MN Heartland Day 1

61 years ago. Then and Now 

Two days ago, in his Wedgewood manor room I showed my dad the picture of him lifting me up to pet Babe. “Do you remember when this picture was taken?”  His memory now slightly better than mine, he says He and mom, along with my aunt and uncle David and Sylvia, took a day trip to Bemidji. “It was a fun day” he recalls. My memory lies only with the picture. 

Today, Paul and Babe have a new coat of paint and there are some trees, no older than 61 years, between them and the lake. They remain quite the tourist attraction. 

This morning we left my sister’s house in Cavalier, ND and drove the van 3 1/2 hours to Bemidji. We arranged with the State Park staff to park there for 6 days.  Maybe 7. “Is it six or seven?” asks the Ranger. Rhonda says we are not sure if we take an extra day along the way. She doesn’t want the van towed. “Oh no, he won’t tow it. If we don’t show he’s coming looking for us” I assure her.

And so the adventure begins. We rode 37 miles on the Paul Bunyan State Trail. A multi use non motorized path between Bemidji and Brainerd, MN. 

61 years ago it was operated by the Burlington Northern Pacific Railroad or it’s predecessors servicing these two communities and places in between like Laporte and Guthrie. Transporting their agriculture produce to market eventually landing in the Twin Cities’  behemoths  Kraft and Pillsbury. I’m sure the occasional tourist was also transported to their summer getaways. In 1983 the railway was abandoned and today the state of MN manages the rail bed as a paved state recreational trail. 

The trail took us within 500 feet of our warm showers host’s lake side home near Walker. Marty and Jennifer are such fun hosts. The best. They are engaging, entertaining and treated us like royalty. Refreshments and   hors d’oeuvres with conversation and life with their family. Jennifer’s sister and husband, Tom and Melissa  are visiting. They just happen to know my sister Robin well. And they will be joining my sister in Norway on a choir tour later this month. 

Dinner was served and a feast was had. It’s 10:30 and late now. Our bellies are full but not near as full as our hearts. As it was 61 years ago, “it was a fun day”.