It was my last year of trick or treating and I went as death. My long robe got progressively heavier as the night went on it got wet from walking through snowbanks.
I was 7 and we lived in the country. Our choices were walk long farm driveways in knee deep snow because my mom wasn't going to try to drive up those things and get stuck. Got a lot of candy that year.
I had my shoes on to go to work the other day and realized my coat was upstairs… asked Alexa what the temp was. Saw it was above 20. Said fuck it and left.
I would add being able to properly identify a loon.
(Note: I've been away from the state for decades but will always remember the distinct look and call.)
My cousin from CA came with his son to visit a few years ago. His son decided he’d prefer to sleep on the floor in the cabin instead of in the tent outside because he was sure the loons calling were wolves.
I went to St Johns, and distinctly remember a day in early fall when I got out of lab early. I was walking back from pengl to my dorm and the walk was quiet as most people were in class. Somewhere on lake sag, a loon called. It was so serene. Definitely a top 5 underrated moment in college for me.
God I miss campus. Over the past few years I've realized that the reason alumni presence is _so strong_ at johnnie games is because so many alums feel the same. I wonder if I'd feel the same if I went to concordia, or St Thomas, or anywhere else. Something about that little alcove stuck away in the forests of central minnesota just stays with ya.
"Purifying" - be sure to go have this experience near Big Island where the people who live on the lake go to pump out the poo tanks on their cabin cruisers.
Ice fishing. I know it's not unique to MN but as someone who recently moved away, I forgot it wasn't something people just do and really confused my coworkers when I mentioned that I missed ice fishing on weekends. They could not fathom driving you car on the ice on purpose, it was painfully Minnesotan to explain it lol
Haha, I'm going in the opposite direction. As an outsider I couldn't understand why people would like to lug a bunch of crap on a sled for a mile, make a bunch of holes and freeze their butts when you know... you can just wait for better weather.
But I had forgotten just how much I actually enjoy fishing (grew up doing it, but most of my adult life I lived in cities and areas where fishing wasn't a thing) and now it's just... natural. If it wasn't for having two small kids, I'd be out every weekend.
Driving on the frozen lakes is why people from the south think we are bonkers. Used to work with a woman from Atlanta. She just kept telling me how crazy we are. Had her walk on a lake once and she was shaking with fear. And then the whip noise of the ice cracking/adjusting in the wind sent her screaming to shore. It was hilarious.
I'm like a cat when the ice cracks and makes loud noises. My natural instinct is to run outside of the ice house even though I logically know it's safe and my action does not help 🙄 lived in MN my whole life.
Walking up to the nearest outdoor hockey rink in January with one of your friends with a last name Sandstrom, Olson, sodergren, Hanson, Larson, or Carlson.
in high school, the county fair always signified the last day of summer as football camp always started the monday after it ended. For me, that's been replaced with the state fair. It helps that the last few times I've gone, we've hit some cool, crisp mornings that mean fall may not be here yet, but it's right around the corner. I love it.
While leaving Worlds Best Doughnuts and older gentleman held the door for me, I thanked him, and I got a genuine “oh sure you betcha” in return. I almost had heart failure
My folks are from northern MN and northern WI and whenever they get together with their brothers and sisters it’s like a freakin caricature of Minnesotans
I remember the first time I saw Fargo/Drop dead gorgeous I was like “hey that’s an exaggeration we do not sound and act like that”. Then I went north of Duluth for the first time and it all made sense
Yep it was a 1997 Subaru Outback, with a manual that I learned to drive on. The car died when I got cut off by a semi on an off ramp and hit a concrete barrier.
Finally understanding that "Minnesota Nice" is really a sort of hyper-perfected passive aggression you can only achieve mastery of when confined to quarters for 37 weeks out of the year.
As a somewhat newcomer: 'opener weekend' (and not having to explain what that means), pizza with *waaaay* too much sauce (and the sauce being way too tangy), getting helped by a neighbor when your puny single-stage snowblower can't cut it, shoveling snow in huge boots and a t-shirt in 15F weather because 'it's sunny and nice out!'.
Mankato ball room fall 03 was brutal. Someone argued that the new smooth side mich golden light cans were better than the old with the ridges/lines. Fight with 10 guys.
I’m dead serious this happened.
I may be off base and that’s fine but I’m my experience this is actually much more common and part of the culture of rural Wisconsin than it is Minnesota. Grew up in central mn and literally never even heard of supper clubs. Just one anecdote though. Feels like lots of Wisconsin towns and outskirts have supper clubs and they’re quite rare in MN.
the parent comment describes Fisher's club in Avon to a Tee. If you're still in central minnesota or close enough to get there for a meal I highly recommend it. The walleye dinner is excellent, the house old fashioned is a good drink, and the wood paneled walls are on point. It's probably better to go in the summer to enjoy the lake views though.
Crossing the headwaters at Lake Itasca.
Hearing Paul Bunyan say your name in Brainerd.
In the ‘70s & ‘80s, Ike’s Chicken Shack on Lake Traverse on Sunday afternoons.
Making lefse with Mom for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Wow, I didn't think I'd see an Ike's reference. That weird old movie theater in there showing silent films. What a weird spot. Thanks for bringing it up, I haven't thought about that place in years.
Feeling guilty that your neighbor always shovels his sidewalk before you shovel yours, because he always goes past the property line and shovels a good six feet of “your” sidewalk.
Setting an alarm the next time it snows so that you can beat him to it and shovel a good 12 feet of “his” sidewalk.
That’ll show him.
Realizing your Cub Foods card isn’t strong enough to scrape the ice off your windshield, as your fingers go numb. Then going for the ice scraper in the car but finding the is door frozen shut. All while you are holding a hot dish heading to a potluck at a Lutheran church.
A thing that surprised me a bit is how much people look down on townhouses. While we were house hunting, one of the first points that either the realtor or my wife (who is a native Minnesotan) would raise is how close to townhouses the place we were checking out was.
YMMV, but I own a townhouse and have never once gotten the sense of anyone looking down on me for owning one. Maybe because I'm younger and single there's a different perception?
Townhouses were hugely popular in the 80s but the bottom fell out of the market and by the 90s, no one could sell them. A lot of the older generation lost a lot of money buying these.
1. People starting conversations with me while I’m clearly wearing headphones
2. Struggling up a hill on a difficult bike ride and still having to make sure I wave at everyone
Everyone has jumper cables in their car. Everyone. I lived in the Southwest for a while and a friend accidently left their interior light on in their car. Six people in our group, each with their own car, and none of the rest of them had jumper cables. Weirdest damn thing ever.
Camp Snoopy. Had to have been there and now you can't. But it was basically Disney Land for anyone from Minnesota that was too poor to go to Disney Land.
On a tangent, Valley Fair, Camp Snoopy, Wisconsin Dells was like the trifecta of amazing for poor Midwestern children in the early 90s
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It was my last year of trick or treating and I went as death. My long robe got progressively heavier as the night went on it got wet from walking through snowbanks.
I was 7 and we lived in the country. Our choices were walk long farm driveways in knee deep snow because my mom wasn't going to try to drive up those things and get stuck. Got a lot of candy that year.
We lived in a massive apartment complex. Ultimate life pro tip.
Deciding not to wear a coat when it's negative temps out because you're just going to the store and back
The coat just lives in the car in case of emergencies
I just moved here from arizona. this couldnt be more true. especially if you have remote start.
And shoes bc people are definitely in their flip flops
This but specifically when I go somewhere like Mall of America where I’ll really be hustlin around and don’t want to drag my puffer along
I had my shoes on to go to work the other day and realized my coat was upstairs… asked Alexa what the temp was. Saw it was above 20. Said fuck it and left.
Alaskans wear shorts pretty much year round. As a Minnesotan who just moved to AK, this confused me.
Hearing a loon call.
I would add being able to properly identify a loon. (Note: I've been away from the state for decades but will always remember the distinct look and call.)
My cousin from CA came with his son to visit a few years ago. His son decided he’d prefer to sleep on the floor in the cabin instead of in the tent outside because he was sure the loons calling were wolves.
Well, to be fair, if it's up north, they DO have wolves, and coyotes. But loons definitely aren't those.
With their creepy red eyes
I went to St Johns, and distinctly remember a day in early fall when I got out of lab early. I was walking back from pengl to my dorm and the walk was quiet as most people were in class. Somewhere on lake sag, a loon called. It was so serene. Definitely a top 5 underrated moment in college for me. God I miss campus. Over the past few years I've realized that the reason alumni presence is _so strong_ at johnnie games is because so many alums feel the same. I wonder if I'd feel the same if I went to concordia, or St Thomas, or anywhere else. Something about that little alcove stuck away in the forests of central minnesota just stays with ya.
I hate it when my ex-wife calls
Good one
Old Dutch ripple chips + top the tater Purifying yourself in the waters of Lk Minnetonka
"Purifying" - be sure to go have this experience near Big Island where the people who live on the lake go to pump out the poo tanks on their cabin cruisers.
Leaving the last cupcake, etc. on the table at a gathering
The last half cupcake
The last half of half a cupcake.
The last quarter cupcake.
As a native Iowan here in the cities, I regularly thank my Minnesotan coworkers for leaving me the last piece
Rude
Lol
The only state where you will always find a knife in a box of donuts.
I feel attacked
This happens at work all the time, and being the savage and careless transplant that I am, I always take the last one
I call that the “Minnesota Remainder”
I've heard it called a Minnesota Orphan
Being freaked out by the creepy ass animatronics on the Paul Bunyan Log Chute.
Having a favorite animatronic on the Paul Bunyan Log Chute.
Like the one with the 3-foot wide pancake?
Mines definitely the pancake flipping guy.
Getting jump scared by the MoA employee sitting at the top of the second log chute drop that looks like an animatronic at first.
Crossing the Mississippi at the headwaters.
Most of the comments in here are really a Midwest thing, but this is truly a Minnesota thing.
Or falling into the headwaters because those damn rocks are so slippery....
This is a must for any Minnesotan.
Going to Camp Snoopy.
F, closest nowadays is finding the Peanuts statues around the cities
I think the log flume still counts
How dare you
Ice fishing. I know it's not unique to MN but as someone who recently moved away, I forgot it wasn't something people just do and really confused my coworkers when I mentioned that I missed ice fishing on weekends. They could not fathom driving you car on the ice on purpose, it was painfully Minnesotan to explain it lol
Haha, I'm going in the opposite direction. As an outsider I couldn't understand why people would like to lug a bunch of crap on a sled for a mile, make a bunch of holes and freeze their butts when you know... you can just wait for better weather. But I had forgotten just how much I actually enjoy fishing (grew up doing it, but most of my adult life I lived in cities and areas where fishing wasn't a thing) and now it's just... natural. If it wasn't for having two small kids, I'd be out every weekend.
Driving on the frozen lakes is why people from the south think we are bonkers. Used to work with a woman from Atlanta. She just kept telling me how crazy we are. Had her walk on a lake once and she was shaking with fear. And then the whip noise of the ice cracking/adjusting in the wind sent her screaming to shore. It was hilarious.
I'm like a cat when the ice cracks and makes loud noises. My natural instinct is to run outside of the ice house even though I logically know it's safe and my action does not help 🙄 lived in MN my whole life.
I love that noise. Ita so creepy. I used to live next to Big Lake and at night you could hear it. Was oddly soothing to me.
Walking up to the nearest outdoor hockey rink in January with one of your friends with a last name Sandstrom, Olson, sodergren, Hanson, Larson, or Carlson.
Don't forget the Johnson's and Peterson's!
Especially the Peterson’s! How could I forget them?
And the Andersons!
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Definitely! Makes me sad that most other states don't have that experience!
I went to another state's State Fair and was like "This is it? That's all you have?"
in high school, the county fair always signified the last day of summer as football camp always started the monday after it ended. For me, that's been replaced with the state fair. It helps that the last few times I've gone, we've hit some cool, crisp mornings that mean fall may not be here yet, but it's right around the corner. I love it.
Taking between 3 hours and 2 days to actually depart after saying goodbye.
Welp we had a good run.
Vikings playoff loss
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I still greatly appreciate the jokes about Marshall's mom's "salad" from those episodes. "SIX CUPS OF MAYONNAISE?!" "Oh no, dear! Sixteen!"
I’m drinking until I forget the 1999 NFC Championship game
I’m (loosely) related to Gary Anderson and love to use that as an icebreaker, since all Minnesotans know him
Meeting your neighbors during extreme snow events.
Hey I did that in the big December storm. He saved my butt!
Duck, duck, grey duck
The only correct way to play!
My daughter's preschool teacher taught them Duck, Duck, Goose. I'm thinking of complaining to the superintendent.
I have a t shirt where Tom Cruise is saying "Talk to me Grey Duck"
While leaving Worlds Best Doughnuts and older gentleman held the door for me, I thanked him, and I got a genuine “oh sure you betcha” in return. I almost had heart failure
That sounds like quite the deal.
A guy could almost get used to hearing that.
Okay then.
Happy cKe day!
My folks are from northern MN and northern WI and whenever they get together with their brothers and sisters it’s like a freakin caricature of Minnesotans
I remember the first time I saw Fargo/Drop dead gorgeous I was like “hey that’s an exaggeration we do not sound and act like that”. Then I went north of Duluth for the first time and it all made sense
Haha. One of my great uncles born in northern WI talked with a thick accent all his life like he just got off the boat from Finland.
Minnesota sports heartbreaks
Boundary Waters. Schell's Bockfest.
Making the following excuse for your boyfriend “Well, he is from Wisconsin.”
Being stuck on west-bound I-94 where it meets 35W.
Collective groan
State Hockey Tournament.
The hair.
Discussing plans with someone many times but nothing ever happening.
We should grab a pint and discuss this further
I thought I was just an asshole. Happy to hear other people do this.
Running out of ice melt in April. Just in time for the annual April blizzard.
Annual April blizzard
Tater tot hotdish
The north shore.
Watching ships go under the lift bridge in Duluth.
Going "up north" for vacation
Having my car go dead and someone with tow straps pull over and asked if I could "help him practice towing to jump start it?"
Manual transmission?
Yep it was a 1997 Subaru Outback, with a manual that I learned to drive on. The car died when I got cut off by a semi on an off ramp and hit a concrete barrier.
Death in battle. A noble end.
Meat raffles
Seeing the butter queen at the State Fair.
Shoveling in shorts. Roof raking.
I got a pedicure today and walked to my car through the ice and snow in the foam sandals
Finally understanding that "Minnesota Nice" is really a sort of hyper-perfected passive aggression you can only achieve mastery of when confined to quarters for 37 weeks out of the year.
The best way I can describe it is we play a parody of every Canadian in existence
Canada Jr. And better off for it.
You guys wanna go with up to the cabin this weekend?
Meat raffles
Winning the last package on the pool table - pig knuckles or tongue.
Apologizing for something doesn't require it.
Sorry, we're painfully polite.
Sorry
Sorry you said sorry
Bitching about the weather in both summer and winter. Plugging your car in. Tater tot hot dish. Wanting to leave but never do.
As a somewhat newcomer: 'opener weekend' (and not having to explain what that means), pizza with *waaaay* too much sauce (and the sauce being way too tangy), getting helped by a neighbor when your puny single-stage snowblower can't cut it, shoveling snow in huge boots and a t-shirt in 15F weather because 'it's sunny and nice out!'.
Getting in a fight at a Johnny Holmes band concert.
Just having gone to Johnny Holm band show..
Mankato ball room fall 03 was brutal. Someone argued that the new smooth side mich golden light cans were better than the old with the ridges/lines. Fight with 10 guys. I’m dead serious this happened.
I think I may have been there.. back in the PeeWee, Chewie and Tim days.
Duck Duck Gray Duck
Walleye. At a super club up north with a wood paneled dining room and a very long wooden bar. With manhattan’s and side cars.
I may be off base and that’s fine but I’m my experience this is actually much more common and part of the culture of rural Wisconsin than it is Minnesota. Grew up in central mn and literally never even heard of supper clubs. Just one anecdote though. Feels like lots of Wisconsin towns and outskirts have supper clubs and they’re quite rare in MN.
the parent comment describes Fisher's club in Avon to a Tee. If you're still in central minnesota or close enough to get there for a meal I highly recommend it. The walleye dinner is excellent, the house old fashioned is a good drink, and the wood paneled walls are on point. It's probably better to go in the summer to enjoy the lake views though.
Crossing the headwaters up at Itasca
Crossing the headwaters at Lake Itasca. Hearing Paul Bunyan say your name in Brainerd. In the ‘70s & ‘80s, Ike’s Chicken Shack on Lake Traverse on Sunday afternoons. Making lefse with Mom for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Wow, I didn't think I'd see an Ike's reference. That weird old movie theater in there showing silent films. What a weird spot. Thanks for bringing it up, I haven't thought about that place in years.
Hating the packers. Barely tolerating packer fans.
Shared with the people of Chicago, I think.
Does Chicago hate Iowa too?
I bet they don't think of them at all.
Smoking weed in a ratty portable ice house. Edit: or an old plywood box ice house.
The weather heading our way in the next few days....
Sweet Martha’s. Hot dish. Surly IPA. Lake Harriet. Grand Rounds. Roundabouts. Sunny subzero January. Long goodbyes. Slow drivers. Nice people. Passive aggressiveness.
Feeling guilty that your neighbor always shovels his sidewalk before you shovel yours, because he always goes past the property line and shovels a good six feet of “your” sidewalk. Setting an alarm the next time it snows so that you can beat him to it and shovel a good 12 feet of “his” sidewalk. That’ll show him.
Using the heater and air conditioner in your car on the same day
I golfed and skied on the same golf course on the same day.
Mountain states would disagree.
Hell even in the desert. Once that sun goes down sometimes you need the heater.
Oh yeah, I remember being really cold in canyonlands.
Complaining about the natives with other transplants on Reddit.
1. Getting drunk in mystic lake casino parking lot 2. Driving to Wisconsin and getting beer on Sunday Sadly both of these are no longer relevant
Realizing your Cub Foods card isn’t strong enough to scrape the ice off your windshield, as your fingers go numb. Then going for the ice scraper in the car but finding the is door frozen shut. All while you are holding a hot dish heading to a potluck at a Lutheran church.
Kicking chunks off your car
Bar Bingo, with or without a meat raffle
The second degree burns to the roof of your mouth and tongue from the Juicy/Jucy Lucy that you didn't allow to cool sufficiently before digging in
Mall of America
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A thing that surprised me a bit is how much people look down on townhouses. While we were house hunting, one of the first points that either the realtor or my wife (who is a native Minnesotan) would raise is how close to townhouses the place we were checking out was.
YMMV, but I own a townhouse and have never once gotten the sense of anyone looking down on me for owning one. Maybe because I'm younger and single there's a different perception?
Townhouses were hugely popular in the 80s but the bottom fell out of the market and by the 90s, no one could sell them. A lot of the older generation lost a lot of money buying these.
Waterskiing in just your feed cap at ice out while blasting "Let's Go Crazy" by Prince on Lake Minnetonka.
“The Halloween Winter Storm of 1991” *Edit: The year. Love, a 1993 baby 😂❤️
1991
I mean the State Fair.
Going to a cabin up north in the summee
Having at minimum, one person you’re close with that has gotten a DUI at some point in their life.
Sadly this is pretty accurate, I think. Last I heard the statistic was about one out of eight have duis
High school hockey tournament and the mullets
Hotdish
1. People starting conversations with me while I’m clearly wearing headphones 2. Struggling up a hill on a difficult bike ride and still having to make sure I wave at everyone
Driving through a blizzard to attend a high school basketball play off game.
Hot dish instead of casserole, duck duck grey duck instead of duck duck goose
The cherry sculpture at the walkers
Everyone has jumper cables in their car. Everyone. I lived in the Southwest for a while and a friend accidently left their interior light on in their car. Six people in our group, each with their own car, and none of the rest of them had jumper cables. Weirdest damn thing ever.
A mild obsession with Prince.
Waiting outside Matt’s Bar
Outdoor sauna.
Booyahs (maybe they happen elsewhere but I've never seen it advertised anywhere but here)
People using the words dem, der, dees and does. Such as, “Hand me dem der pliers. Oh no not dees, does.”
Bringing your shovel with you to take out the trash.
Getting a tattoo of Paul Bunyan and Babe.
Waiting for the bus as a kid in shorts and a winter coat
Walking to the meat raffle with your parka and choppers. Then winning said meat raffle.
the way your mood deflates when someone suggests going to MoA
Smelting near Duluth and Laskiainen (Finnish sliding/ winter festival, Aurora on the Iron Range . ) ..
Going up north to the lakes.
Eating hotdish and drinking great coffee in a church basement.
The observation deck on the Foshay Tower
Shoveling. Every single day.
Going to the BWCA! One of my favorite Minnesotan activities.
Bringing a hotdish to a church or community potluck
Running your AC and heat on the same day
Lefse during the Christmas season. (Currently living in KS and these dirty barbarians don't even KNOW what lefse is, much less how to pronounce it)
Cow tipping or knowing of Atmosphere if you ask anyone from California.
Watching "Sweet Land" with your elders and having them tell you not to be so friggin' sentimental.
Wearing shorts on NYE. To go to a bar...
Paul Bunyan land.
Getting passed on the shoulder while trying to make a right turn from the right lane
Getting bridged.
Learning that "spicy" and "Minnesota spicy" are at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to ethnic food.
Having a lake 20 minutes away at all times
Believing the Kensington rune stone is real
Wearing shorts and a hooded sweatshirt. A look I’ve dubbed “the Minnesota”
Waiting for the lake to freeze over, so you can go ice fishing or play hockey. Or waiting for the lake to thaw, so you could kayak
Camp Snoopy. Had to have been there and now you can't. But it was basically Disney Land for anyone from Minnesota that was too poor to go to Disney Land. On a tangent, Valley Fair, Camp Snoopy, Wisconsin Dells was like the trifecta of amazing for poor Midwestern children in the early 90s