A grand tour of the North Star State's geographical, political, and human history, including travelers' guides to historic destinations.

Where can you view a rare handwritten letter by Mozart in the same building where a notorious gangster was once chained to a radiator? Whose remains are stored inside a suitcase on the upper shelf of a local German bar? Where is there a park hidden 120 feet below street level, and why is it the subject of an opera? What’s the story behind the world’s largest Lite-Brite and the city bus stop with giant steel flowers sprouting from it? The answers to these and many more questions about Minneapolis and Saint Paul are found within the pages of Secret Twin Cities. The Twin Cities metropolitan area invites visitors and locals to revel in nature, art, science, history, innovation, and—with this book as your guide—a bit of the unexpected. You’ll play a musical sidewalk railing, stand exactly halfway between the Equator and the North Pole, and explore the spot many Dakota people consider as the center of the earth. Weaved into delightful narratives by local writer Julie Jo Severson, Secret Twin Cities is a treasure chest of offbeat, extraordinary gems and legacies. Whether you’re a local or here for a visit, you’ll broaden your Twin Cities itineraries, bucket lists, and trivia vaults.

Your round-trip ticket to the wildest, wackiest, most outrageous people, places, and things the North Star State has to offer! Visit an art gallery of underground graffiti; an eight-story-tall Iron Man sculpture; and some beautifully designed, no-real-name-for-them architectural oddities. Meet an artistic, creature-creating welder; a fast-thinking curator of a fishing museum; and a cow-figurine-collecting newspaper editor. Discover the fun of constructing a bookcase-turned coffin for who-knows-when; traveling an uphill road that goes downhill; and drinking wiggly-army-worm wine—it’ll make your head spin. Whether you’re a born-and-raised Minnesotan or a recent transplant, authors Russ Ringsak and Denise Remick will have you laughing out loud as they introduce you to the neighbors you never knew you had and take you to places you never knew existed—right in your own backyard!

In Minnesota eye witnesses claim to have seen Bigfoot in Two Harbors, Wendigos in Roseau, lake monsters in Lake Pepin, Mothman near Rochester, trolls in Cannon Falls, and a musically inclined purple dwarf, formally known as Prince, in Minneapolis. Search for them, and find shadow creatures lurking in homes in Richfield. Read about prowling panthers along the Minnesota River, near Bloomington, and learn about giants tromping around Bemidji. These are some of the frightening creatures that grace the state of Minnesota. Look closely for them (if you dare), but be ready to run!

Includes - Arrowhead's Devil Dogs - Spirits of the Vikings - Phantom racehorse Dan Patch - The legend of the fearsome Windego - The ghost ship Minnesota

Land of the world's largest prairie chicken, birthplace of Spam, and home of the world's oldest rock, this is Minnesota, where summers are short, winters are long, and back-road wonders abound. This entertaining guide wastes no time with descriptions of scenic lakes, pristine bike trails, or quaint cafes. Instead it directs travelers (and residents) to the spot where Tiny Tim strummed his last notes on the ukulele; to the Cold Spring chapel where two grasshoppers bow down to the Virgin Mary; and to the McLeod County Museum, where the mummy on display could be from Peru or outer space. While ordinary tourists are fighting off mosquitoes in the Boundary Waters, oddball travelers can size up the world's largest ear of corn and admire the fourth Zamboni ever built. And one last thing: there aren't 10,000 lakes in Minnesota; there are 14,215. For travelers who are in search of the unusual, there is no better reason to park the bike and hiking boots in the garage, fill up the gas tank, and hit the road to Minnesota, where weirdness awaits.