I grew up in a small town near Blooming back in the 70s(what we called it). Crime was unheard of. When you went into town, you left the windows of your car down (in the summer). Left your keys in the car and would never lock it. It was thought an insult to the others in town if you locked your car. All the men were WW1,2, Korean, or Army vets: farmers. Nearly all were nice guys and kept things orderly, respectful, honest, and peaceful in town. It really was a wonderful place to grow up.
While I enjoy all your content I have to say the "Forgotten towns off the interstate" is by far my favorite series. Small towns, a fresh cup of coffee. Perfect morning!
A lot of small towns in my neck of the woods are like that, roads that abruptly end and then nothing but farmland. Blooming Prarie is a peaceful town, although the main road through there(highway 218) is horrible. I've been down those roads many times. I live fifteen minutes south of there in a town called Austin, near the Iowa border. My grandfather had a red and white 1957 Oldsmobile classic car that he used to drive in the Blooming Prarie parade on July 4th every year. I vividly remember riding in the back seat as a young boy in the mid 1990s, nearly thirty years ago, seeing all the people in the town waving, whistling and cheering as we passed through. It was a happier time, a happier America for sure. Thanks for sharing!
Blooming Prairie had an organic food cooperative warehouse that we ordered from - back in the early 90s. Blooming Prairie began with three part-timers and a network of volunteers. They hitchhiked to Minneapolis, then rented a truck to pick up orders from People’s Warehouse to fulfill orders. It was taken over. "Blooming Prairie Cooperative Warehouse acquired by United Natural Foods" By 2002, Blooming Prairie was the leading Midwest distributor of organic and natural products. The Blooming Prairie Foundation (BPF) was established with money generated from the sale of Blooming Prairie Cooperative Warehouse, a cooperative distributor of natural and organic products. The warehouse served cooperatives, retail stores and buying clubs in a 12-state Midwestern area extending from the warehouse in Iowa City, Iowa, to Blooming Prairie Natural Foods in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For over two decades the Blooming Prairie Cooperative Warehouse brought products and education prioritizing personal health alongside the ecological health of our planet to Midwestern communities. Memorializing the priorities and values of the Blooming Prairie Cooperative Warehouse, the Blooming Prairie Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization with a similar ethos. Specifically, the Blooming Prairie Foundation will work to further the health of people, the planet and the cooperative business model by supporting development, research, and educational efforts in the organic industry and the cooperative community. ... Blooming Prairie Cooperative carries and distributes approximately 15,000 products to more than 2,700 customers primarily in the Midwest."
My grandfather was responsible for Blooming Prairie's extra wide streets with copious amount of large trees along them. Also an interesting fact is their High School mascot is the "Awesome Blossom".
The cathedral and state capitol building in St Paul are both beautiful. Thanks Joe & Nic for your wonderful tours around the lesser known parts of the United States. 🎦🇬🇧🤗
as you were driving down the dirt roads brought back memories of when I visited my cousins in pine island minnesota. My uncle drove us o those roads on the farm tractors on those dirt roads and it was fun. This was back in 1976.
Dear Joe and Nic, Greetings from London, UK! It's been a real pleasure watching your videos. Out of all the US places you've shown, Blooming Prairie, Minnesota really caught my eye. After seeing your video, I have this strong desire to leave London and settle down in that charming town :)
The best thing about Blooming Prairie is the natural springs swimming hole. It's a pond surrounded by a sand beach with various platforms in the middle for diving and resting; Pine Springs Pool. There's 3 major employers in Dodge Center, the one you showed is McNeilus Steel which produces steel plates, bars, etc. for metal shops in a 5 state region, I worked there 30+ years ago. Then there's McNeilus Truck owned by Oshkosh out of Wisconsin, known for their cement mixers which they no longer make, though we produced over 1200 in one summer; it's all refuse trucks now. And finally Con-Tech Mfg south of town owned by the former McNeilus Truck family and they produce cement mixers.
That Cathedral in StPaul is beautiful. It's just (as you stated) incredible. Such ornate & detailed. Very unique indeed. An builders challenge but an architect 's dream. Tks Joe & Nic for the tour. Very interesting places in this video .
All the town s are really clean and yard are neat, Thanks for the ride again, so enjoy our travel with you They don t make building like the last 2 any more , so beautiful for sure
Just loved the beautiful Catholic Church! It was amazingly beautiful! Nicole looked so pretty in her spring dress. Thanks you guys we love all your fun adventures!
St Paul, and Minneapolis are two of the most beautiful, clean, and well put together cities that I've ever visited. So many cool, and interesting shops, cafes, bars, and stores as well as some of the most breathtaking cathedrals I've ever seen.
The house on 2nd Av. in Blooming Prairie is a 2 unit rental at present, $244,900. 1,635 sq.ft. Thanks a bunch for this tour. Sheriff Bob Fletcher in St Paul has a live show in yt and fb called Live On Patrol. You should try to catch it some Friday night. I've watched since the first show. He shows us the town, but not inside the beautiful buildings and churches. The low crime in the small towns is amazing! The cleanliness and character of the towns is very appealing. Both of your meals looked yummy! Safe, happy traveling!
Joe & Nic, your video just now came into my feed. I very much enjoyed your impressions of small MN towns. Tho I'm a lifelong Minnesotan, I had not been to these towns. I live further north, past the Twin Cities about 50 miles. All the towns you visited are so quaint & have really homey feel. I've not been to the Capitol since I was much younger but eeeing it through your eyes was interesting. Much appreciation for all the facts & stories you shared! 💫
Across the street from the Cathedral is the James J. Hill Mansion. Hill, known as the Empire Builder, which is the name of the Amtrak train from Chicago to Seattle. James Hill owned and built the Northern Pacific Railroad.
Joe thanks for showing us places we will never see I really appreciate your way of explaining the stats and showing us the unique side of things I wish you and your wife safe travels I hope you both are enjoying the adventures and good food all over America and beyond
My grandmother was born in Perly Minn on the Red River and I was born in East Grandforks, Minn... The state has beautiful small towns all of them next to a lake. Take a drive from the twin cities north to Canada.
I live in a small town/community called London in the United Kingdom, funnily enough we have a church here called St Paul's which was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in1668 and consecrated in 1697, it was finally completed in 1711 in the English Baroque style. Capital building definitely the finest yet!
MN is - central and northern MN is swedish/norway heritage. Oh boy they bicker with each other - haha. St. Paul, the capital city of MN, is german and english heritage. There is french influence as well, more so in WI, the nieghboring state. Alot of UK and Irish heritage in St.Paul, MN. (St. Patricks day is huuuge in St. Paul). There is alot of towns (New London, New Prague, La Salle, La Suer, Stockholm, Kingston, with European heritage, etc.) Farther north you get you run into swedish/norway towns, (Lindstrom, etc.) It's a nice state that mimics norway I think. Come and visit - bring your fishing pole and shotgun, we have alot of lakes and woods.
I grew up in West Concord, later moved to Dodge Center. You even showed the apartment I was living in at the time! I've since moved away, but still miss the quiet small town charm of these agricultural towns. This video was a wonderful flashback in time for me. These towns will always hold such a special place in my heart. Many locals don't talk as kindly about the area due to the lack of things to do/see, empty houses, abandoned downtowns, but I feel happy knowing someone else sees what I see in these peaceful little towns. Thank you for highlighting their charm and character!
Love the video. Just a few notes from a local. West Concord is "west" because there is an even smaller town that shares the name a few miles east. So ironically the original is smaller than the second. Dodge Center: I know the interstate is not like a US Route highway, but US Route 14 is basically an interstate connection between Rochester and Mankato. McNeilus produces trucks and has government contracts through Oshkosh. If you live in Dodge Center but don't work there, chances are you commute to Rochester. This goes for all the small towns on US14 (Dodge Center, Kasson, Mantorville, Byron). Blooming Prairie: The home of the Awesome Blossoms, a flower that packs a punch. My great great grandparents emigrated from Norway to a plot of land a mile Southeast of town. Unfortunately their plot was mostly pond/swamp than farmland. US Route 218 is the main street, and yes it is horrible. BP hosts the Steele County 4th of July parade...least its the best one in the county :D Other small towns in the area that are a distance from an interstate are Hollandale, Mazeppa, Wanamingo, and Waterville...just to name a few. Waterville did just get washed out with flooding this spring...shocking with a name like that, i know.
If you swing through southeast Minnesota, stop in rushford. They have a great lefse shop and you can get authentic Scandinavian food! It’s called norseland lefse
We stayed at an Air B&B in Rushford and really enjoyed it! It was right by the lefse shop & cafe! The whole area is so beautiful! Lanesboro and Houston, MN are very cool too!
Your video tours rarely cease to amaze. St. Paul Cathedral and capitol were utterly, amazingly beautiful. Would have never thought them of Minnesota. Mary Tyler Moore was all I had previously known about Minnesota.
MN is - central and northern MN is swedish/norway heritage. Oh boy they bicker with each other - haha. St. Paul, the capital city of MN, is german and english heritage. There is french influence as well, more so in WI, the nieghboring state. Alot of UK and Irish heritage in St.Paul, MN. (St. Patricks day is huuuge in St. Paul). There is alot of towns (New London, New Prague, La Salle, La Suer, Stockholm, Kingston, with European heritage, etc.) Farther north you get you run into swedish/norway towns, (Lindstrom, etc.) It's a nice state that mimics norway I think. Come and visit - bring your fishing pole and shotgun, we have alot of lakes and woods.
@@hawks2252 Thank you. I assumed the populace would be mostly northern European ancestry. I'll re-watch the video and see again what interests me. I'm not an outdoors fan and don't like winter, so that restricts me a bit for vacation. I'm sure I would love the food.
@@glennbourque111 it's interesting how the U.S. was settled and it's still a young country. Mind blowing what has happened since say 1860. Isn't that long ago. I think (I don't really know) northern Europeans felt at home in MN so they stayed. similar climate? Similar trees and forest to germany/sweden/norway, etc. to build houses as they were given land to come here and farther west as well (Montana, Dakota's, Utah, Wyoming, etc) I think in the Lousiana purchase from the French - not sure. But they put ads in the newspapers in Ireland - potato famine times, england, sweden, norway, germany, etc. that there is free land if you come as U.S. needed people after the civil war as many U.S died in the civil war, and government wanted to expand west. The only thing they didn't tell the people coming on boats was there was already people there that were beating up the U.S military when they tried and didn't want them, but the government didn't tell them that. They set em up some supplies and sent the new comers on their way out west without the new comers knowing they are going to have to battle the current land owners( the tribes - and tribes didn't like it) . (Lakota, Commanche, Sioux, Arapaho, other tribes that had better militaries if you will than the U.S. government at the time that were getting beat by the tribes, so they sent the new comers in to do their dirty work. so the new comers thought they were getting free land to just walk into, but the locals (tribes) didn't see it that way. so the new comers (alot of them died) hence the U.S western cowboy and Indian films. Then the industrail revolution and trains and that era began. I guess I felt like writing - haha. the food is rather bland to be honest. thier are awesome resturants, but you can only do swedish meatballs and fish fry so many ways - haha. Overall - it's country history full of brutality - just like any other.
You need to check out the towns in southern Minnesota like Frost, Elmore and Blue Earth on the Iowa border. They are very close to Blooming Prairie. They are all literally ghost towns with only a few elderly people remaining. All boarded up. Only Blue Earth is still hanging in there but also decaying rapidly.
You should of stopped at the antique shop across from Vandal's Grocery Store . That guy that owns it , got knowledge for days . Worked in Blooming for a little over a couple years . Would stop in there when I was able . That guy could talk for hours , had a story for each item in his store . Probably could of done a series on him .
The church is awe inspiring... capitol building, a work of art ... ( my first thought when you visited St. Paul....the Mary Tyler Moore show) ... be safe...looking forward to your next post.
After a while winter isn't so bad, you eventually become Lieutenant Dan tied to the mast, makes a big difference to be in the southern part of the state to.
My introduction to Minneopolis Minnesota was in the deep cold snowy winter, minus 40degrees. The only autos on the street were battery boosting/tow trucks lol. No one was going anywhere that day. I agree with you though, Minnesota is a beautiful State.
@@zoidmo3388 that's why you see alot of cars/trucks with a power cord hanging out the front grills of the car - to plug the engine heater in to keep the engine warm. Same as alaska, WI, dakota's, WY, etc. northern states. Aint no big deal - haha. No - it's not fun when it's that cold but you figure it out and deal with it. It's actaully peaceful to get stuff done if you are prepared.
I live about 35 to 40 miles west of Blooming Prarie. They also have a Dollar General. The roads are so bad because most of the state resources are kept for the Twin Cities. The Big plant in Dodge Center make cement trucks and other work type trucks
Absolutely gorgeous building lotta fine detail beautiful thank you for this video Joe never have I seen anything like it absolutely beautiful breathtaking❤ and the rotunda is absolutely beautiful too❤
American cities are so beautiful. Beautiful cities, beautiful people. I keep watching the videos on this channel and dreaming about how wonderful it would be to live in this country. I'm very jealous of you. Cheers from Brazil.
Wow, how cool is this! I was born and raised in St. Paul, MN so it was fun to see this video. Fun fact, I met my now hubby, at the Cathedral, back in 1982 at Christmas Mas. A whole group of friends went, and that's where he and I basically got together.... now married 41 years!!! Another interesting fact, how is it, I've never been inside of the State Capital???? Anyway, will be fun to explore your other videos. I have lived in Iowa, New Hampshire, and now back in Minnesota.
Minnesotans are proud, to the point of smugness, of our state. Thanks for the nice comments. My husband grew up down the road from Dodge Center, and the schools in those little towns are excellent. Education is a top priority here.
When I saw the row of flags on the sides of the road I felt real envy. In my country (Spain), that would be cause for fights and continuous discussions. We live in turbulent times where not everyone can express their ideas freely.
I have followed you ever since you left Dallas. Thanks for showing the small towns. I grew up in a small town in the 50's and there is a lot to be said for raising a family in a small town. One thing that they all seem to have in common is that you don't see any new houses.
Great video as usual you need to drive through Winona has some of the most beautiful homes and a beautiful drive following the great Mississippi safe travels God Bless
I live about four miles from the St. Paul Cathedral but have never been inside it so thanks for giving me a look inside. I have been in the capital building, though, but that was many years ago.
I live in rural southwest Minnesota near a town of the same size. It’s farm country here too, but our side of the state is fairly flat prairie. I live near Tracy.
Loved this, am from the capital city. Have been away almost 15 years. Was in capitol as a child. The cathedral is indeed magnificent. Was there for a 1975 graduation class sang in the choir. Was quite the deal. My class the following year was not able to use the structure for its graduation. What a bummer! I was not able to see those towns you were at in southern part of the state, so appreciated your tours of them. Thank you! Nicole looked wonderful, as well! You both are good folks.
Spring is huge for grade school field trips to the capital. Big deal for small town kids to bus in and see it. When I was in 5th grade we got on the bus at 6am to go down. That and the history center plus landmark center was a full day of amazing buildings. ( New history center now 😢)
My son and daughter-in-law were married in the Cathedral. Very beautiful building. A bit of movie trivia. In the 1980 movie Foolin’ Around, Gary Bussey flies a hang glider through the huge rose window in the front of the church or at least it appears that way courtesy of Hollywood special effects.
Ah you were in my neck of the woods. Almost thought i saw my dads truck in the part of the video in west concord. Lol Thank you for visiting our lovely state.
That church and the capitol building were beautiful. Nice towns! I went to the very southwest part of Minnesota on that 2018 road trip near the Iowa and South Dakota borders. It was a town called Hills, and I played disc golf there. I just found the course…lol.
Born and raised in Hutchinson, MN, less than an hours drive west of Minneapolis. When I left there the population was about 5,000 in the late 60's. Today I believe it's double, around 10.000. It too was a farming community. During that time 3M company moved one of their plants to Hutch and they helped expand the community. and added more plants and products over the years. I worked at 3M for a few years, got married and moved on. I still have family and friends in the area though. Nice presentation, I'm glad I stumbled upon it.
In Dodge Center you mention McNeilus Steel is probably the largest employer in town. On the North side of town is another business started by the McNeilus family → McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing. I believe that is the town's largest employer. They manufacture garbage trucks (and previously, concrete mixer trucks) that are sold nationwide.
everyone i see there sticks to themselves. nobody looks out for eachother, tho i am an outsider. just from my own experience everyone ignores eachother and sticks to their own life. tho personally thats the kinda town i like😂
Up at this latitude, spring has just started to really bloom this past week! Mid May. And it rolls into summer and its gone in 4 months! But if your from the Detroit,Chicano Windsor latitude, springs starts in late March or early April,with tulips and daffodils ! If you missed those ,just drive north in May,and its like getting spring tulips and daffodils and spring all over again ! Further north of North Dakota into Regina,Saskatchewan spring started in June ,when I was there 2015! The trees just started to bloom! Growing up in Windsor, Ontario, winter was pretty much done by end of February! Its definitely a lot warmer these last few years,as I returned home,after 17 years away and we had no snow in march,and the flowers were popping! Just thought I'd mention this,because since you're from Texas, spring would be a lot earlier based on latitude and not many people would know that!
There was a Hemp processing plant during WWII. My Grandfather and other Patriotic Farmers grew this crop for the War Effort. After Japan surprise attacked the American Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. I took a tour of the facility, an old timer that worked there in his youth, gave me an insight into what went on daily for production. 🇺🇸
Having worked across the street from Cathedral of St. Paul, I am surprised no one here pointed out the different land elevations of said Cathedral to the Minnesota State Capitol buildings. But this is absolutely no place for discussions such as a church, and a state, nor any relationship they have to any populous they may have been intended to serve. However, did I not observe a number of empty decaying church buildings within this video? And, I swear that the Cathedral view is higher than the capitol. Perhaps these institutions are merely historic, nostalgic reflections upon long gone ideals or convictions? Just musings of an old man living within the not so nice part of the Twin Cities...I'm just relieved that Minnesota has preserved some wonderous architecture AND that these places are not in immediate danger of being harmed.
I was raised in the farming railroad town of Willmar, Minnesota. The railroad would set up water stops for the steam engines. Since the train was stopped, they would set up depots for loading and offloading freight. Therefore they established towns in those locations and named them.
Joe if you are heading east you might enjoy Beaver Island, you can take your car by ferry to the island. It has a small town on the North end and some interting history. Chack it out, I've been there a couple of times. Love your videos.
Nice use to live in kasson about 5-10 mins from Dodge center, use to work in dodge center, hayfield all those smaller towns and Rochester spraying lawns
I use to live in Minnesota, the snow and salt is rough on the roads and cars.I use to call some vehicle Fred Flintstone cars, because you can see the drivers" feet, because the door is so eroded.
Cars have been rust proofed for decades. Had my first car a Honda for 20 years and my second a Subaru for 17 years now with no rust on either. But I remember rusty cars from my childhood.
Wow, that is one beautiful capitol building, awesome cathedral too. It's nice to know that there is not a lot of crime in those small towns. The police have more time to rescue cats out of trees. Thanks Joe and Nicole, much love as always.
I hope you had a chance to drive down Summit Avenue in St. Paul. It's the longest avenue of amazing Victorian homes in the country and includes the mansion of RR tycoon James J. Hill.
Makes me a little homesick, I lived in Southside Minneapolis for five years and visited St. Paul pretty often. Too bad you weren't able to visit The Wabasha Street Caves, where I worked part time playing piano back in 1977.
I lived in Blooming Prairie with a friend for a few months in the late 1970’s. A quiet town. Wish I could recall my address. It was an older, white, 2 story, 3 bedroom home. Haven’t thought of BP in years. Thank you.
I grew up in a small town near Blooming back in the 70s(what we called it). Crime was unheard of. When you went into town, you left the windows of your car down (in the summer). Left your keys in the car and would never lock it. It was thought an insult to the others in town if you locked your car. All the men were WW1,2, Korean, or Army vets: farmers. Nearly all were nice guys and kept things orderly, respectful, honest, and peaceful in town. It really was a wonderful place to grow up.
Good old days, we missed it my friend!
While I enjoy all your content I have to say the "Forgotten towns off the interstate" is by far my favorite series. Small towns, a fresh cup of coffee. Perfect morning!
My favorites to video as well.
I agree wholeheartedly on the forgotten towns series!!! I can’t resist them!😊
A lot of small towns in my neck of the woods are like that, roads that abruptly end and then nothing but farmland. Blooming Prarie is a peaceful town, although the main road through there(highway 218) is horrible. I've been down those roads many times. I live fifteen minutes south of there in a town called Austin, near the Iowa border. My grandfather had a red and white 1957 Oldsmobile classic car that he used to drive in the Blooming Prarie parade on July 4th every year. I vividly remember riding in the back seat as a young boy in the mid 1990s, nearly thirty years ago, seeing all the people in the town waving, whistling and cheering as we passed through. It was a happier time, a happier America for sure. Thanks for sharing!
They still have that parade! On July 4th.
Blooming Prairie had an organic food cooperative warehouse that we ordered from - back in the early 90s. Blooming Prairie began with three part-timers and a network of volunteers. They hitchhiked to Minneapolis, then rented a truck to pick up orders from People’s Warehouse to fulfill orders. It was taken over. "Blooming Prairie Cooperative Warehouse acquired by United Natural Foods" By 2002, Blooming Prairie was the leading Midwest distributor of organic and natural products. The Blooming Prairie Foundation (BPF) was established with money generated from the sale of Blooming Prairie Cooperative Warehouse, a cooperative distributor of natural and organic products. The warehouse served cooperatives, retail stores and buying clubs in a 12-state Midwestern area extending from the warehouse in Iowa City, Iowa, to Blooming Prairie Natural Foods in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For over two decades the Blooming Prairie Cooperative Warehouse brought products and education prioritizing personal health alongside the ecological health of our planet to Midwestern communities.
Memorializing the priorities and values of the Blooming Prairie Cooperative Warehouse, the Blooming Prairie Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization with a similar ethos. Specifically, the Blooming Prairie Foundation will work to further the health of people, the planet and the cooperative business model by supporting development, research, and educational efforts in the organic industry and the cooperative community. ... Blooming Prairie Cooperative carries and distributes approximately 15,000 products to more than 2,700 customers primarily in the Midwest."
There are a lot of neat small town's in Minnesota! Born and raised here!
I used to go with my dad to Louisburg Minnesota as he dropped off the bags of mail from the larger town population 31.
My grandfather was responsible for Blooming Prairie's extra wide streets with copious amount of large trees along them.
Also an interesting fact is their High School mascot is the "Awesome Blossom".
We are in the Maple River district. I have always enjoyed our HS sports games against the Awesome Blossoms. Such a unique name.
@@tanyaredfield Maple River alumni here 😅
Thanks Joe for visiting Minnesota.
Toured the byproduct of the Bill Clinton era and taxing business out of the country
The cathedral and state capitol building in St Paul are both beautiful. Thanks Joe & Nic for your wonderful tours around the lesser known parts of the United States. 🎦🇬🇧🤗
as you were driving down the dirt roads brought back memories of when I visited my cousins in pine island minnesota. My uncle drove us o those roads on the farm tractors on those dirt roads and it was fun. This was back in 1976.
thank you for visiting here! i love being a Minnesota native.
Dear Joe and Nic,
Greetings from London, UK! It's been a real pleasure watching your videos. Out of all the US places you've shown, Blooming Prairie, Minnesota really caught my eye. After seeing your video, I have this strong desire to leave London and settle down in that charming town :)
It's a really nice town. :)
Love the way Blooming Prairie has utility lines under ground.
The best thing about Blooming Prairie is the natural springs swimming hole. It's a pond surrounded by a sand beach with various platforms in the middle for diving and resting; Pine Springs Pool.
There's 3 major employers in Dodge Center, the one you showed is McNeilus Steel which produces steel plates, bars, etc. for metal shops in a 5 state region, I worked there 30+ years ago. Then there's McNeilus Truck owned by Oshkosh out of Wisconsin, known for their cement mixers which they no longer make, though we produced over 1200 in one summer; it's all refuse trucks now. And finally Con-Tech Mfg south of town owned by the former McNeilus Truck family and they produce cement mixers.
I was thinking, Harold’s bar is the best thing in blooming prairie! 😉✌️
Worked at mcneilus for a short time when I lived in Kasson
MN boy me too
love watching from London, England
Cheers and thanks !!
And I'm watching from Russia! I'm very interested! 👍
Please go and watch the Ukraine war . The destruction your President has caused .
Your visits to small towns - off the beaten path - are my favorites. Keep em coming.
mine too...don't care much about the big cities, but I love these small towns
Mine as well. :)
I agree
That Cathedral in StPaul is beautiful. It's just (as you stated) incredible. Such ornate & detailed. Very unique indeed. An builders challenge but an architect 's dream. Tks Joe & Nic for the tour. Very interesting places in this video .
Thank you, Edward!
All the town s are really clean and yard are neat, Thanks for the ride again, so enjoy our travel with you They don t make building like the last 2 any more , so beautiful for sure
Just loved the beautiful Catholic Church! It was amazingly beautiful!
Nicole looked so pretty in her spring dress. Thanks you guys we love all your fun adventures!
Thank you, Peggy!
"Noisy shoes" Why doncha tell her u don't like red hair too! LoL @@JoeandNicsRoadTrip
St Paul, and Minneapolis are two of the most beautiful, clean, and well put together cities that I've ever visited. So many cool, and interesting shops, cafes, bars, and stores as well as some of the most breathtaking cathedrals I've ever seen.
Yes. It's nearly perfect. (Please don't look up how many cars are stolen here every year 😬)
@@natewilson111 I live near St Louis, so there's that.....
The house on 2nd Av. in Blooming Prairie is a 2 unit rental at present, $244,900. 1,635 sq.ft. Thanks a bunch for this tour. Sheriff Bob Fletcher in St Paul has a live show in yt and fb called Live On Patrol. You should try to catch it some Friday night. I've watched since the first show. He shows us the town, but not inside the beautiful buildings and churches. The low crime in the small towns is amazing! The cleanliness and character of the towns is very appealing. Both of your meals looked yummy! Safe, happy traveling!
These small towns were built on the backs of solid Northern European stock.
Live on patrol is super great! I also watch as much as I can 😊
That's not what zillow said. They called it a single family home.
$2,400 annual property taxes for $230,000 actual value. That's good for the mid America.
Joe & Nic, your video just now came into my feed. I very much enjoyed your impressions of small MN towns. Tho I'm a lifelong Minnesotan, I had not been to these towns.
I live further north, past the Twin Cities about 50 miles.
All the towns you visited are so quaint & have really homey feel.
I've not been to the Capitol since I was much younger but eeeing it through your eyes was interesting. Much appreciation for all the facts & stories you shared! 💫
It's refreshing the way you finish your videos with a visit to a cafe or restaurant. Just excellent!
Across the street from the Cathedral is the James J. Hill Mansion. Hill, known as the Empire Builder, which is the name of the Amtrak train from Chicago to Seattle. James Hill owned and built the Northern Pacific Railroad.
Correction, the Great Northern Railroad.
Joe thanks for showing us places we will never see I really appreciate your way of explaining the stats and showing us the unique side of things I wish you and your wife safe travels I hope you both are enjoying the adventures and good food all over America and beyond
Thank you!!
thank you for showing more of Minnesota than when I went through different areas of the state.
I love to travel day trips of any state.
My grandmother was born in Perly Minn on the Red River and I was born in East Grandforks, Minn...
The state has beautiful small towns all of them next to a lake. Take a drive from the twin cities north to Canada.
I live in a small town/community called London in the United Kingdom, funnily enough we have a church here called St Paul's which was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in1668 and consecrated in 1697, it was finally completed in 1711 in the English Baroque style. Capital building definitely the finest yet!
MN is - central and northern MN is swedish/norway heritage. Oh boy they bicker with each other - haha. St. Paul, the capital city of MN, is german and english heritage. There is french influence as well, more so in WI, the nieghboring state. Alot of UK and Irish heritage in St.Paul, MN. (St. Patricks day is huuuge in St. Paul). There is alot of towns (New London, New Prague, La Salle, La Suer, Stockholm, Kingston, with European heritage, etc.) Farther north you get you run into swedish/norway towns, (Lindstrom, etc.) It's a nice state that mimics norway I think. Come and visit - bring your fishing pole and shotgun, we have alot of lakes and woods.
Don't tell them. Minnesota is Viking Territory. They might raid London again if you tell them how rich London is.
I grew up in West Concord, later moved to Dodge Center. You even showed the apartment I was living in at the time! I've since moved away, but still miss the quiet small town charm of these agricultural towns. This video was a wonderful flashback in time for me. These towns will always hold such a special place in my heart. Many locals don't talk as kindly about the area due to the lack of things to do/see, empty houses, abandoned downtowns, but I feel happy knowing someone else sees what I see in these peaceful little towns. Thank you for highlighting their charm and character!
Love the video. Just a few notes from a local.
West Concord is "west" because there is an even smaller town that shares the name a few miles east. So ironically the original is smaller than the second.
Dodge Center: I know the interstate is not like a US Route highway, but US Route 14 is basically an interstate connection between Rochester and Mankato. McNeilus produces trucks and has government contracts through Oshkosh. If you live in Dodge Center but don't work there, chances are you commute to Rochester. This goes for all the small towns on US14 (Dodge Center, Kasson, Mantorville, Byron).
Blooming Prairie: The home of the Awesome Blossoms, a flower that packs a punch. My great great grandparents emigrated from Norway to a plot of land a mile Southeast of town. Unfortunately their plot was mostly pond/swamp than farmland. US Route 218 is the main street, and yes it is horrible. BP hosts the Steele County 4th of July parade...least its the best one in the county :D
Other small towns in the area that are a distance from an interstate are Hollandale, Mazeppa, Wanamingo, and Waterville...just to name a few. Waterville did just get washed out with flooding this spring...shocking with a name like that, i know.
If you swing through southeast Minnesota, stop in rushford. They have a great lefse shop and you can get authentic Scandinavian food! It’s called norseland lefse
The best lefse
I agree!! Rushford is one of those great small towns that have good people and amazing lefse for sure.
We stayed at an Air B&B in Rushford and really enjoyed it! It was right by the lefse shop & cafe! The whole area is so beautiful! Lanesboro and Houston, MN are very cool too!
Your video tours rarely cease to amaze. St. Paul Cathedral and capitol were utterly, amazingly beautiful. Would have never thought them of Minnesota. Mary Tyler Moore was all I had previously known about Minnesota.
MN is - central and northern MN is swedish/norway heritage. Oh boy they bicker with each other - haha. St. Paul, the capital city of MN, is german and english heritage. There is french influence as well, more so in WI, the nieghboring state. Alot of UK and Irish heritage in St.Paul, MN. (St. Patricks day is huuuge in St. Paul). There is alot of towns (New London, New Prague, La Salle, La Suer, Stockholm, Kingston, with European heritage, etc.) Farther north you get you run into swedish/norway towns, (Lindstrom, etc.) It's a nice state that mimics norway I think. Come and visit - bring your fishing pole and shotgun, we have alot of lakes and woods.
@@hawks2252 Thank you. I assumed the populace would be mostly northern European ancestry. I'll re-watch the video and see again what interests me. I'm not an outdoors fan and don't like winter, so that restricts me a bit for vacation. I'm sure I would love the food.
@@glennbourque111 it's interesting how the U.S. was settled and it's still a young country. Mind blowing what has happened since say 1860. Isn't that long ago. I think (I don't really know) northern Europeans felt at home in MN so they stayed. similar climate? Similar trees and forest to germany/sweden/norway, etc. to build houses as they were given land to come here and farther west as well (Montana, Dakota's, Utah, Wyoming, etc) I think in the Lousiana purchase from the French - not sure. But they put ads in the newspapers in Ireland - potato famine times, england, sweden, norway, germany, etc. that there is free land if you come as U.S. needed people after the civil war as many U.S died in the civil war, and government wanted to expand west. The only thing they didn't tell the people coming on boats was there was already people there that were beating up the U.S military when they tried and didn't want them, but the government didn't tell them that. They set em up some supplies and sent the new comers on their way out west without the new comers knowing they are going to have to battle the current land owners( the tribes - and tribes didn't like it) . (Lakota, Commanche, Sioux, Arapaho, other tribes that had better militaries if you will than the U.S. government at the time that were getting beat by the tribes, so they sent the new comers in to do their dirty work. so the new comers thought they were getting free land to just walk into, but the locals (tribes) didn't see it that way. so the new comers (alot of them died) hence the U.S western cowboy and Indian films. Then the industrail revolution and trains and that era began. I guess I felt like writing - haha. the food is rather bland to be honest. thier are awesome resturants, but you can only do swedish meatballs and fish fry so many ways - haha. Overall - it's country history full of brutality - just like any other.
You need to check out the towns in southern Minnesota like Frost, Elmore and Blue Earth on the Iowa border. They are very close to Blooming Prairie. They are all literally ghost towns with only a few elderly people remaining. All boarded up. Only Blue Earth is still hanging in there but also decaying rapidly.
So, people don't retire there? It sounds like nice little towns to retire in.
I'm from North England and i enjoyed this,..
You should of stopped at the antique shop across from Vandal's Grocery Store . That guy that owns it , got knowledge for days . Worked in Blooming for a little over a couple years . Would stop in there when I was able . That guy could talk for hours , had a story for each item in his store . Probably could of done a series on him .
The church is awe inspiring... capitol building, a work of art ... ( my first thought when you visited St. Paul....the Mary Tyler Moore show) ... be safe...looking forward to your next post.
Thanks for posting, Joe. I'm from Minnesota. Havent been back in 20 years. Hope you enjoyed your trip!
244900. for the two story house in Blooming Prairie. There are so many pretty towns in Minnesota but those long winters would be tough.
After a while winter isn't so bad, you eventually become Lieutenant Dan tied to the mast, makes a big difference to be in the southern part of the state to.
My introduction to Minneopolis Minnesota was in the deep cold snowy winter, minus 40degrees. The only autos on the street were battery boosting/tow trucks lol. No one was going anywhere that day. I agree with you though, Minnesota is a beautiful State.
Thank you.
Keeps the weaklings away
@@zoidmo3388 that's why you see alot of cars/trucks with a power cord hanging out the front grills of the car - to plug the engine heater in to keep the engine warm. Same as alaska, WI, dakota's, WY, etc. northern states. Aint no big deal - haha. No - it's not fun when it's that cold but you figure it out and deal with it. It's actaully peaceful to get stuff done if you are prepared.
Wow - beautiful places and buildings, especially the cathedral, the Capital building and the abandoned white church you called a work of art (agree).
Nic is so kind and sweet woman, Joe you got you a great partner and thanks 👍 to the two of you for sharing your trips with us.😃☮️💙
I think she does the books and Joey does the videos. It is a team effort
I live about 35 to 40 miles west of Blooming Prarie. They also have a Dollar General. The roads are so bad because most of the state resources are kept for the Twin Cities. The Big plant in Dodge Center make cement trucks and other work type trucks
Absolutely gorgeous building lotta fine detail beautiful thank you for this video Joe never have I seen anything like it absolutely beautiful breathtaking❤ and the rotunda is absolutely beautiful too❤
American cities are so beautiful.
Beautiful cities, beautiful people.
I keep watching the videos on this channel and dreaming about how wonderful it would be to live in this country.
I'm very jealous of you. Cheers from Brazil.
Yes, people here have no idea how good they have it, way too easy to complain.
Obrigado!
I’ve wondered what Nicole does while your out showing us the small town life.
@@RandomDudeOne Indeed. :(
@@EricT3769 De nada! :D
Wow, how cool is this! I was born and raised in St. Paul, MN so it was fun to see this video. Fun fact, I met my now hubby, at the Cathedral, back in 1982 at Christmas Mas. A whole group of friends went, and that's where he and I basically got together.... now married 41 years!!! Another interesting fact, how is it, I've never been inside of the State Capital???? Anyway, will be fun to explore your other videos. I have lived in Iowa, New Hampshire, and now back in Minnesota.
St Paul’s Cathedral was incredibly stunning. ❤
Absolutely!
It is!
Minnesotans are proud, to the point of smugness, of our state. Thanks for the nice comments. My husband grew up down the road from Dodge Center, and the schools in those little towns are excellent. Education is a top priority here.
Correct. You folks are quite smug about it.
@@ThePsychedelicCinema well, good thing you aren't smug at all.
No. Useful education used to be a priority in schools in Minnesota. Social equity is all they care about now
When I saw the row of flags on the sides of the road I felt real envy. In my country (Spain), that would be cause for fights and continuous discussions. We live in turbulent times where not everyone can express their ideas freely.
I have followed you ever since you left Dallas. Thanks for showing the small towns. I grew up in a small town in the 50's and there is a lot to be said for raising a family in a small town. One thing that they all seem to have in common is that you don't see any new houses.
Great video as usual you need to drive through Winona has some of the most beautiful homes and a beautiful drive following the great Mississippi safe travels God Bless
I live about four miles from the St. Paul Cathedral but have never been inside it so thanks for giving me a look inside. I have been in the capital building, though, but that was many years ago.
I live in rural southwest Minnesota near a town of the same size. It’s farm country here too, but our side of the state is fairly flat prairie. I live near Tracy.
Loved this, am from the capital city. Have been away almost 15 years. Was in capitol as a child. The cathedral is indeed magnificent. Was there for a 1975 graduation class sang in the choir. Was quite the deal. My class the following year was not able to use the structure for its graduation. What a bummer! I was not able to see those towns you were at in southern part of the state, so appreciated your tours of them. Thank you! Nicole looked wonderful, as well! You both are good folks.
Spring is huge for grade school field trips to the capital. Big deal for small town kids to bus in and see it. When I was in 5th grade we got on the bus at 6am to go down. That and the history center plus landmark center was a full day of amazing buildings. ( New history center now 😢)
My son and daughter-in-law were married in the Cathedral. Very beautiful building. A bit of movie trivia. In the 1980 movie Foolin’ Around, Gary Bussey flies a hang glider through the huge rose window in the front of the church or at least it appears that way courtesy of Hollywood special effects.
Ah you were in my neck of the woods. Almost thought i saw my dads truck in the part of the video in west concord. Lol Thank you for visiting our lovely state.
That church and the capitol building were beautiful. Nice towns! I went to the very southwest part of Minnesota on that 2018 road trip near the Iowa and South Dakota borders. It was a town called Hills, and I played disc golf there. I just found the course…lol.
The prettiest part of MN IA WI IL is the Driftless region, like a mini Appalachia the size of WEst Virginia
Yep, it is a spot that wasn't ground down by the glaciers of the last ice age.
I agree and I just moved to the Driftless region. It's absolutely beautiful! 😍
I was born in St.Paul and have lived here pretty much all my life and I've never seen the cathedral up close or inside. Very beautiful.
Born and raised in Hutchinson, MN, less than an hours drive west of Minneapolis. When I left there the population was about 5,000 in the late 60's. Today I believe it's double, around 10.000. It too was a farming community. During that time 3M company moved one of their plants to Hutch and they helped expand the community. and added more plants and products over the years. I worked at 3M for a few years, got married and moved on. I still have family and friends in the area though.
Nice presentation, I'm glad I stumbled upon it.
Also my hometown. We are at about 14,000 now.
McNeillius in Dodge Center manufactures cement mixers and Garage trucks.
I live in a small town in Minnesota …and I approve this message
This was as always beautiful to watch. Thank you guys for sharing your travels with us all ❤
Nice ride through small town USA . The last CHURCH was absolutely beautiful. See you next week.👍❤️❤️
Welcome to Minnesota
In Dodge Center you mention McNeilus Steel is probably the largest employer in town. On the North side of town is another business started by the McNeilus family → McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing. I believe that is the town's largest employer. They manufacture garbage trucks (and previously, concrete mixer trucks) that are sold nationwide.
The best thing about BP is the people. They always pull together for each other. They still have their own schools and fully support them. ❤️
Definitely not Brooklyn Park lol.
everyone i see there sticks to themselves. nobody looks out for eachother, tho i am an outsider. just from my own experience everyone ignores eachother and sticks to their own life. tho personally thats the kinda town i like😂
Up at this latitude, spring has just started to really bloom this past week! Mid May. And it rolls into summer and its gone in 4 months!
But if your from the Detroit,Chicano Windsor latitude, springs starts in late March or early April,with tulips and daffodils !
If you missed those ,just drive north in May,and its like getting spring tulips and daffodils and spring all over again ! Further north of North Dakota into Regina,Saskatchewan spring started in June ,when I was there 2015! The trees just started to bloom!
Growing up in Windsor, Ontario, winter was pretty much done by end of February!
Its definitely a lot warmer these last few years,as I returned home,after 17 years away and we had no snow in march,and the flowers were popping!
Just thought I'd mention this,because since you're from Texas, spring would be a lot earlier based on latitude and not many people would know that!
These small beautiful towns, I love this! Nic's dress and Coach bag very pretty
Another beautiful video thanks for sharing joe and Nic regards from London England 👍
There was a Hemp processing plant during WWII. My Grandfather and other Patriotic Farmers grew this crop for the War Effort. After Japan surprise attacked the American Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. I took a tour of the facility, an old timer that worked there in his youth, gave me an insight into what went on daily for production. 🇺🇸
Thank you for the videos
Hi Joe
Thanks for the video.
The beginning and the end of video has a surprising contrast.
Waiting for the next video. Good Luck!
Thanks, Rajeev!
Having worked across the street from Cathedral of St. Paul, I am surprised no one here pointed out the different land elevations of said Cathedral to the Minnesota State Capitol buildings. But this is absolutely no place for discussions such as a church, and a state, nor any relationship they have to any populous they may have been intended to serve. However, did I not observe a number of empty decaying church buildings within this video? And, I swear that the Cathedral view is higher than the capitol. Perhaps these institutions are merely historic, nostalgic reflections upon long gone ideals or convictions? Just musings of an old man living within the not so nice part of the Twin Cities...I'm just relieved that Minnesota has preserved some wonderous architecture AND that these places are not in immediate danger of being harmed.
Hi Joe and Nic, that Cathedral is beautiful. The Capitol is beautiful as well. Tyfs 🤍
It really is!
If you are coming to Madison Wisconsin, I would recommend to eat at "The Old Fashioned" on the Capital Square.
thanks joe and nicola from scotland
My aunt and uncle lived in Blooming Prairie-we spent many summer days down there. I miss them and I miss the town!
The Cathedral would have to be the most beautiful and majestic in the world, loved it.
Dodge Center!!! Best place to spend childhood summers at my grandparents!
I was raised in the farming railroad town of Willmar, Minnesota. The railroad would set up water stops for the steam engines. Since the train was stopped, they would set up depots for loading and offloading freight. Therefore they established towns in those locations and named them.
Every video has been a pleasure. Great commentary and information for each place. Love seeing how diverse each state is, great work again!
Thank you!
Love your food segments as well as the travel segments
Thanks!
Joe if you are heading east you might enjoy Beaver Island, you can take your car by ferry to the island. It has a small town on the North end and some interting history. Chack it out, I've been there a couple of times. Love your videos.
I love watching you guys on your adventures! Thank you for keeping me entertained and for all of the information you share. I’ve learned a lot!
Nice use to live in kasson about 5-10 mins from Dodge center, use to work in dodge center, hayfield all those smaller towns and Rochester spraying lawns
That Cathedral in St. Paul's is amazing !! As is the State Capital building.
I use to live in Minnesota, the snow and salt is rough on the roads and cars.I use to call some vehicle Fred Flintstone cars, because you can see the drivers" feet, because the door is so eroded.
Cars have been rust proofed for decades. Had my first car a Honda for 20 years and my second a Subaru for 17 years now with no rust on either. But I remember rusty cars from my childhood.
Sad to see 75k 4 yrs old trucks and SUVs rusting but it's very common here
I enjoyed your video. Minnesota is one of six states that I have not been to yet. I hope to visit someday!
That Church was "Glorious!" I have never ever seen anything that beautiful other than in the Vatican.
Wow, that is one beautiful capitol building, awesome cathedral too. It's nice to know that there is not a lot of crime in those small towns. The police have more time to rescue cats out of trees. Thanks Joe and Nicole, much love as always.
Should have checked out the Spam museum in Austin MN. 15 miles from blooming prairie
We will eventually. :)
Austin is a union meat packing town...Hormel....that's where those little towns have that kind of income from workers comuting
@@richarddegen6184 Austin Hormel plant only employs 1800. The majority live in Austin
I hope you had a chance to drive down Summit Avenue in St. Paul. It's the longest avenue of amazing Victorian homes in the country and includes the mansion of RR tycoon James J. Hill.
Love all your videos l live in Australia and appreciate all your very informative tours .best wishes from Australia
Awesome, thank you!!
Makes me a little homesick, I lived in Southside Minneapolis for five years and visited St. Paul pretty often.
Too bad you weren't able to visit The Wabasha Street Caves, where I worked part time playing piano back in 1977.
Going by the lakes, Harriet, Nokomis, ect. the houses 🏘️ are old , huge , expensive I’m sure. But they’re breathtaking.
Absolutely lovely cathedral!!!
Small towns are the best towns!
My mom grew up in a small town in southern Minnesota. Less than 400 people.
Nice! I'm moving to Minnesota now. Enjoyed
Be careful what you wish for, cuz you might get it.
I lived in Blooming Prairie with a friend for a few months in the late 1970’s. A quiet town. Wish I could recall my address. It was an older, white, 2 story, 3 bedroom home. Haven’t thought of BP in years. Thank you.
Great Video ....thank you very much from Switzerland ...keep on with the good work 👍
Thanks, will do!
Excellent quality videos and historic info. Love the restaurant reviews. I look forward to seeing Nic bopping around.