26 More Days before I leave for Wisconsin and "The Lake"

Lesson 6 in How To Talk Minnesotan....A Visitor's Guide covers two main points. It covers an important aspect of Minnesotan. How you should expect someone to meet and greet you when you come to Minnesota. And it covers where you may decide to go while you're in Minnesota.

"When you travel to Minnesota, I hope you're not expecting to be met at the border by a bunch of hyper people in colorful clothing. Our black-and-white signs at the state line say it all: MINNESOTA. If a smiling group of people with colorful clothing does meet you at the border, lock the doors and don't get out of the car. They probably escaped from someplace."

For the most part, the above is true. On the otherhand, this is not true for those Minnesotans of Italian ancestry. I know because I married into such a family. Lots of hugs! Lots of pinched cheeks! You learn to accept such things. Eventually.

The second part of the lesson had me scrambling to check the copyright page of this book. Yep! Outdated. There are legal casinos in Minnesota and they are not located out in the middle of the great wooded boundary waters. Indian casinos. The entertainment is really quite nice (it has to be...who would come if it wasn't). It is doubtful that you will have to make do with polka bands (though I have nothing against such bands) or some comedian who plays a saw and tells Norwegian jokes. Most of the smokers in Minnesota and Wisconsin hang out at one of the casinos. The air is blue with smoke. I don't actually recommend going to a Minnesota or Wisconsin casino if you like to gamble. You might as well hand the guard at the door your money and save yourself some time. The odds are poor. If you wanted to gamble you should have gone to Vegas. With over 10,000 lakes, you'd be better off fishing in Minnesota....the odds are better that you will get at least one bite (even if that bite is only from a mosquito).