Paul was Here!

Saturday, the 23rd has been a quiet day. We have developed a list of things to check and adjust on Ness2, so we did a couple of those things this morning. We can't seem to get to bed before 1 o'clock in the morning these days, so consequently we get up late and the day is mostly gone by the time we have coffee and breakfast!

We decided to drive 18 miles or so south to Brainerd and poke around Paul Bunyan country. Our first stop was at the Highway 371 Visitors Center, where we had a meaningful conversation with the star of the show.

We visited Brainerd as a young family some 40 years ago. We had planned on spending a long weekend, with the kids doing the Paul Bunyan thing. Unfortunately, a round of stomach flu ended that plan and we had to leave abruptly. Well, things have changed since then! The huge Paul Bunyan statue that we enjoyed years ago is now the centerpiece of Paul Bunyan Land amusement park outside of town. This cool statue is a fiberglass replica done by a locally known artist. Still, I guess it's all ok, since we haven't gotten the flu....yet.

Looking at some of the info in the Visitors Center got us an advertisement for The Sawmill, Brainerd's oldest restaurant. The building was originally the office building for the Brainerd Sawmill, but became empty when the company moved north. In 1908 it was moved to it's present location and became the N.P. Lunch Room. Our interest was kindled and we decided to have a late lunch at the Sawmill. Suffice it to say that the servers were friendly but the food was not.

The best thing about the Sawmill is that it is directly across the street from Paul Bunyan's Flashlight. Some say this structure is really Paul's Coffee Cup. I'll let you be the judge of that.

Leaving Brainerd, we headed back north on 371 toward Pequot Lakes. On the way it occurred to us that there must be a settlement named Pequot Lakes, so we set out to find it, and we did. Just a few miles north of the rv park we're staying in is the little town of Pequot Lakes. There are two significant things about Pequot Lakes....at least that I've found. The first is Paul Bunyan's fishing bobber which has been repurposed as the town water tower:

And the second is every bit as interesting: Each year, the town hosts a Bean Hole event. Take your time here....In the city park, holes are dug in the ground, fires are lit, and when the coals are just right, huge pots of beans are lowered into the holes and left to simmer overnight. I might add that the Lowering of the Pots is a very ceremonial occasion and treated with all the respect it deserves. The next day, after the purchase of a "Bean Hole Cup", a participant can sample as many different types/styles/recipes as the stomach will allow. Great fun for all, we hear, with kids playing, adults socializing, and the local gas stations closed for lack of business! Sadly, we'll miss the festivities this year....

Another nice day in the Lakes Region! Tomorrow it's off exploring again....we heard about a great restaurant near Cross Lake.....