Minnesotan's Toys

[AustinBoston]

When I moved to Minnesota three years ago, I wasn't sure how I would fit in to the Upper Midwest society.  My first experiences led me to believe it's not all that different from New England.

Indeed, there are a lot of people with New England roots here in Minnesota.  Cities and townships all over the state are named for counterparts back in New England.  There are some differences, however.  Let me talk about one.

Minnesotans like their outdoor toys.  I'd bet there are more trailers behind more tow vehicles here in Minnesota than the next three states combined.  On those trailers may be fishing boats, ATV's, pontoon boats, 5-th wheels, jet skis, pop-ups, speedboats, travel trailers, canoes, kayaks, and more.  By now, you've noticed a lot of watercraft (in addition to the campers).  In winter, I've seen lots of two other kinds of "boats" for different forms of solid water: the snowmobile and the (ice) fish house.  This is the land of 10,000 (well, really 15,000, but who's counting) lakes.

I think the fish house needs a bit of explanation.  Imagine a largeish box trailer made to look like a little house.  Now imagine, instead of an axle that crosses under the trailer, a pair of very short axles on a pivot mechanism.  The pivot allows the axle to be raised so that the tire is above the floor of the trailer, and the flat base of the trailer can be lowered directly to the ice.  Inside are one or more closable holes in the floor through which a hole can be drilled in the ice with a large auger for ice fishing.  Some of these fish houses are equipped better than a top-of-the-line pop-up.  This is such a popular toy that regulations have been developed about when you can put it on the ice, when it must be removed, how much it can weigh, and more.

I live just off a major north-south road, and we have learned to avoid it on Friday afternoons in the summer.  It becomes filled with every imagineable form of camper and watercraft, all heading north for the weekend.  It is not unusual, particularly early in the summer, to see 5th-wheel camping trailers pulling a boat, travelling north to the lakes.  That setup never seems to get much over 45 MPH (posted limit is 65) because of all the other pop-ups, boats, ATV's, and canoes heading north with it.  Among the vehicles not towing a trailer, there are lots of folks with a tent in the back, or a cabin up there by a lake.  And never fear, if you go far enough north, there are outfitters waiting to rent you all the equipment you need for an adventure in the wilderness of Voyageurs National Park or the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, whether it be for a day, a week, or the whole summer.

Our pastor said recently "It's a Minnesota thing," when trying to explain this to a non-Minnesotan.  There is such a shift in population that our church goes from three services each Sunday down to one.  This year, we tried two, but there were times when the early service had more people on the platform than in the pew!

It's hard to find a neighborhood street where you don't find a camper, a boat, or a fish house parked next to it.  It's not unusual to see people park outside their garage because of the ATV's, snowmobiles, jetskis, and canoes inside.  There is even a house on our street where they built a custom garage to house their extra-long speed boat.  There are storage lots all over the place.  Those lots are filled with Class A's, 5th wheels, boats, and fish houses.

Where we lived in Massachusetts (population 28,000), there was no RV dealer in town.  In the adjacent towns (combined population close to 225,000), there was one.  But here in Minnesota, our city (population 13,000) has three.  If we include the adjacent towns (combined population about 150,000) I think it would jump to 10!  That doesn't include marinas, ATV places, snowmobile dealers, and fish house manufacturers.

If you like to play (especially if you like to play in the snow & ice), come to Minnesota!  Yep, we got that!

Austin

[Old Goat]

Austin,  Over the tears I have sailed on all kinds of rigs, ketches, yawls, schooners, cutters, a number of one-designs and a squarerigger. I have always wanted to sail on an ice boat for the fastest [and probably the coldest]  sail of my life..When you buy an ice boat, please let me know and I will come up and go sailing with you.....

[wavery]

Been there................done that........

Won't do it again. :XMas

I love living in a place where I can see the snow every day (in the winter) and not have to deal with it. Life is gooooooooood :-()  :S

I'm REALLY glad that many like living in the North, East and South. I think we each tend to gravitate to those places that we like best. I just wish that MORE people liked living in those places .

[AustinBoston]

Austin,  Over the tears I have sailed on all kinds of rigs, ketches, yawls, schooners, cutters, a number of one-designs and a squarerigger. I have always wanted to sail on an ice boat for the fastest [and probably the coldest]  sail of my life..When you buy an ice boat, please let me know and I will come up and go sailing with you.....

Assumption: By "ice boats" you mean a sailboat-like frame (that travels at very high speeds by wind power) on blades like ice skates.

Well, that's one thing I have not seen.  I have seen a variety of sailboats, but no ice boats.  I'm sure they exist, it's just that soon after the lakes freeze deep enough to be safe, the snow starts, making the season fairly short.  I'd expect you'd have to plow the lake in order to use blades.  People will shovel a rectangle to skate on & play hockey, but I doubt many would be interested in clearing a whole lake.

Austin

[Kelly]

Nice post, AB.  You sure got the flavor of MN living!!  You only forgot one little bit ... all those vehicles heading north on the weekends are going (you guessed it) "up north".  If you ask someone what they are doing for the weekend they'll tell you they're going "up north".  The only other place I've heard they do that is Michigan.  

I remember seeing the ice boats out on White Bear Lake when I was a kid.  
Haven't really looked for them as an adult!  I'm not sure they actually clear the lake of snow for them ... I think they use the boats to plow their way through.  I'm pretty sure they also sail them on Lake Minnetonka.  
(There's actually a website about iceboating in Minnesota ~ you can see it here)


btw ~ you gotta love the name of this boat!

[AustinBoston]

Nice post, AB.  You sure got the flavor of MN living!!  You only forgot one little bit ... all those vehicles heading north on the weekends are going (you guessed it) "up north".  If you ask someone what they are doing for the weekend they'll tell you they're going "up north".  The only other place I've heard they do that is Michigan.   [/FONT]

Drat!  I was going to mention that; I had learned that it was called going "up north."  PJay and I have seen pop-ups going south when we were going north, and commented that they were "going the wrong way."  BTW, there was a similar expression in Massachusetts...going "down the cape."  Nobody had to ask which cape...It was Cape Cod, not Cape Anne (both are in Massachusetts).

Thanks for filling that "up north" thing in.

The other things I forgot are that ATV's are used year round, and you need to take an official safety course to use a snowmobile (unless, like me, you were born on or before December 31, 1976).  The course is available on CD if you are over 16.

Austin

[Miller Tyme]

Great post, AB.
 
 A lot of what you said can also be said for Wisconsin.
 "Up North"=going hunting/camping or to Green Bay or the U.P. of Michigan.
 
 More than enough snowmobiles, ATV's, etc, along with ice boats and "ice fishing shanties" around here. If you've seen "Grumpy Old Men", then you know what we're talking about. Entire mini cities on the lakes.
 
 We've got 2 RV dealers within 5 miles, and about 10 marinas, plus assorted ATV/snowmobile/motorcycle/boat dealers in the same area.(we live near Lake Winnebago).
 
 At 1 time a few years back, I had the pop-up, 2 snowmobiles/w trailer, a 17 ft. Starcraft boat w/Johnson motor, plus the requisite 4X4 truck and 2 4x4 SUV's. (not really into the ice fishing shanty thing).
 
 Give me 4 seasons anytime!!!!!:!:W

[HrH PrincessLeia]

AB, you just made me remember the one guy in our church rideing across the lake on a ring of ice they removed from the lake so they could fish.

[Monterey]

My EX loves in MN which is reason enough for me to stay FAR away from that state.  Other than that, it's a beautiful place.  My best friend from the Army lives up in Cloquet (that's Up North for AB).  All in all, a very nice place, friendly folks, great outdoors, just could not get used to the cold.  Any place where summers is 2 weeks in the middle of July is just too cold for me LOL

[AustinBoston]

Any place where summers is 2 weeks in the middle of July is just too cold for me LOL

I'm surprised that anyone who actually lived here would make such a claim.  I have a lot more problem with the summer heat in MN than the winter cold.  This summer, we had more than 20 days that went over 90

[chasd60]

In Maine they say they are "going up-country" or "up north"

[Monterey]

I never lived there, but visited frequently.  

I remember being 'up north' for the 4th of July.  Sweatshirt, jacket, and it was still chilly.  

And I hear you about the skeeters. Man, I swear I saw one carrying off one of my ex FILs cows.