MinneSo'Hold That Thought!

I'm here! I'm here, I promise! Let's wrap up my road trip shall we?! (Commence photo dump!)

Now where did we last leave off? Oh! Duluth, Minnesota! Duluth is one of those places where people go, "Man, Duluth is so cool, you should go there!" So then you have to go there and you find foodist treasures like Duluth Grill where they serve...

....North Shore Paella, a Wrenshaw Pasty, Sautéed Kale, Homemade Sweet Potato Chips and Wild Rice Soup. Man, Duluth Grill does local like nobody's business! Everything from the eggs, to the beef to the veggies and lard they use in the pasty is from Minnesota. The fish that goes into their paella is all from Lake Superior. Saying that their food is local doesn't even cut it....

...In their parking lot they have a whole garden! Tomatoes, Corn, Spices...everything you can imagine, growing only a few yards from the kitchen. Now thats local!

Now of course, no meal (of mine) is complete without a frozen dairy dessert after. Now the Portland Malt Shoppe is also one of those places where people tell you to go if you head up to Duluth. So Go we went!

Hello you beautiful Snickers Ice Cream with Caramel Malt! 

Lake Superior! Fun Fact: Lake Superior is not only the largest lake of the Great Lakes but it also contains 10% of the worlds fresh surface water! 

Duluth, Day Two! Obviously wouldn't be complete without a drive up the side of Lake Superior where we had a chance to stop at.....

...Betty's Pies! Situated on the banks of Lake Superior, this little dinner serves up over 12 dozen pie options daily!

I feel like the combo of the bright blue table and this slice of Rhubarb-Strawberry pie just screams 

"I'm ready for my closeup!" #nofilter

Hey Gooseberry Falls! This is one stop everyone tells you to make when you travel to Duluth! These falls are located about 15 miles from Two Harbors in Lake County. The visitor center and grounds at the falls were originally constructed in 1930ish by the Civilian Conservation Corps (a band of young dudes that like the outdoors and nature and stuff). 

Fun Fact: About a billion years ago (and you can still see some evidence now) there was a huge lava flow through where the falls stands today. 

Fun Fact Part Two: Back in Ice Age Days, huge glaciers scraped through Northern Minnesota helping carve out some of the falls and even Lake Superior!

After Duluth, we made a quick pit stop back in Woodbury, for my final hour as 100% MinnesoTaryn and after packing up the last of my things and saying bye to my favorite puppy pal it was off to South Dakota!

This little thing was the best (her being so awesome) and worst (having to leave her!) part of my entire summer! 

Bye Minnesota! Hello South Dakota!  After a quick stop in Brandon, South Dakota (where apparently its the norm to have water slides in your hotel pool!?) we headed west rather quickly until the appeal of about 45 billboards and my mothers curiosity we found ourselves at....

THE CORN PALACE!

Every year the residents of Mitchell, South Dakota vote on different designs for the outside of their Corn Palace. And when I say Corn Palace, I really mean Corn! Each design is filled in, similar to a paint by numbers, with different color corn kernels and corn husks. 

Every year the designs changes on the outside of the building. This year they're renovating the inside for more..umm..streamline and interactive corn activities.

Further up the road, I made the executive decision to go to Badlands National Park! (40% to see what it's about, 10% so dad could use his senior lifetime national park entrance pass and 50% cause it just sounds really cool!)

Look how cool this is! It's like giant sized ant holes! 

Lets be real...the Badlands were cool but the real reason we made our way to South Dakota was for Mount Rushmore!!! We made the choice decision to go near sunset because fun fact: the park doesn't actually close till 11 P.M! **Advice nugget#1: Stay in Keystone, its only like 5 minutes from the park entrance! Advice nugget #2: Drive carefully at night! Deer and stuff like to hangout then!**

So every night, after sunset, the park rangers invite all visitors to sit in their amphitheater to view a 20ish minute video of the history and making of Mt Rushmore, a little history about our homies Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Jefferson and a tribute to this beautiful place we call home. After the video they begin to light Mt Rushmore until all the presidents faces are illuminated.

Once our pillars of freedom are fully lit up, the park ranger invites all armed service members to join him on stage where each is asked their name, branch of service in which they served and in what years. It was a really cool moment, one of those ones that can't be captured in a photo but has to be soaked in. 

#nofilter....really! Its just a filter called, my phone camera accidentally does cool things.

Let's take a break, there are 7 states to go, plenty of nifty monuments and yummy plates to be talked about! So until next time....

Stay tuned! Stay hungry! 

-Taryn Julia

Still Minnesotaryn! St. Paul and the Beginning of Duluth

Well if you're reading this now, I've long left Minnesota. I'm a trail mix of happy, sad, nervous, tired and excited! Here's just a little photo dump of my last few weeks in Minnesota and the very very beginning of our road trip! There are food things here too, like I promised! 

If you know me, you know that I like food. But I think I fell in love with this waffle. A savory waffle from Birchwood Cafe in Minneapolis. Situated in a little artsy neighborhood, this delicious breakfast consisted of: cornmeal, corn and onions (in the waffle), topped with a tomato jam, green onion butter, a fried egg and the biggest hunks of bacon ever. I fell in love in the first bite and that doesn't happen too often. One million Fairborns!

All that yum was chased by the cutest yummiest chai latte. I could go on and on about this place. (Spoiler! I took MomDad back here when they arrived in MN. Mom had a yummy tofu hash and dad had a veggie pizza. You don't need to ask me what I had..)

"A dog on a walk

is like a person in love-

You can't tell them

it's the same old world"

(Spotted on the way to the St. Paul Farmers Market)

I'm spoiled, spoiled by year round farmers markets in Alameda and SLO so I waited all summer to make it to the farmers market in Minnesota! (Minnesota claim to fame #2: Weather. Weather only allows farmers to happen usually from May to early October) So after that beautiful waffle I made the short drive to St. Paul (and after finding parking, oye) I was greeted by 3 overflowing lanes of vendors selling the brightest peppers, melons, flowers and leafy greens. Why did it take me so long to get here!! 

I don't even like apples all that much, but these were just so cute in their little buckets.

Sup dude

I had gotten into the habit of buying weekly flowers for the house. Unfortunately I just bought some otherwise I probably would have picked up three or four bouquets!

According to roommate Lisa, "Its pepper season!" Apparently a very busy time in the produce world.

Pepper season is quite pretty, isn't it...

One of so many painted Snoopy dog houses scattered throughout the twin cities. 

Last stop: The Buttered Tin! Banana Cream Pie, Something Almond and Chocolate Caramel. I like cupcakes and all, and I've had my fair share of them but holy molly these were some dang-tasty cupcakes! This would get a 4.75 out of 5 Fairborns in my book!

This was my total haul from the market: Rainbow Chard, SOYBEANS!, mini cantaloupe, mini watermelon, golden beets, corn and..MINI CUCUMBERS! (Discloser..I don't know how I feel about those mini cucumbers...)

Soybeans! I've never actually seen them being sold at a market before! I just had to buy some. I just boiled them for maybe 15 minutes until they were soft and ready to eat. The friendly dude at the stand told me you could also steam them!

MomDad finally made it to Minnesota! First stop (literally, straight off the plane) The Great Mall! I haven't been all summer, 50% scared of the weekend crowd and 50% because my wallet kept saying no! I mean, a place with both a Nordstrom AND a Nordstrom Rack...common. (I did find a Hershel case for my technology though, on sale at Marshalls) 

After I had officially finished work we decided to take a trip to the Minnesota History Center, sandwiched between the Cathedral and the State Capitol. The exhibit, Toys.  

I call this: Dad and the Cathedral.

Oh, Tourist Mommy.

There was a little trivia game at the Babe and Blue Ox Pavillion, where we learned all about state symbols! Did you know that Minnesota has a state muffin! It happens to be blueberry, fyi. Lets see if I remember some... State bird-Common Loon. State Flower- Ladyslipper. State grain-Wild Rice. State Sport- Ice Hockey. State Mammal? They don't have one! Now you know!

 There were exhibits of Native American history, the twin cities history including the rail system, and even some lessons on old old prairie days. Its the Minnesota History Center, after all. The above installment was in a big tipi!

The whole museum was soooo interactive! Buttons, flaps, covers, movies, videos, games! Sounds, dropping dynamite, putting on shoes! 

See what I mean about interactive? You could open the buffalo, take out a rib or liver or leg bone, scan it and it would tell you what part of the animal it was and how it was used!

I guess this isn't so much interactive and it is camouflage..can you spot Mom!? How Glam! This was part of the "70's!" section of the Toy exhibit! Man, there was everything from G.I Joes to original Star Wars toys, Blythe dolls, original Lego and Duplo toys. Most were in cases but some of them, like the Monkeys in a Barrel you could actually play with!

This has to be the cutest picture I caught that day! Shout out, Charles Schultz! Mom sorta looks like Lucy with her new hair cut! 

Hey! There's the State Capitol!

Minnesotas greatest claim to fame! Being the birth place of Prince (or the Artist Formally Known As...) This was the outfit he wore in Purple Rain. 

I call this: Dad and the Capitol.

]

Later that weekend, we had to take mom to The Blue Door Pub for their version of Juicy Lucy's, a blucy! I had one with swiss cheese and mushrooms, Mom had one with Land O' Lakes cheese (leave me alone! ), Dad had their signature burger and we all shared their special wings, an asian style wing with spicy aioli. Yum!

On my last official night in Woodbury, my adorable Minnesota family made me dinner!

Since we had never been, we decided to make a two hour drive up to Duluth, Minnesota, which everyone demanded I see. Why not!  Here are just a few snaps of the beginning of our Duluth trip:

These are my..traveling companions at the delicious At Sarah's Table-Chester Creek Cafe. 

Mom with her Cranberry something something French Toast.

Dad and his something something egg-y breakfast

My yummy yummy (locally caught) smoked salmon on a bagel. 

After some adventuring (which I'll get to laaatteerrrrrr...) some serious Malt happened at the adorable Portland Malt Shoppe.

Caramel Malt with Snickers Ice Cream. I mean...common...

There was a bunch of junk that happened in Duluth, I'm talking waterfalls, pies, lighthouses and super  elite movie screenings! But I'll save that for next time. But before I sign off...here is another picture of the little pup that stole my heart... 

Oh CheyChey...

Stay tuned! Stay hungry!

-Taryn Julia

Great Minnesota Get Together! Part 2: Fairborn

I'm positive that I've had you guys on the edge of your seat just waiting for "Part 2: Fairborn." I just know it. Now let me just walk you through what I ate at the fair! 

After I worked in the Moobooth it was lunch time. So where did I start? Gizmos! (Per Andrew Zimmerns'  suggestion, suggestions I followed the whole day, you'll see). 

Situated right under one of the sky trams, Gizmos' serves up ground beef and Italian sausage smothered in top secret sauce and cheese (you had me at cheese), hugged by a soft and toasty Italian roll. I was hungry and this hit the spot. To me, it was like a pizza sandwich. I would probably give it 3.75 out of 5 Fairborns on the yummy scale. 

After my Gizmos, I took a ride on the sky tram, because why not? and ended up near the entrance (I think, remember I kept getting lost). There is the cutest little stand there, the Blue Moon Dine-In Theater. Just to paint you a little picture, theres a butt of a car sticking out of the shop and rows of bench seats from cars all facing an old black and white movie playing on the wall. Cute, right? Anyways, I had the sweet corn ice cream topped with a bacon maple syrup (butter too I think) topper. The topping surprisingly had cereal in it, that was magically not soggy from the syrup. 

Look how cute it is! They had some other interesting stuff at this stand, but my eyes were just locked on the ice cream.  On a yummy treat scale, this would definitely get 4 out of 5 Fairborns!

Everyone kept telling me to get cider pops in the Agriculture building. After wandering through the building twice, getting stuck in a line looking at dahlias, I finally found the pops! At $1.25, it was worth it. Spoiler alert, I had two pops while I was there. The first was planned, the second was not. I just ended up in the Ag building again because I kept getting lost! Just cause it was so hot, and they were so inexpensive, I would give these little treats a 5 out of 5 Fairborns on the yummy scale!!

Okay, I got lost one last time. Just kidding, I only got slightly side tracked by the new addition to the fair. New to the fair this year was the Barn Barn which had what I would like to call, glitzy fair food. Meatloaf on a stick, gravy and all. Fried chicken with mashed potatoes IN a waffle cone, drizzled with gravy!

I wasn't hungry enough to get a full meal, so I got something a little smaller. I decided on their corn fritters with blue cheese (again, you had me at cheese) with a side of chimichurri sauce and a basil, blueberry lemonade. I would give the lemonade a 4 out of 5 Fairborns, just for being so refreshing. The fritters on the other hand...I would give maybe a 3.25 out of 5 Fairborns. They were tasty and all but when your description says that your fritters have blue cheese, they better have some blue cheese in it! There just wasn't enough for me. 

So there you have it. Sorry this was so delayed, I've been traveling across the western half of the country, slowly toting my things back to California with the parentals. I'm going to be doing a whole bunch of photo dumps here soon. Have no fear! Getting a little sad, cause I'll technically no longer be #minnesotaryn! Oh well...

Stay tuned! Stay hungry!

-Taryn Julia