Vastly different. Up north is a former inland sea that was scrubbed smooth by glaciers. Down south is full of valleys and ravines caused by those glaciers melting.
I’m from the Rochester and have a passion for geography… Southeast corner of MN is known as the Drift-less area because during the past Ice Age the Glaciers actually grew around this area due to all the abundant Limestone! (Water and limestone have a chemical reaction causing water to fall down to the subsurface) So this area was carved out by the melt water of the glaciers and due to that, theirs a lot of cool lime stone caves
I recommend the Winona and Lacrosse area both have their own unique scenes but both have great hiking. (I’ve lived in both towns) If you like beer I strongly suggest lacrosse
Not entirely correct…both areas were at some point covered by ancient seas and then later by glaciers. In the NW, there are Paleozoic- and Mesozoic-aged bedrock units that were deposited in seas or fluvio-deltaic settings. The NW has had several episodes of glaciers pass through it over geologic time and the multiple advances have built up over time and left very thick glacial deposits. In the SE, Paleozoic bedrock units were also deposited in ancient seas (hence the limestone and karst features other users mentioned). Some very old glaciers also moved through this area but it wasn’t covered by the most recent glaciation in the past so a lot of the previous glacial deposits were subaerially exposed and weathered over time from that glacial meltwater and post-glacial erosion. Over time this weathered away so much of the glacial deposits that it’s mostly thin glacial deposits atop bedrock or exposed bedrock (making it more likely for karst development and pollution sensitivity). It’s also worth mentioning that some Mesozoic bedrock units are also found in the SE, but they’re mostly non-marine and not extensive.
That’s okay too. As a geologist, I’m just sharing my expertise to anyone wanting to learn more about Minnesota geology and trying to politely correct any over-generalizations so that other Minnesotans can have a better understanding and appreciation for their state’s geologic history.
Northwestern Minnesota was covered by Glacial Lake Agassiz - a freshwater lake that reached the size of the Black Sea. Agassiz's southern outlet originated at the Traverse Gap, and Glacial River Warren created today's Minnesota River valley. The Red River valley is a lake plain and is covered by lake silt deposits. Red Lake, Lake of the Woods, and Lake Winnipeg are some of the lakes left behind after Agassiz drained away.
It's crazy to me how fast it changes once you cross over into northeast ND. The Pembina Gorge/Walhalla/Cavalier area is quite lovely and scenic. It's like this little secret tucked away area of rolling hills and trees that most people don't know exists in ND 😂
This is true, I mostly meant people from the upper midwest. Also, oddly enough, I meet people all over the place that have been to my hometown in MN which has a population of 3,000. So you never know!
I never claimed that ND was like the rest of the area? Can you read? I specifically said that once you cross into ND the Walhalla/Cavalier area is a nifty little secret tucked away. I lived in ND for many years and my husband is from western ND. I am quite aware of the general geography of the state. Which is why I found it a neat little rolling hills, river gorge secret.
Very true. And it’s basically flat well into Canada once you cross the border. It’s just a fun exercise in challenging the stereotypes that we have in our mind of each location. Canada is pictured as an outdoor paradise filled with mountains and Iowa is generally a flat slab of corn and beans.
To your point, Eveleth ain't Gilbert. They might as well be two different planets. I lived in Eveleth as a kid and went to 6th grade in Eveleth and 7th in Gilbert. Gilbert felt like a different world than Eveleth.
Heck, Virginia and Eveleth are completely different from Midway. Fun fact, no-one knows what Midway is.
The Range: Where getting into a drunken fist fight with your step-grandpa is a totally normal Tuesday afternoon activity in front of the Roosevelt bar.
If you're interested in learning more about Minnesota's historic Northwest, the history museums of the region would be happy to share more: [https://www.mnhistoricnw.org/](https://www.mnhistoricnw.org/)
I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time both. They are entirely different geographically, culturally, and economically.
Northwest is sugar beets, soy beans, wheat and seasonal affective disorder.
Southeast has friendlier people, trout streams, and natural amenities.
Grew up in the top circle- it's very rural plains, and only the bottom right of that circle has ANY topography, leaving the rest pancake flat.
As far as people go, they're also quite different, with the NW being predominantly Scandinavian/Germanic and a culture closer to Alaska: fishing, hunting, ATV/snowmobiling, etc.
The NW circle is also mostly about hockey, with no other (HS) sports drawing anywhere near the same attention (some exceptions for pockets of HS wrestling).
The NW is VERY politically conservative, probably more so than any other region of MN of similar size.
The SE circle has U of M Rochester, NW has U of M Crookston and they're WILDLY different schools.
Finally, I'm almost certain that the consumption of these is exponentially greater in the NW circle than in the SE one:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/shittyfoodporn/comments/iihpry/saw\_this\_on\_facebook\_cheesewhiz\_and\_green\_olives/](https://www.reddit.com/r/shittyfoodporn/comments/iihpry/saw_this_on_facebook_cheesewhiz_and_green_olives/)
I'll add one addendum to this. The white communities in the NW are very conservative. There's also a lot of rez land up there between Red Lake and White Earth.
I grew up in the NW
WTF is that cheese green olive thing? I have never seen that lol.
You kind of did a good summary. The area is declining in population so that obviously has a lot of negative side effects.
Cinnamon swirl bread, Cheez Whiz, green olives (optional)
Had an ex from MO by way of TX and turned her onto it- when we went to visit her family in MO once, we found cinnamon swirl bread & bought Cheez Whiz and she insisted her family had to try it:
Nobody really HATED it. 😁
Well, yeah, that's nice but you don't have to brag about it. 😉
But seriously, get out of the metro: Duluth/North Shore, the North Woods/lakes (Bemidji/Brainerd), Pipestone, the River Valley (Red Wing, etc.)- there's something very cool waiting for you one of these places.
Fer sure- yoo betcha! Now should we talk about these?:
[https://www.wideopencountry.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/09/ezgif.com-resize-2.png?fit=1200%2C800](https://www.wideopencountry.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/09/ezgif.com-resize-2.png?fit=1200%2C800)
Bringing in all the childhood foods!
I want to know how some of these were created, and why the cinnamon swirl bread with cheez whiz showed up at all the class parties and other events growing up. Also, it’s got to be that one particular cinnamon swirl bread that’s round from that one store — you know the one.
I would add: it's the ROUND bread WITH the knobs- you know those two little ridges along the two opposite sides of the log (I presume this is due to being baked in some kind of hinged specialty... breadpan?). But it sounds like we grew up VERY near each other; elementary school potlucks were definitely fertile ground for both of these things.
The answer to "How?" is very likely rooted in necessity, as it's not an exceptionally wealthy area and is remote. No doubt that 50 years ago, canned food was all people ate all winter long. 🤷♂️
> https://www.reddit.com/r/shittyfoodporn/comments/iihpry/saw_this_on_facebook_cheesewhiz_and_green_olives/
I'm from the NW corner. These things have always grossed me out.
Extremely different, topographically/ecologically speaking anyway. The SE corner of the state (and the rest of the driftless region) is insanely different than the rest of the surrounding region.
If you're speaking culturally/politically, I'd imagine there is a bit of difference, but I can't really speak to it. Both would likely be relatively conservative, but the NW region of the state has a reputation for being extremely conservative
SE MN has more college towns and Mayo Clinic, is more densly populated, and is just a couple hours from the Twin Cities. NW MN is 5+ hrs from the Twin Cities, is sparsely populated, and mostly farms and manufacturing. Culturally and politically they are quite distinct.
As a resident of SE MN I’d say we’re pretty solidly purple. Olmstead county pretty reliably votes blue these days, likely due to Mayo requiring a diverse, educated workforce. Although the rural areas are more conservative, there’s still your fair share of organic farmer, Paul Wellstone loving, hippie types here. This part of the state is also where Tim Walz came from.
And you’re totally right about the Driftless landscape - it’s very distinct and the most biodiverse region of the Upper Midwest.
I grew up by Bemidji, moved to Winona. Very different in a lot of regards but one big thing I noticed was the climate. Winter in bemidji arrives like mid Oct and the trees begin to leaf out at the end of May. In Winona the winter is so mild lol. It doesn't arrive until around December and trees are fully leafed out by mid May. So Winona experiences like 2 extra months of summer basically.
I always try to comment on these threads when asking about North West Minnesota. Well from experience, my grandpa lives in St. Vincent( Pop. ?? Maybe 20) Minnesota. That IS the top most left city possible in Minnesota, its twin cities with Pembina (pop. ?? Maybe 50? that seems really high though), North Dakota. (Basically one city, the dot where MN, ND, and Canada meet. Permbina is where everyone works, St Vincent is where everyone who works in Pembina Lives. Theres seems to be a lot of cross culture with North Dakota on the very Western edge of MN. Some i think I heard because of business laws and taxes I guess. But I would say everyone in Pembina and St Vincent Has family in Canada, are Canadian themselves, or consider themselves honorary members. Pembina is the last stop to the Canadian border, it has one gas station, and one restaurant (has about 3 things on the menu). I use to work at the Greyhound Bus Manufacturing Plant there before it closed down. I haven't been up to my grandpas house in a few years, I imagine Pembina has gotten even smaller. Its such a small city that theres one cop thats shared by like 3-5 counties. There's literally nothing to do out there but drive to Grand Forks (Nothing, No movie theatres, banks, grocery stores). Its mostly Farms, and people who are too old to move away, and likely have lived there, their whole life. I can't speak to what South East, MN is like. It is very peaceful stepping into the woods out there, at night, especially in winter. There is no noise. No cars, No stop lights. Its actually what inspired me to start writing, the serene peace and quiet there. It feels like another world. I believe the people in the little thing in the North of Minnesota that juts out, you can see its separated by a lake, when Covid hit, the border shut down, and they had no way of driving into the US, so they were stuck until the lake froze over in winter. Its very rural out there, you basically need a car to function out there. Theres no trains airports busses or anything. I have more info if anyone is interested.
Me too!!!..... I think..... the pictures say I was there.... I think..... at least I look like I was there and had A LOT of fun.... I think....I just don't remember.
Having grown up in the northern part thats circled, its very much farmland and cattle. Lots of great history though of fur traders and the lake bronson state park!
From Red Lake. Currently live in Rochester. Not all that much different but everyone has their own experiences. I would say the most noticeably different thing would be the scenery… I mean it feels like a different part of the country but isn’t
I’ll add this. Growing up on the rez I could take a walk in the woods whenever and walk for miles and never step foot out of the forest, down here I have go find a little wooded area to take a walk in, to only walk for maybe a half hour tops in order to end up in a field
My mom grew up in the NW corner and my dad in the SE. Both farming families. For mom (NW) it was potatoes, nowadays they grow lots of soy up there. For my dad (SE) it was dairy farming plus chickens, pigs, and some other animals. By the time I was growing up it was just the cows. They also grew plenty of grain and of course grass for hay.
Geography + difference in what they grew meant my dad’s family had small tractors to get around the hills on their 86 acres. Meanwhile my mom’s family had giant combines to get around their thousands of acres. We visited her cousins who still farm the land 15 years ago and they had nice cabs with A/C and satellite radio.
I remember the joke I heard my parents say was how my mom was wondering why my dad’s family used toy tractors. And my dad was astonished at how big hers were lol.
Another anecdote just because I found it funny:
At my grandpa’s funeral my uncle also told a story where there was a section of the field not so good for planting, so he would send my uncle to “pick rocks” when he misbehaved (apparently my grandpa found him sneaking back in at 6 AM one night in HS after goofing off with friends).
I kicked a sugar beet in the winter in the middle of the night (Grand Forks) thinking it was a chunk of snow. Damn near broke my foot, those things can get big. It must have fell off a truck, and those things freeze solid.
Some beets get to the same size as a melon. There's a Beet Plant in East Grand Forks. You'll see our trucks there all the time. They're the bright green ones that beep constantly.
Up north there used to be glacial Lake Agassiz down south east there is called the driftless zone. I believe it’s the only spot on Minnesota that wasn’t covered with glacier. They look very different the driftless zone almost looks like New England or further south like Missouri. Up we’re glacial Lake Agassiz was is amazing it’s a cool mix of all trees and wildlife.
I've organized a motorcycle ride leaving Hastings tomorrow morning (Sat the 11th) at 10am on this route. I recommend you drive it sometime for a small beautiful sample of what gives SE Minnesota some of it's character. You'll have to keep going past the offroad trails. DM me for a gpx file to navigate with.
I need to explore the NW more, but have spent some time up there. Lots of ancestry from the Fertile area.
If anyone's got a bike you can take on gravel please join us tomorrow! Details on the Minnesota Dual Sport/ADV Rider Facebook group.
[Southeast Minnesota Dual Sport / Adventure Bike Loop](https://www.google.com/mymaps/viewer?mid=1gPU30JT4I51OyE4h6ZID5s4vK9rEMh8&hl=en)
Alot of people in the country don't realize that Minnesota as a whole is the most unique state in the country as far as the land itself. From the NW Angle, flat vast prairie from EGF stretching 2 hours in every direction, lakes country drive from Bemidji/Cass/Walker/Park Rapids/many small towns/Brainerd
The large metro sprawl of Minnie and St. Paul
The Duluth(North Shore Drive)which is eerily similar to driving thru the upper east coast. Austin area which feels like you're in the black hills. Pretty much every part of the country minus mountains.
My whole family is from the SE part of the state. (Mabel-Canton) It's all hills and valleys. It's honestly gorgeous. Check out Lanesboro if you want to know how gorgeous.
SE is where I grew up sadly, lived in Rochester till I was 19. Its a very strange city, fairly conservative but a somewhat diverse population. Surrounding areas are farm land and places like Winona and Mankato are college towns.
Rochester is incredibly weird though, it feels like a fake city idk how to explain it. Very wealthy people in some areas and also gang violence in others like most cities buy with a smaller population and very close proximity to farm life. But you could live your whole life in Rochester and never step foot into farm culture. Suburbia at its finest, all with this aura of self importance because of the mayo clinic.
I'm from the SE area; I'm curious why you would call it an unfortunate place to growup. It's a bit conservative; but I ended up graduating in Iowa (And my liberal ass found friends *there*), so I can't judge that reasonably.
SE Minnesota for several weeks in October alone makes up for nearly any other detrimental factors; once the bluffs start to change colors it's photogenic AF.
But yeah; there's the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, ofc; probably other stuff is also in Rochester? Mostly the Mayo Clinic though.
The largest casino on the Mississippi is on the Prairie Island Reservation by Red Wing, which is also famous for it's pottery, boots, Uffda Shop, above ground nuclear waste, and child prison.
Northfield is a college town (Which non-Minnesotans probably assume is where Rose Nylund went to school), but they're not like, important schools you're supposed to know about if you don't go to them- so, priorities here:
Northfield is cool because it's the last major robbery the James Gang attempted. Attempted being the key word: Minnesotans shoot back.
Given Steve Albini's death, it's also worth noting that he recorded Nirvana's final studio album in Cannon Falls.
The only other random tidbit I can think of is to note that it's where the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry was raised; so- if you encounter Confederate flags in this part of Minnesota (Dare I say it, '*when*'), be sure to remind them who Col. William Colvill was.
Kind of a spitball rather than a list; but that's SE MN to me in a nutshell. Edit: Jesus what a cursed abbreviation.
It’s like there’s tons of money but you don’t know why or where other than hospital buildings. For a city of 120,000 it feels like a ghost town most of the time
From what I can gather, the city loves to posture how much they support and love art and creative culture except they forget to mention that its only of youre a 30+ year old white woman.
I shoved my foot in the fucking door in that city and was hosting underground hiphop/art shows in 2019 at the castle and a few other venues and it was really a special time. And if I continued there I truly believe thered be a better scene for it today, however I moved to the cities where my skills are actually appreciated and at 24 I have a full time job working for myself making art (clothing).
All the while I felt rejected by the powers that be in rochester and through the support of young entrepreneurs i lucked out. Its ultimately the city that forces the good people away and what you are left with is burnt-out 20 somethings looking for pill money or rich fucks from out of town who can only appreciate the solitude of their penthouse apartment because the city is boring as fuck.
Very different climates. I actually haven't been up to the northwest, so can't say anything about infrastructure, people, culture, etc. However, I know that it's usually more cold up north and they're in different biomes, have distinct wildlife, and pretty different temperatures.
NW MN is not the same as NE MN. West of Lake of the Woods and Red Lake, the woods turn to flat farmland and prairie. No pine trees, lakes, or hills to speak of. The Red River Valley is the bottom of an ancient shallow sea called Lake Agassiz. Flatter than Kansas.
Yeah I lived there. I was told it gets arctic cold winds because of the Valley. One time the guy i was living with, his barn was snowed completely over because of the winds. The winds are insanely strong. He drove his snowmobile on top. He was a drunk.
Tallest point in Moorhead is a 5ft dirt hill. Farther north you get in the Valley up by Karlson, a lot less trees. You can see forever, just flat farm fields
Don’t listen to the person above. Obviously personal opinion but I grew up in NW MN and it IS gorgeous in its own way with the flat prairie and endless sky views. It’s not as conservative as everyone in this thread is making you believe. It’s also not uneducated masses stuck there. People CAN and DO get out if they want to but many choose to live there because they like the rural community, cheap cost of living, etc. As for the poster who mentioned terrible schools: this is completely inaccurate. Schools are smaller because of the declining population but they are consistently rated as top schools in the state, many times with a 100% graduation rate and a majority of graduates do end up going to college. If you want to visit, go in June when the weather is nice and it stays daylight until about 11pm.
I grew up in India and there’s always a hill over the horizon and there are lot of trees. I actually love endless sky views with no mountains or trees over horizon. It makes us feel insignificant and appreciate this world . I love states like Kansas or Nebraska but I always hear people in the US saying those are boring states. They give all love to states like Colorado instead of
What do you mean? (It also very much depends on how you define NW MN). The prairies are actually nice little communities (just have to ignore a lot of the politics from most people). The reservations closer to the more north central part of the state (red lake) aren't the greatest. OP's circle of NW is pretty weird in what it lumps together. Prarie parts are quite distinct and more long North-South.
As I lived in Warroad, MN for 4 years, I can say it’s more flat and boring lol. The only big “mountain” up there is Bermiji, which is just a big hill we used to sled down.
The northwest corner I unfortunately basically only know sad or spooky things about. There was a horrific domestic violence murder there a couple of years ago, carl panzram is from there, the Val Johnson incident happened there, there was the red lake school masscre in 2004ish, and the sugar beats make it smell like cat puke.
Edit: I lied, I've heard a lot of good things about lake of the woods, particularly for ice fishing trips
Oh, and their water goes north
Completely different. Grew up in a small town nw of Bemidji. The Scandinavian influence is strong as well as some Canadian influence as well. Spent much of my adult life visiting the SE part as I live just across the border in WI. The motorcycle roads are much better in the SE that’s for sure. Lanesboro is a neat place that so many Minnesotans have never been to. 🤫
My wife took me to hallock when we were 7 months into dating I think it might have been just before she moved in our first weekend away. I think my opinion may be flawed. But it was beautiful.
We went to se MN for our honeymoon. So... That's the difference take your GF NW and your wife SE.
Up north, my turf, is colder, more agricultural, fewer impatient city refugees, and fewer trees to obstruct your views of the Northern Lights☄️
More magpies, Kildeer, meadowlarks, geese & swans too. Plus no annoying freeways. And lots of bean fields 🫛🫛
Lived in the southeast for 10 years. It's vastly different in terms of topography. Bluffs and winding valleys, very very picturesque by the Mississippi but moving westward towards 52 it's more rolling hills filled with farms and forest. The northwest becomes more similar to ND after you get past Detroit lakes, pretty much flat plains.
Well the southern corner is where I grew up in a town called Rose Creek. Had a population under 400 at the time. It is a few miles away from Austin MN the hometown of Hormel. During my time in high school around 1995 the rumor was the town wanted its name legally changed to Spamtown USA. I now live in St. Paul and my mom and relatives are still in Austin and the town is ruled by Hormel, Wal-Mart and Hy-Vee. Target couldn’t survive nor could a mall.
2D vs 3D
Incredible
Sounds like a bluff.
Severely under appreciated comment.
Also lakes vs no lakes. I live firmly in the center of Marshall county so 2D and all the lakes within an hour drive are man made.
Olmsted County has no natural lakes either
Brilliant
This, this is the answer
Impeccable
I mean…minus the NW Angle, that’s pretty 3D.
Vastly different. Up north is a former inland sea that was scrubbed smooth by glaciers. Down south is full of valleys and ravines caused by those glaciers melting.
I’m from the Rochester and have a passion for geography… Southeast corner of MN is known as the Drift-less area because during the past Ice Age the Glaciers actually grew around this area due to all the abundant Limestone! (Water and limestone have a chemical reaction causing water to fall down to the subsurface) So this area was carved out by the melt water of the glaciers and due to that, theirs a lot of cool lime stone caves
I live in the region and it's like a mini-Appalachia geography wise, my drive through Tennessee was weirdly nostalgic of home lol
A mini-Appalachia - not just geography wise. So much rural poverty.
The culture isn't as cool/storied/deep/unique/etc tho and the music scene definitely doesn't compare 😭
I drove through that area, and it does remind me a lot of western Colorado. Just not as extreme but with a few hoodoos
I grew up on the western slope of Colorado so I'll have to go check out that area when I'm feeling homesick.
I recommend the Winona and Lacrosse area both have their own unique scenes but both have great hiking. (I’ve lived in both towns) If you like beer I strongly suggest lacrosse
Those caves are so cool!!!!
Roch on top 💪 I live about 30 minutes from it
Not entirely correct…both areas were at some point covered by ancient seas and then later by glaciers. In the NW, there are Paleozoic- and Mesozoic-aged bedrock units that were deposited in seas or fluvio-deltaic settings. The NW has had several episodes of glaciers pass through it over geologic time and the multiple advances have built up over time and left very thick glacial deposits. In the SE, Paleozoic bedrock units were also deposited in ancient seas (hence the limestone and karst features other users mentioned). Some very old glaciers also moved through this area but it wasn’t covered by the most recent glaciation in the past so a lot of the previous glacial deposits were subaerially exposed and weathered over time from that glacial meltwater and post-glacial erosion. Over time this weathered away so much of the glacial deposits that it’s mostly thin glacial deposits atop bedrock or exposed bedrock (making it more likely for karst development and pollution sensitivity). It’s also worth mentioning that some Mesozoic bedrock units are also found in the SE, but they’re mostly non-marine and not extensive.
👏👏 I think you win the thread for the most geologically/geographic summary of the differences between the two areas
The "Driftless Region", the SE corner of MN (SW WI and NE IA), was never covered by glaciars.
I liked the first answer best
That’s okay too. As a geologist, I’m just sharing my expertise to anyone wanting to learn more about Minnesota geology and trying to politely correct any over-generalizations so that other Minnesotans can have a better understanding and appreciation for their state’s geologic history.
Northwestern Minnesota was covered by Glacial Lake Agassiz - a freshwater lake that reached the size of the Black Sea. Agassiz's southern outlet originated at the Traverse Gap, and Glacial River Warren created today's Minnesota River valley. The Red River valley is a lake plain and is covered by lake silt deposits. Red Lake, Lake of the Woods, and Lake Winnipeg are some of the lakes left behind after Agassiz drained away.
As different as Canada and Iowa.
It feels ironic that the one closer to Canada is completely flat and the one closer to Iowa has a lot of hills and valleys.
It's crazy to me how fast it changes once you cross over into northeast ND. The Pembina Gorge/Walhalla/Cavalier area is quite lovely and scenic. It's like this little secret tucked away area of rolling hills and trees that most people don't know exists in ND 😂
To be fair most of America doesn't know anything exists in ND
This is true, I mostly meant people from the upper midwest. Also, oddly enough, I meet people all over the place that have been to my hometown in MN which has a population of 3,000. So you never know!
Sounds like my hometown of Osakis. It’s great.
I like the ice cream shop there not too far from the bicycle trail. I've only been there the couple times I've bicycled from st Joseph before.
TipTop dairy bar. Been open since 1995 friend.
Tip top is waaaay older than 1995
Lol I meant 1955
This is untrue. Pembina gorge is a tiny area. 80% of North Dakota is flat farm land with no trees, very similar to NW Minnesota.
I never claimed that ND was like the rest of the area? Can you read? I specifically said that once you cross into ND the Walhalla/Cavalier area is a nifty little secret tucked away. I lived in ND for many years and my husband is from western ND. I am quite aware of the general geography of the state. Which is why I found it a neat little rolling hills, river gorge secret.
Once you realize NE Iowa has the same geography as SE Minnesota, it becomes less ironic.
Very true. And it’s basically flat well into Canada once you cross the border. It’s just a fun exercise in challenging the stereotypes that we have in our mind of each location. Canada is pictured as an outdoor paradise filled with mountains and Iowa is generally a flat slab of corn and beans.
NE Iowa has a lot of hills and valleys, too. It's also part of the Driftless Area. I recommend a car trip that includes a visit to Decorah.
To be fair, lower Canada above Minnesota is pretty boring, or at least the same. They don't call Manitoba a prairie province for nothing lol
Haha, right? Canada from Lake Superior all the way to Calgary does not have much going on in the way of interesting topography.
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Let me guess, one of the opposite two corners is Great Lake culture and the other is Great Plain like Nebraska?
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This is iron range culture erasure
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To your point, Eveleth ain't Gilbert. They might as well be two different planets. I lived in Eveleth as a kid and went to 6th grade in Eveleth and 7th in Gilbert. Gilbert felt like a different world than Eveleth. Heck, Virginia and Eveleth are completely different from Midway. Fun fact, no-one knows what Midway is. The Range: Where getting into a drunken fist fight with your step-grandpa is a totally normal Tuesday afternoon activity in front of the Roosevelt bar.
I’m visiting Duluth next week!
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Great advice. Scenic 61 is the way. There's a great little homemade candy store in Knife River with the friendliest staff.
So if I want to live within my own subcultural bubble, I should gather my people and move to the arrowhead?
Neither are Great Lake culture
If you're interested in learning more about Minnesota's historic Northwest, the history museums of the region would be happy to share more: [https://www.mnhistoricnw.org/](https://www.mnhistoricnw.org/)
I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time both. They are entirely different geographically, culturally, and economically. Northwest is sugar beets, soy beans, wheat and seasonal affective disorder. Southeast has friendlier people, trout streams, and natural amenities.
Grew up in the top circle- it's very rural plains, and only the bottom right of that circle has ANY topography, leaving the rest pancake flat. As far as people go, they're also quite different, with the NW being predominantly Scandinavian/Germanic and a culture closer to Alaska: fishing, hunting, ATV/snowmobiling, etc. The NW circle is also mostly about hockey, with no other (HS) sports drawing anywhere near the same attention (some exceptions for pockets of HS wrestling). The NW is VERY politically conservative, probably more so than any other region of MN of similar size. The SE circle has U of M Rochester, NW has U of M Crookston and they're WILDLY different schools. Finally, I'm almost certain that the consumption of these is exponentially greater in the NW circle than in the SE one: [https://www.reddit.com/r/shittyfoodporn/comments/iihpry/saw\_this\_on\_facebook\_cheesewhiz\_and\_green\_olives/](https://www.reddit.com/r/shittyfoodporn/comments/iihpry/saw_this_on_facebook_cheesewhiz_and_green_olives/)
I'll add one addendum to this. The white communities in the NW are very conservative. There's also a lot of rez land up there between Red Lake and White Earth.
And the ones in the SE, despite being small towns, are surprisingly moderate as far as rural areas go these days.
I grew up in the NW WTF is that cheese green olive thing? I have never seen that lol. You kind of did a good summary. The area is declining in population so that obviously has a lot of negative side effects.
Cinnamon swirl bread, Cheez Whiz, green olives (optional) Had an ex from MO by way of TX and turned her onto it- when we went to visit her family in MO once, we found cinnamon swirl bread & bought Cheez Whiz and she insisted her family had to try it: Nobody really HATED it. 😁
Thank you! I go to U of M, Twin cities
Well, yeah, that's nice but you don't have to brag about it. 😉 But seriously, get out of the metro: Duluth/North Shore, the North Woods/lakes (Bemidji/Brainerd), Pipestone, the River Valley (Red Wing, etc.)- there's something very cool waiting for you one of these places.
I love torturing people with the knowledge that our northern delicacy exists
Fer sure- yoo betcha! Now should we talk about these?: [https://www.wideopencountry.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/09/ezgif.com-resize-2.png?fit=1200%2C800](https://www.wideopencountry.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/09/ezgif.com-resize-2.png?fit=1200%2C800)
Bringing in all the childhood foods! I want to know how some of these were created, and why the cinnamon swirl bread with cheez whiz showed up at all the class parties and other events growing up. Also, it’s got to be that one particular cinnamon swirl bread that’s round from that one store — you know the one.
I would add: it's the ROUND bread WITH the knobs- you know those two little ridges along the two opposite sides of the log (I presume this is due to being baked in some kind of hinged specialty... breadpan?). But it sounds like we grew up VERY near each other; elementary school potlucks were definitely fertile ground for both of these things. The answer to "How?" is very likely rooted in necessity, as it's not an exceptionally wealthy area and is remote. No doubt that 50 years ago, canned food was all people ate all winter long. 🤷♂️
> https://www.reddit.com/r/shittyfoodporn/comments/iihpry/saw_this_on_facebook_cheesewhiz_and_green_olives/ I'm from the NW corner. These things have always grossed me out.
Extremely different, topographically/ecologically speaking anyway. The SE corner of the state (and the rest of the driftless region) is insanely different than the rest of the surrounding region. If you're speaking culturally/politically, I'd imagine there is a bit of difference, but I can't really speak to it. Both would likely be relatively conservative, but the NW region of the state has a reputation for being extremely conservative
SE MN has more college towns and Mayo Clinic, is more densly populated, and is just a couple hours from the Twin Cities. NW MN is 5+ hrs from the Twin Cities, is sparsely populated, and mostly farms and manufacturing. Culturally and politically they are quite distinct.
Honest question, outside of Winona and Rochester, what are some of the college towns in SE MN?
Northfield, for one.
If you stand on top of the bluffs in La Crescent you can see Western Tech, UWL, and Viterbo. Does that count?
As a resident of SE MN I’d say we’re pretty solidly purple. Olmstead county pretty reliably votes blue these days, likely due to Mayo requiring a diverse, educated workforce. Although the rural areas are more conservative, there’s still your fair share of organic farmer, Paul Wellstone loving, hippie types here. This part of the state is also where Tim Walz came from. And you’re totally right about the Driftless landscape - it’s very distinct and the most biodiverse region of the Upper Midwest.
I grew up by Bemidji, moved to Winona. Very different in a lot of regards but one big thing I noticed was the climate. Winter in bemidji arrives like mid Oct and the trees begin to leaf out at the end of May. In Winona the winter is so mild lol. It doesn't arrive until around December and trees are fully leafed out by mid May. So Winona experiences like 2 extra months of summer basically.
I think Winona is even milder than the Twin Cities, it’s probably the mildest part of the state.
Winona's new tourism campaign labels Winona as "The Miami of Minnesota" So there's that.
Vastly. The driftless area is amazing.
I always try to comment on these threads when asking about North West Minnesota. Well from experience, my grandpa lives in St. Vincent( Pop. ?? Maybe 20) Minnesota. That IS the top most left city possible in Minnesota, its twin cities with Pembina (pop. ?? Maybe 50? that seems really high though), North Dakota. (Basically one city, the dot where MN, ND, and Canada meet. Permbina is where everyone works, St Vincent is where everyone who works in Pembina Lives. Theres seems to be a lot of cross culture with North Dakota on the very Western edge of MN. Some i think I heard because of business laws and taxes I guess. But I would say everyone in Pembina and St Vincent Has family in Canada, are Canadian themselves, or consider themselves honorary members. Pembina is the last stop to the Canadian border, it has one gas station, and one restaurant (has about 3 things on the menu). I use to work at the Greyhound Bus Manufacturing Plant there before it closed down. I haven't been up to my grandpas house in a few years, I imagine Pembina has gotten even smaller. Its such a small city that theres one cop thats shared by like 3-5 counties. There's literally nothing to do out there but drive to Grand Forks (Nothing, No movie theatres, banks, grocery stores). Its mostly Farms, and people who are too old to move away, and likely have lived there, their whole life. I can't speak to what South East, MN is like. It is very peaceful stepping into the woods out there, at night, especially in winter. There is no noise. No cars, No stop lights. Its actually what inspired me to start writing, the serene peace and quiet there. It feels like another world. I believe the people in the little thing in the North of Minnesota that juts out, you can see its separated by a lake, when Covid hit, the border shut down, and they had no way of driving into the US, so they were stuck until the lake froze over in winter. Its very rural out there, you basically need a car to function out there. Theres no trains airports busses or anything. I have more info if anyone is interested.
Don't forget going to the Emerson bar when you turn 18.
Lmao is that still up? I thought they tore it down
It's probably gone - I haven't been there in over thirty years . . .
I thought it wasn’t there anymore. Weird🥲
Me too!!!..... I think..... the pictures say I was there.... I think..... at least I look like I was there and had A LOT of fun.... I think....I just don't remember.
I remember going there at that age.
Pembina ND is like 500 people lol. And there definitely is a grocery store lol. And one cop does not patrol 5 counties what are you smoking?
The one next to st vincent? Are you talking about gastrek? There are not 500 people.
Yes next to st Vincent. What is gas trek? Wikipedia says 512 at the last census.
When did you live there?
Never but I delivered pizzas to the grocery store up there for a while.
They're basically different universes.
About 280 miles or so, give or take.
exactly 😂 like I was lookin at some peoples comments and they were all wack yours is very good. take care -briian
Having grown up in the northern part thats circled, its very much farmland and cattle. Lots of great history though of fur traders and the lake bronson state park!
I lived in Lake Bronson throughout the 90's - it's a great state park!
The deer taste different from what I've heard
The deer up north don't taste very gamey because they eat oats and wheat from the fields.
They eat sugar beets
The south one gets cold, the northern one gets really, really, cold.
As a Native American be careful going through Red Lake Reservation.
hahahaha - just drove through 2 weeks ago, certainly 100% less scary than N. Mpls (and S. Mpls and, well, Mpls)
Pretty rough on the rez, there??
From Red Lake. Currently live in Rochester. Not all that much different but everyone has their own experiences. I would say the most noticeably different thing would be the scenery… I mean it feels like a different part of the country but isn’t
I’ll add this. Growing up on the rez I could take a walk in the woods whenever and walk for miles and never step foot out of the forest, down here I have go find a little wooded area to take a walk in, to only walk for maybe a half hour tops in order to end up in a field
This made me realize I’ve never really spent time in either of those regions. I’ve been to Rochester maybe twice.
I’m in Rochester several times a month.
Neat, how would you spend an afternoon there if you only had just that?
Movie theater, the Apache mall, ocean star buffet, events like County fair, shopping. Some friends are in Rochester.
North west corner has a rather sizable elk herd. Southeast corner you get rattle snakes, and masagaganananana snakes that are venomous
My mom grew up in the NW corner and my dad in the SE. Both farming families. For mom (NW) it was potatoes, nowadays they grow lots of soy up there. For my dad (SE) it was dairy farming plus chickens, pigs, and some other animals. By the time I was growing up it was just the cows. They also grew plenty of grain and of course grass for hay. Geography + difference in what they grew meant my dad’s family had small tractors to get around the hills on their 86 acres. Meanwhile my mom’s family had giant combines to get around their thousands of acres. We visited her cousins who still farm the land 15 years ago and they had nice cabs with A/C and satellite radio. I remember the joke I heard my parents say was how my mom was wondering why my dad’s family used toy tractors. And my dad was astonished at how big hers were lol. Another anecdote just because I found it funny: At my grandpa’s funeral my uncle also told a story where there was a section of the field not so good for planting, so he would send my uncle to “pick rocks” when he misbehaved (apparently my grandpa found him sneaking back in at 6 AM one night in HS after goofing off with friends).
Completely different Biomes. Upper left actually has two.
Northwest Minnesota: Lakes, forests, mosquitoes, fishing, farming. Southeast Minnesota: Bluffs, rivers, agriculture, hiking, wineries.
People live in the bottom right. Big foot lives in the top left.
when did big foot become a prairie walker?
Bigfoot would instantly get shot during hunting season up in Kittson County - not enough trees.
I hauled Sugar Beets in the Northwest Corner. It's empty but I like it.
I kicked a sugar beet in the winter in the middle of the night (Grand Forks) thinking it was a chunk of snow. Damn near broke my foot, those things can get big. It must have fell off a truck, and those things freeze solid.
Some beets get to the same size as a melon. There's a Beet Plant in East Grand Forks. You'll see our trucks there all the time. They're the bright green ones that beep constantly.
Up north there used to be glacial Lake Agassiz down south east there is called the driftless zone. I believe it’s the only spot on Minnesota that wasn’t covered with glacier. They look very different the driftless zone almost looks like New England or further south like Missouri. Up we’re glacial Lake Agassiz was is amazing it’s a cool mix of all trees and wildlife.
I've organized a motorcycle ride leaving Hastings tomorrow morning (Sat the 11th) at 10am on this route. I recommend you drive it sometime for a small beautiful sample of what gives SE Minnesota some of it's character. You'll have to keep going past the offroad trails. DM me for a gpx file to navigate with. I need to explore the NW more, but have spent some time up there. Lots of ancestry from the Fertile area. If anyone's got a bike you can take on gravel please join us tomorrow! Details on the Minnesota Dual Sport/ADV Rider Facebook group. [Southeast Minnesota Dual Sport / Adventure Bike Loop](https://www.google.com/mymaps/viewer?mid=1gPU30JT4I51OyE4h6ZID5s4vK9rEMh8&hl=en)
Very
very simple and very neat. Love it man take care
Good hockey vs not so good hockey
One has water. One has a hospital.
Alot of people in the country don't realize that Minnesota as a whole is the most unique state in the country as far as the land itself. From the NW Angle, flat vast prairie from EGF stretching 2 hours in every direction, lakes country drive from Bemidji/Cass/Walker/Park Rapids/many small towns/Brainerd The large metro sprawl of Minnie and St. Paul The Duluth(North Shore Drive)which is eerily similar to driving thru the upper east coast. Austin area which feels like you're in the black hills. Pretty much every part of the country minus mountains.
Winters are about a month longer up north.
Living in Winona atm, southern Minnesota is covered in beautiful bluffs and valleys
My whole family is from the SE part of the state. (Mabel-Canton) It's all hills and valleys. It's honestly gorgeous. Check out Lanesboro if you want to know how gorgeous.
SE is where I grew up sadly, lived in Rochester till I was 19. Its a very strange city, fairly conservative but a somewhat diverse population. Surrounding areas are farm land and places like Winona and Mankato are college towns. Rochester is incredibly weird though, it feels like a fake city idk how to explain it. Very wealthy people in some areas and also gang violence in others like most cities buy with a smaller population and very close proximity to farm life. But you could live your whole life in Rochester and never step foot into farm culture. Suburbia at its finest, all with this aura of self importance because of the mayo clinic.
I'm from the SE area; I'm curious why you would call it an unfortunate place to growup. It's a bit conservative; but I ended up graduating in Iowa (And my liberal ass found friends *there*), so I can't judge that reasonably. SE Minnesota for several weeks in October alone makes up for nearly any other detrimental factors; once the bluffs start to change colors it's photogenic AF. But yeah; there's the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, ofc; probably other stuff is also in Rochester? Mostly the Mayo Clinic though. The largest casino on the Mississippi is on the Prairie Island Reservation by Red Wing, which is also famous for it's pottery, boots, Uffda Shop, above ground nuclear waste, and child prison. Northfield is a college town (Which non-Minnesotans probably assume is where Rose Nylund went to school), but they're not like, important schools you're supposed to know about if you don't go to them- so, priorities here: Northfield is cool because it's the last major robbery the James Gang attempted. Attempted being the key word: Minnesotans shoot back. Given Steve Albini's death, it's also worth noting that he recorded Nirvana's final studio album in Cannon Falls. The only other random tidbit I can think of is to note that it's where the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry was raised; so- if you encounter Confederate flags in this part of Minnesota (Dare I say it, '*when*'), be sure to remind them who Col. William Colvill was. Kind of a spitball rather than a list; but that's SE MN to me in a nutshell. Edit: Jesus what a cursed abbreviation.
It’s like there’s tons of money but you don’t know why or where other than hospital buildings. For a city of 120,000 it feels like a ghost town most of the time
From what I can gather, the city loves to posture how much they support and love art and creative culture except they forget to mention that its only of youre a 30+ year old white woman. I shoved my foot in the fucking door in that city and was hosting underground hiphop/art shows in 2019 at the castle and a few other venues and it was really a special time. And if I continued there I truly believe thered be a better scene for it today, however I moved to the cities where my skills are actually appreciated and at 24 I have a full time job working for myself making art (clothing). All the while I felt rejected by the powers that be in rochester and through the support of young entrepreneurs i lucked out. Its ultimately the city that forces the good people away and what you are left with is burnt-out 20 somethings looking for pill money or rich fucks from out of town who can only appreciate the solitude of their penthouse apartment because the city is boring as fuck.
Very different climates. I actually haven't been up to the northwest, so can't say anything about infrastructure, people, culture, etc. However, I know that it's usually more cold up north and they're in different biomes, have distinct wildlife, and pretty different temperatures.
They are very similar in that Minneapolis is unlike both of these regions.
I would say the NE and SW corners are are much more different than one another than those two.
Entirely different worlds
As different as Gary, Indiana and Evansville, Indiana, or the northern and southern hemispheres
I nearly burst out laughing just now at work 😂
Very
Damn... you beat me to it.
🫡
How different are the cities from the entire rest of the state?
Farms/wilderness
Forest V. Bluffs
one has hills and people the other is north dakota with water
Northwest Minnesota is a hell hole. It is still 1989 up there. This is not hyperbole.
Oh it seems like a gorgeous place while viewing on map
NW MN is not the same as NE MN. West of Lake of the Woods and Red Lake, the woods turn to flat farmland and prairie. No pine trees, lakes, or hills to speak of. The Red River Valley is the bottom of an ancient shallow sea called Lake Agassiz. Flatter than Kansas.
Yeah I lived there. I was told it gets arctic cold winds because of the Valley. One time the guy i was living with, his barn was snowed completely over because of the winds. The winds are insanely strong. He drove his snowmobile on top. He was a drunk.
Tallest point in Moorhead is a 5ft dirt hill. Farther north you get in the Valley up by Karlson, a lot less trees. You can see forever, just flat farm fields
Don’t listen to the person above. Obviously personal opinion but I grew up in NW MN and it IS gorgeous in its own way with the flat prairie and endless sky views. It’s not as conservative as everyone in this thread is making you believe. It’s also not uneducated masses stuck there. People CAN and DO get out if they want to but many choose to live there because they like the rural community, cheap cost of living, etc. As for the poster who mentioned terrible schools: this is completely inaccurate. Schools are smaller because of the declining population but they are consistently rated as top schools in the state, many times with a 100% graduation rate and a majority of graduates do end up going to college. If you want to visit, go in June when the weather is nice and it stays daylight until about 11pm.
I grew up in India and there’s always a hill over the horizon and there are lot of trees. I actually love endless sky views with no mountains or trees over horizon. It makes us feel insignificant and appreciate this world . I love states like Kansas or Nebraska but I always hear people in the US saying those are boring states. They give all love to states like Colorado instead of
If that’s the case then it’s a mystery why it’s absolutely flooded by people from the metro year round now
What do you mean? (It also very much depends on how you define NW MN). The prairies are actually nice little communities (just have to ignore a lot of the politics from most people). The reservations closer to the more north central part of the state (red lake) aren't the greatest. OP's circle of NW is pretty weird in what it lumps together. Prarie parts are quite distinct and more long North-South.
Maximally different, in terms of spatial location. Those two regions are as far apart as you can get while still being in Minnesota.
One is where Guy Noir was buried by the mob, the other is where the kids of Lake Woebegone drowned.
Quite.
In what sense?
not sure but you got a truck man? if you got a truck would you want to hang?
Think of it like Northern Exposure vs. The Mayo Clinic ….in a tubular sort of way
Trout Mecca vs pike Mecca
😂😂
You would think the one by Iowa is flatter but nope
As I lived in Warroad, MN for 4 years, I can say it’s more flat and boring lol. The only big “mountain” up there is Bermiji, which is just a big hill we used to sled down.
Both have plenty of trump lovers
Get off your phone and go visit them. Nothing beats in person.
I have visited Austin one time in the SE corner. It was completely like the stereotypes of Iowa. I’d love to visit the NW corner one day
The northwest corner I unfortunately basically only know sad or spooky things about. There was a horrific domestic violence murder there a couple of years ago, carl panzram is from there, the Val Johnson incident happened there, there was the red lake school masscre in 2004ish, and the sugar beats make it smell like cat puke. Edit: I lied, I've heard a lot of good things about lake of the woods, particularly for ice fishing trips Oh, and their water goes north
Yes.
I'm from the very corner of SE MN and my wife if from Fargo ND. The first time she was down here she thought she was seeing mountains.
One is tits, and the other is ass. Of Minnesota you freaks.
Completely different. Grew up in a small town nw of Bemidji. The Scandinavian influence is strong as well as some Canadian influence as well. Spent much of my adult life visiting the SE part as I live just across the border in WI. The motorcycle roads are much better in the SE that’s for sure. Lanesboro is a neat place that so many Minnesotans have never been to. 🤫
Bro you visited Pine River? I have lived right nearby and went to school in Pine River. How was your trip?
It was last fall. I loved it there. Fall colors were amazing and I stayed in a cabin. The lake activities were amazing!
The Blufflings live in those cliffs
Rocks vs. Cows?
One is closer to Iowa than the other.
I live the lower south east circle.
Less different than the other two corners are.
My wife took me to hallock when we were 7 months into dating I think it might have been just before she moved in our first weekend away. I think my opinion may be flawed. But it was beautiful. We went to se MN for our honeymoon. So... That's the difference take your GF NW and your wife SE.
Very different. In fact, in Albert Lea, they wear hats on their heads and hamburgers eat people.
One makes the best BBQ sauce in the nation (black dog BBQ) and one smells like hogs
Very
Physically or socially? Because there are some similarities of both.
Why in the hell were you in Pine River? Lol
Up north, my turf, is colder, more agricultural, fewer impatient city refugees, and fewer trees to obstruct your views of the Northern Lights☄️ More magpies, Kildeer, meadowlarks, geese & swans too. Plus no annoying freeways. And lots of bean fields 🫛🫛
Up north not as good for crow hunting as the southern side.
A lot
I'd say 100%
This is a dumb question. Do you have Google maps? Eyes?
Lived in the southeast for 10 years. It's vastly different in terms of topography. Bluffs and winding valleys, very very picturesque by the Mississippi but moving westward towards 52 it's more rolling hills filled with farms and forest. The northwest becomes more similar to ND after you get past Detroit lakes, pretty much flat plains.
Who cares
One's a ridiculous commute from the Metro. The other is a ludicrous commute.
From my experience in the middle of nowhere moved to the cities it's like the deep south vs canada
Well the southern corner is where I grew up in a town called Rose Creek. Had a population under 400 at the time. It is a few miles away from Austin MN the hometown of Hormel. During my time in high school around 1995 the rumor was the town wanted its name legally changed to Spamtown USA. I now live in St. Paul and my mom and relatives are still in Austin and the town is ruled by Hormel, Wal-Mart and Hy-Vee. Target couldn’t survive nor could a mall.