Tasty Minnesota Tidbits!

In anticipation of our upcoming move, I thought I would do a little digging on Minneapolis, and Minnesota, and see what we could all learn! Here is what I found:

* Minneapolis is first in the nation in literacy and second in per capita theaters
* The Mall of America in Bloomington is the size of 78 football fields --- 9.5 million square feet

* Minnesota has 90,000 miles of shoreline, more than California, Florida and Hawaii combined
* Minneapolis was ranked in 1998 by Money magazine as the best large Midwestern city in which to live

* Minneapolis has more golfers per capita than any other city in the country

* Minneapolis was named one of the safest cities in the United States.
* Minnesota is the nation's 12th largest state. 4,854 square miles of Minnesota's area is covered by water.
* “Minnesota” translates literally to “sky-tinted water.”

* Minnesota has one recreational boat per every six people, more than any other state

* Minneapolis ranks fifth in the country in total downtown retail sales, only behind New York City, Los Angeles, Boston, and San Francisco. There is no sales tax on clothing in Minnesota (Yay!!)
* The first Automatic Pop-up toaster was marketed in June 1926 by McGraw Electric Co. in Minneapolis under the name Toastmaster. The retail price was $13.50
* For many years, the world's largest twine ball has sat in Darwin. It weighs 17,400 pounds, is twelve feet in diameter, and was the creation of Francis A. Johnson.

* Tonka Trucks were developed and are continued to be manufactured in Minnetonka

* The world's largest pelican stands at the base of the Mill Pond dam on the Pelican River, right in downtown Pelican Rapids

* Minneapolis’ famed skyway system connecting 52 blocks (nearly five miles) of downtown makes it possible to live, eat, work and shop without going outside
* Minnesota Inventions: Masking and Scotch tape, Wheaties cereal, Bisquick, HMOs, the bundt pan, Aveda beauty products, and Green Giant vegetables
* Alexander Anderson of Red Wing discovered the processes to puff wheat and rice giving us the indispensable rice cakes.

And now we are all a little more Minnesota educated! :o)