Update On My Exploration of Southern Minnesota

On June 6th, I made my goals for this summer concerning my exploration of Southern MN public. I am embarrassed to say that I did not accomplish much (only visiting Trout Run) between June 6th and July 22nd, but things are really starting to pick up now. I will blame my work schedule and the state shutdown for my month and a half dry spell.

The following is the list I previously shared, and now I can start crossing things off! This is very exciting!

1. Mystery Cave, Forestville State Park, Preston
• I went here yesterday with Mr. Sturm and had a wonderful time. We went on a one hour tour with one other couple and a family with two young boys. The park ranger who gave the tour was very knowledgeable and explained things very well, in my opinion. Also, I was impressed with their lighting and walkway system they have installed for the one-hour tour trek and how little it detracts from the natural beauty and artifacts of the cave. We saw a bat, and little, tiny white insects named springtails. Concerning the insects, however, the guide could have been pulling our legs and simply telling us those white specks in the water were insects. We really couldn't get close enough to see. So, in conclusion, Mystery Cave was a success, and it gets a recommendation from me!
2. Niagra Cave, Harmony
• After Mystery Cave and a detour to downtown Preston, MN and Lanesboro, Mr. Sturm and I continued on the Niagra Cave in Harmony, MN. While Mystery Cave is part of a state park, Niagra Cave is privately owned. The cave itself was really very cool, but you could tell it wasn't as well taken care of as Mystery Cave. Also, the tour guides did not seem nearly as knowledgeable as the park rangers at Mystery Cave, but that is to be expected. Niagra Cave, unlike Mystery Cave, had a lot of running water. We went to go see the 60 foot waterfall, and it really was something else. The view of the waterfall was from above, but it was still something to behold. All through the cave tour, you could hear the running water, and the water dripped down on us from above. Unlike Mystery Cave, the ceilings were generally taller at Niagra Cave, and it seemed like most of the time, the roof was about 70 feet above us, although the passageways were much narrower. Niagra Cave had two themes for their cave, it seemed. The theme acknowledged by our guide was one of love and marriage. The one I saw as a trend but was not formally labeled was what I like to call, "Things That Are Gonna Getcha!" For the love theme, there was a little chapel in a room that looked like it had a steeple, a formation that looked like a veil, a wedding cake, the Titanic, and a high heeled shoe. There was also a rock that used to be called The Kissing Rock, I guess, where they let people go up and kiss on it, then if they got down safely, they were supposed to live happily ever after. In my opinion, the way it was described, this also ties to the  "Things That Are Gonna Getcha!" theme which also included skeleton hands, crocodile heads, and claws. Overall, I would recommend, but only if you also go to Mystery Cave.
3. Downtown Lanseboro
•  Everyone is always telling me how great Lanesboro is, but I don't really see it. My favorite part was the spoon shop where the guy makes wooden spoons by hand. One of the spoons stood up and looked like a dog, with the spoon part as the head. He also made crazy little creatures out of dried walnuts and other odds and ends. Perhaps if I went back to Lanesboro and did more of their active things, such as kayaking or tubing, it would be a more enjoyable experience. Of course I had a nice time anyway, but part of that was the company I was keeping.
4. Mayowood Mansion, Rochester
5. Zollman Zoo and Oxbow Park,  Byron
• Scheduled for Wednesday.
6. Trout Run, Fillmore County (Chatfield)
• Very cool. Probably infinitely more cool if you are into fly fishing.
7. Spam Museum, Austin
8. Honkers game, Rochester (I can see them from my yard!)
• Other Ivy and I just went to go see the game this afternoon. We both got in for free because it was active transportation day, and we both used our bodies instead of cars to get there. That was pretty exciting. The weather was nicer today than it has been the past week. There was  a slight breeze, so that helped us feel as if maybe, just maybe, this blasted heat wave is on the way out. The Honkers played the Thunder Bay Cats and won! YAY!!!! I definitely recommend a Honkers game if you enjoy baseball.
9. Roosters game, Rochester
• Scheduled for Saturday.

So I have accomplished five things on my list of nine, and have two more scheduled for this week. It seems that perhaps, against all odds, I may actually complete my list for exploring Southern Minnesota!