Why Minnesota You Might Ask?

Everyone knows that it is called The Land of a Ten Thousand Lakes, or that the capital is St. Paul and that it is the home of the football team The Vikings, but we here at Minnesota Home Rentals, think that there are some interesting facts that you may not know about one of the most naturally beautiful states in the union…

1. There is over 90,000 miles of coastline in Minnesota. That’s more than Florida, and California combined! With all that water around, Minnesotans love to fish, boost and hang out around a camp fire next to one of our many awesome lakes.

2 Minnesota is actually a Sioux word that means, “sky tinted water“, which describes the Minnesota River the state is named after nicely.

3. We have the largest mall in the United States, the Mall Of America, which boasts an indoor rollercoaster and miles of indoor shopping. It is widely held that the shopping mall as we know it today was first invented by a Minnesotan.

4. We invented scotch tape, so the next time you have to leave a Post-it Note somewhere, just remember that 3M stands for Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing. We are also the notable creators of kitty litter, water skis, the cardiac pacemaker(thank you Mayo Clinic), and Wheaties, to name a few.

5. We are the source of the Mississippi River and we have a booming shipping economy.

6. The Port of Duluth, Minnesota can be reached from the Atlantic Ocean entirely by water.

7. St. Paul’s original name was Pig’s Eye. This unflattering name was given to the area by Pierre “Pig’s Eye” Parrant in 1838. Parrant built the area’s first structure, which he called the “whiskey seller’s cabin” at the mouth of a cave along the Mississippi River near present day downtown St. Paul. A retired fur trader and a man of dubious reputation, Parrant was known as Pig’s Eye due to the fact that he had a patch over one eye, and the remaining eye had a distinct white ring around its pupil, giving it a look that was viewed as piggish. However dubious and unattractive he was, Parrant became a successful businessman when he opened his Pig’s Eye Tavern in 1838. Since the Pig’s Eye Tavern was actually a bootlegging outpost, his enterprise lasted only two short years as soldiers from nearby Fort Snelling forced old Pig’s Eye Parrant out of business. A decade later, the Minnesota Territory was formalized and the area was renamed St. Paul.

8. Downtown Minneapolis has skyways, a system of glass tunnels located one or two stories above ground, that link 69 city blocks. The Minneapolis skyway system is 8 miles in total length and connects the second and third floors of banks, restaurants, hotels, and the corporate and government buildings that make up downtown. Hovering majestically above the downtown streets, the skyway system is designed to allow pedestrians to live, eat, work and shop without going outside. If you’ve ever spent a winter in Minnesota, you’ll understand why the city went to such great lengths to protect its citizens from the elements. Among the more popular venues you can reach via the skyway system are The Target Center, where the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx basketball teams play, the IDS Building and its Crystal Court, the Orpheum Theater, The Minneapolis Convention Center and the Historic State Theater.

9. As of 2009, the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus was the sixth largest university campus in the nation by enrollment with approximately 51,000 students. Among the more famous and successful University of Minnesota attendees are former vice presidents Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale, former congressman and three time presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy, Earl Bakken, inventor of the cardiac pacemaker, Bob Dylan and Henry Fonda, neither of which graduated, and baseball legends Paul Molitor and Dave Winfield, among many others. The U of M boasts five Pulitzer Prize winning writers and musicians including Robert Penn Warren, the author of All the King’s Men, as well as seven Nobel Laureates.

10. Because Minnesota has so much amazing natural beauty it’s no wonder that the average resident is very active outdoors. From hunting, to canoeing, and everything in between, the increased activity levels, combined with all the fresh, wholesome food grown or produced right here, means that the people of Minnesota have some of the longest life expectancies of nearly any other state.

At Minnesota Home Rentals we know that you and your family will love all the fun, beautiful and unique experiences that await you. We know that your time is valuable, and our streamlined approach to real restate, which includes a thorough interviewing process so we can match you with the perfect home, will eliminate the stress and get your family settled quicker. After all, with all the awesome things to do around here, we know your family has more interesting adventures to get into.

Whether you are a looking for a apartment for one, or perhaps you have need for a house with enough rooms for the whole gang, Minnesota Home Rentals has it all! Call today to learn more and to get started with one of our knowledgeable real estate professionals on finding the dream home you and your family deserve! 1-612-293-5154!

photo credit: Micky** via photopin cc