come here, come for the scenery. Come to dip your toe into a lake, or to see dozens of waterfalls, or to discover the pristine beauty of the Boundary Waters. If your main event is a giant mall, you’re doing it wrong.
- We have a reputation for being humble, but we have a lot to brag about.
nickfalbo/Flickr Minneapolis is the most bike-friendly city in the U.S. Minnesota was recently named the best state to raise a kid in. We have some of the best schools in the country. The list goes on. But most people don’t know these things, because the Land of 10,000 Lakes rarely gets the attention it deserves.
Minnesotans, it’s time to weigh in. What else does the rest of the country need to know?
Tony Webster/Flickr
At this point, the weather is part of our identity. If it’s doing anything unusual outside, we know about it. But cold? Not unusual. Just throw on some mittens and you’re good to go.
Justin Meissen/Flickr
Southerners might laugh, but it’s true. It’s not uncommon for summer temperatures to reach the upper 90s. And the humidity is killer. A few minutes out in the sun, and we’re wishing it was January.
University of Minnesota Duluth/Flickr
And how dare other states think that we are? Minnesota is easily the best state in the Midwest, and it’s certainly worth more than flying over it. There’s a lot to do here, if you take a minute to see it.
MJI Photos/Flickr
Minnesota Nice, it’s not always so friendly - at least when your back is turned. We’re the state that will help you dig out your car in a raging snowstorm, but we’ll think twice before sitting down to a meal with you.
Erik Drost/Flickr
We know if our teams aren’t having a winning year - or decade - and we don’t need to hear it from anyone else. Still, we stick with our teams even when the only thing they deliver is disappointment.
Collapse the Light/Flickr
Seriously, there is so much art and music happening in Minnesota right now. The Twin Cities has a fantastic music scene, there are galleries galore, and we also have the most theater seats per capita outside of New York City. And many of our small towns have galleries featuring local artists. You even have to look hard, and culture will hit you right in the face.
Rich Hoeg/Flickr
Which makes Lake Superior our ocean. Landlocked we may be, but Lake Superior’s waves are just like any you’d find in a real ocean - with the added bonus that there are no sharks. Maybe that’s why people surf there.
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr
We repeat: Fargo is not in Minnesota. You’ll find it just a little further west. If you find yourself driving through an endless field of wheat, you’ve gone too far.
Beth Wilson/Flickr
But we are all excellent at laying the accent on thick when the mood strikes. Chances are, visitors who hear the classic “Ya sure, you betcha,” or “Uff da,” are unknowingly witnessing some Minnesota sarcasm.
Ron Reiring/Flickr
Minneapolis is great, but there’s a whole other - equally great - city on the other side of the river that gets a lot less attention. You can’t have the Twin Cities without St. Paul, even if Minneapolis is a little bigger.
john_hawn/Flickr
So. Much. More. Like, over 10,000 lakes more. If you come here, come for the scenery. Come to dip your toe into a lake, or to see dozens of waterfalls, or to discover the pristine beauty of the Boundary Waters. If your main event is a giant mall, you’re doing it wrong.
nickfalbo/Flickr
Minneapolis is the most bike-friendly city in the U.S. Minnesota was recently named the best state to raise a kid in. We have some of the best schools in the country. The list goes on. But most people don’t know these things, because the Land of 10,000 Lakes rarely gets the attention it deserves.
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