This small town boasts pride for its high school. The mascot of Falls High is the Bronco. Prior to being called the Broncos, the mascot was "the Purple and Gold." Thankfully for local citizens, and to the possible dismay of local hockey enthusiasts, the town produced a football legend by the name of Bronko Nagurski. Bronko played for the Chicago Bears for several years. What remains of the Nagurski legend is a dedicated museum, a high school mascot, family tradition, and a local oil company. However, since Nagurski's rise, it is unknown to this blogger whether any other athletic heroes have been raised outside of hockey.
But, as I digress, all alumni horses have called for a stampede to the homeland for 5-6 days of celebration. This is the second annual "All Class Reunion." This event started in 2002 and occurs every five years. It is a spectacle that the local economy embraces whole heartedly, even if local citizens do not. Several community members that have spoken to me insist that this extravaganza is more embraced by those Bronco's who chose to leave the pasture. Whatever the position of the various participants, the festival is unique. The set up is something similar to a small scale county fair. Various concession vendor's have placed their booths on the through out the center of town. And if you are wondering, there is one vendor serving up fried walleye.
Adding to the festival's flamboyance last night was a full moon. The planner of this event must have failed to have checked the Farmer's Almanac. A mixture of Koochiching citizens with unending alcohol and a full moon makes for an interesting situation.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Unusual Weekend
Today marked something unique for my wife and me. We stayed in International Falls for this weekend. To some people this may not seem like earth shattering news. However, the events in our lives have created a tendency for us to travel on the weekends. Most of the time we are bound for St. Cloud to visit family or to Duluth to get some shopping done. This was a rare weekend where we needed to do either!
So what is there to do in this town on a weekend? First and foremost is sleeping in. The alarm clock in our bedroom is a unique one. It stand about 16 inches tall, weighs 24 pounds and has four legs. It is also very fuzzy, loves to snuggle in under the covers and occasionally cracks off a foul odor of gas. This is our dog Kodiak- a Shiba Inu. Kodiak's biological urges rarely exceed the hour of 8:00 A.M.. His routine is to attempt getting both of us up, succeed in waking my wife, go outside to conduct business, come back in, be hyperactive for three minutes, walk back to the bedroom, and snuggle into my side. Kodiak is then woken up after I shake off my nightly coma, which is around the hour of 10:00 A.M..
Today my spouse and I explored the local gym, which is called Northsite. We had intended on touring the gym much earlier into our northland life. But, about a month or two after we moved in last July, the gym had a fire. The remodel was not completed until this past February. At that point I was reffing hockey on a nightly basis and getting exercise, and saw no reason to join. However, since hockey ended in March, the higher powers that be increased my appetite. Now, I have good cause to join: general unfitness.
After exploring the gym, we returned to the Northsite to play racquetball. We played for about an hour and a half, then tried out some of the other equipment there like the Elliptical Runners, treadmills and stair steppers. We came to the conclusion that we will probably end up becoming full fledged members. It isn't the Quality of Gold's Gym or Anytime Fitness, but it is more than adequate for a town of this size.
Our final business of the night took us out to Thunderbird Lodge for a retirement party. One of the members of the legal community had his final good buy. The group actually consisted of about four couples in their mid-twenties, others who were slightly older, and the retiree with his wife. We sat out on the deck of the Thunderbird, which is situated directly over the waters of Rainy Lake.
Till next time!
So what is there to do in this town on a weekend? First and foremost is sleeping in. The alarm clock in our bedroom is a unique one. It stand about 16 inches tall, weighs 24 pounds and has four legs. It is also very fuzzy, loves to snuggle in under the covers and occasionally cracks off a foul odor of gas. This is our dog Kodiak- a Shiba Inu. Kodiak's biological urges rarely exceed the hour of 8:00 A.M.. His routine is to attempt getting both of us up, succeed in waking my wife, go outside to conduct business, come back in, be hyperactive for three minutes, walk back to the bedroom, and snuggle into my side. Kodiak is then woken up after I shake off my nightly coma, which is around the hour of 10:00 A.M..
Today my spouse and I explored the local gym, which is called Northsite. We had intended on touring the gym much earlier into our northland life. But, about a month or two after we moved in last July, the gym had a fire. The remodel was not completed until this past February. At that point I was reffing hockey on a nightly basis and getting exercise, and saw no reason to join. However, since hockey ended in March, the higher powers that be increased my appetite. Now, I have good cause to join: general unfitness.
After exploring the gym, we returned to the Northsite to play racquetball. We played for about an hour and a half, then tried out some of the other equipment there like the Elliptical Runners, treadmills and stair steppers. We came to the conclusion that we will probably end up becoming full fledged members. It isn't the Quality of Gold's Gym or Anytime Fitness, but it is more than adequate for a town of this size.
Our final business of the night took us out to Thunderbird Lodge for a retirement party. One of the members of the legal community had his final good buy. The group actually consisted of about four couples in their mid-twenties, others who were slightly older, and the retiree with his wife. We sat out on the deck of the Thunderbird, which is situated directly over the waters of Rainy Lake.
Till next time!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Brief History
Here is a brief history of who I am, which will help make the lessons in Minnesota geography and sociology more flavorful.
In late August 1980, my parents allowed me the pleasure of tasting oxygen for the first time. I could not get enough of the stuff. Simultaneously, the higher-powers-that-be declared that I was a tiny individual who would be granted admission to life outside my mother's womb. However, no one informed me the passport stamp associated with the world of earth would ultimately consist of a birthmark. Even had I received proper notice of this, my brain would not have understood such a concept.
After birth, I was relocated to the town of Lakeland, Florida. My parents fed, bathed and clothed me. They even provided me with a bed. Two years later, my parents had the idea that because I was some type of success, in the sense I had not perished under their watch, that a duplicate should be created. My parents must have put more thought into the design of the second child because he came out with the qualities of a cat: smart, occasional attitude, athletic, and always lands on his feet regardless of the situation. The early part of 1982 brought a brother into my life.
Florida had exciting opportunities for two extremely young bachelors. Life revolved around soccer, baseball and school. Occasionally we would be burdened with trips to the doctors or dentists. The nice part of being younger is that you have no idea how busy life can get. Your calendar is handle by a joint scheduling committee- your parents. In so far as we knew, the only thing we had going on in a year was our birthday. Everything else was coordinated by our joint scheduling committee.
The other exciting event was an annual migration from Florida to Minnesota to escape the summer heat and humidity. Sometime in May of each year, my mother would corral my brother and me into our Astro Van to make the trek northward. We would spend about two months at our lake cabin north of Fergus Falls, Minnesota. However, our last summer trip to Minnesota in 1989 was accompanied by unexpected news- management made the decision to proceed with personnel expansion. Apparently consultation about this decision was not extended to the junior members of the family unit. Our sister would be coming to join our operation in December 1989.
The news following the arrival of my sister was nothing short of jaw dropping. My brother and I were informed we would be trading our bermuda shorts for snowsuits. In the summer of 1990, my father received a transfer through his company which would bring us in Minnesota. He was faced with the decision of whether to place his family in St. Cloud or Mankato. Eventually St. Cloud carried the votes because it was in between the Twin Cities and all grandparents. In hindsight, it was a terrific decision, although I remember having severe doubts about this policy decision initially.
Nine years would pass, and I would complete high school. During the course of a public education, I would learn about fascinating things, play several sports, earn my Eagle Scout, produce sweet sounds from a cello and piano, and discover the wonderful, yet complicated intricacies of something called "girls." Towards the end of high school I announced plans of post-secondary education in Duluth. I had no intentions of going elsewhere. The first time I saw the city of Duluth backed by the sparkling blue waters of Lake Superior coming over the hill side on Interstate 35 I was hooked. It also had a huge scene for youth hockey officials- something I have enjoyed immensely over time.
Three and one half years would pass before I would be conferred the degree of bachelor of arts in political science. I cannot recall much of the classroom portions at college. Sure, I remember favorite classes and various professors, but life at college takes part outside of the classroom. Time is spent with great friends, playing soccer and hockey, reffing hockey, and exploring the opposite sex and alcohol. My summers were always spent by moving to St Cloud temporarily so that I could work at a home improvement store that had a lumberyard attached to it.
Oddly enough, it was my experience at my work in St. Cloud that was the most rewarding. Prior to returning to Duluth for my Junior year of classes, I met a girl at work. Initially, she kept coming out to the lumber yard bringing countless returns in one by one fashion. It never made sense to me why this girl would park 20 carts of shingles inside the lumber yard entrance. Each cart had the capacity to easily hold at least 3-4 bundles of shingles. Finally I asked her about it, at which point it dawned on me she had some interest in me. We dated for a little over a month before I had to return to Duluth for school. I came to understand she was enrolled at college in St. Cloud. We made the decision to give the long distance relationship a try. I am glad we tried it- she ended up becoming my wife.
When school finished in Duluth, I moved home to my parents for a while to bide time before heading off to law school. The largest perk of moving home was being much closer to my significant other. But before long I reached the conclusion I needed to move out- life wasn't the same as it was in college. In May 2003, I packed my stuff up and headed to Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Upon arrival in Grand Forks, I found a basement apartment across the street from the law school. I decided to work at the home improvement store in Grand Forks to pass time until the start of law school. It was the same company that was located in St. Cloud. Two months later, my girlfriend would relocate herself to Grand Forks and join me at work. She worked in a separate department however. At the same time I would be attending law school, she was entering graduate school for her master's degree in speech pathology.
I survived the first year of law school. Entering the second year of law school I made a terrible decision in my life. I suffered a flash of stupidity and called time out on my relationship with my girlfriend. About two weeks later, I realized the mistake I had made. I repented and begged her to have me back. Thankfully she agreed, albeit hesitantly at first- which was understandable. Hours before the beginning of 2005, I proposed to her on the white sand of Clearwater Beach, Florida. Amazingly, she said yes.
The third year of law school was marked with an unbelievable speed of events. I was named to the Board of Editors for the Law Review, got married, worked part time at a local criminal defense firm, and played hockey. Somehow I found time for class. Graduation finally arrived and I was handed a diploma. At that point I realized professional student was no longer a career choice.
After several unsuccessful job interviews throughout Minnesota, I came across an advertisement for work in International Falls. As first I laughed at the thought of working in extreme northern Minnesota. But the more I thought about it, the more appealing it became. My wife urged me to put in an application. An interview was granted. The interview consisted of just talking with my future boss, followed by a tour of the town, delivery of lunch to his daughter, a tour of his house, and my first glimpse of Rainy Lake. My future boss brought my father and I out to lunch at Thunderbird Lodge. This place sits directly above the water, much like some houses down on the bayou in Louisiana. Looking around I couldn't help but be attracted to the northern lifestyle. At some point during the meal, my future boss asked if I would be interested in having him as my boss. It was the easiest yes of my life in terms of employment.
And that brings us to now. So.... read on!
In late August 1980, my parents allowed me the pleasure of tasting oxygen for the first time. I could not get enough of the stuff. Simultaneously, the higher-powers-that-be declared that I was a tiny individual who would be granted admission to life outside my mother's womb. However, no one informed me the passport stamp associated with the world of earth would ultimately consist of a birthmark. Even had I received proper notice of this, my brain would not have understood such a concept.
After birth, I was relocated to the town of Lakeland, Florida. My parents fed, bathed and clothed me. They even provided me with a bed. Two years later, my parents had the idea that because I was some type of success, in the sense I had not perished under their watch, that a duplicate should be created. My parents must have put more thought into the design of the second child because he came out with the qualities of a cat: smart, occasional attitude, athletic, and always lands on his feet regardless of the situation. The early part of 1982 brought a brother into my life.
Florida had exciting opportunities for two extremely young bachelors. Life revolved around soccer, baseball and school. Occasionally we would be burdened with trips to the doctors or dentists. The nice part of being younger is that you have no idea how busy life can get. Your calendar is handle by a joint scheduling committee- your parents. In so far as we knew, the only thing we had going on in a year was our birthday. Everything else was coordinated by our joint scheduling committee.
The other exciting event was an annual migration from Florida to Minnesota to escape the summer heat and humidity. Sometime in May of each year, my mother would corral my brother and me into our Astro Van to make the trek northward. We would spend about two months at our lake cabin north of Fergus Falls, Minnesota. However, our last summer trip to Minnesota in 1989 was accompanied by unexpected news- management made the decision to proceed with personnel expansion. Apparently consultation about this decision was not extended to the junior members of the family unit. Our sister would be coming to join our operation in December 1989.
The news following the arrival of my sister was nothing short of jaw dropping. My brother and I were informed we would be trading our bermuda shorts for snowsuits. In the summer of 1990, my father received a transfer through his company which would bring us in Minnesota. He was faced with the decision of whether to place his family in St. Cloud or Mankato. Eventually St. Cloud carried the votes because it was in between the Twin Cities and all grandparents. In hindsight, it was a terrific decision, although I remember having severe doubts about this policy decision initially.
Nine years would pass, and I would complete high school. During the course of a public education, I would learn about fascinating things, play several sports, earn my Eagle Scout, produce sweet sounds from a cello and piano, and discover the wonderful, yet complicated intricacies of something called "girls." Towards the end of high school I announced plans of post-secondary education in Duluth. I had no intentions of going elsewhere. The first time I saw the city of Duluth backed by the sparkling blue waters of Lake Superior coming over the hill side on Interstate 35 I was hooked. It also had a huge scene for youth hockey officials- something I have enjoyed immensely over time.
Three and one half years would pass before I would be conferred the degree of bachelor of arts in political science. I cannot recall much of the classroom portions at college. Sure, I remember favorite classes and various professors, but life at college takes part outside of the classroom. Time is spent with great friends, playing soccer and hockey, reffing hockey, and exploring the opposite sex and alcohol. My summers were always spent by moving to St Cloud temporarily so that I could work at a home improvement store that had a lumberyard attached to it.
Oddly enough, it was my experience at my work in St. Cloud that was the most rewarding. Prior to returning to Duluth for my Junior year of classes, I met a girl at work. Initially, she kept coming out to the lumber yard bringing countless returns in one by one fashion. It never made sense to me why this girl would park 20 carts of shingles inside the lumber yard entrance. Each cart had the capacity to easily hold at least 3-4 bundles of shingles. Finally I asked her about it, at which point it dawned on me she had some interest in me. We dated for a little over a month before I had to return to Duluth for school. I came to understand she was enrolled at college in St. Cloud. We made the decision to give the long distance relationship a try. I am glad we tried it- she ended up becoming my wife.
When school finished in Duluth, I moved home to my parents for a while to bide time before heading off to law school. The largest perk of moving home was being much closer to my significant other. But before long I reached the conclusion I needed to move out- life wasn't the same as it was in college. In May 2003, I packed my stuff up and headed to Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Upon arrival in Grand Forks, I found a basement apartment across the street from the law school. I decided to work at the home improvement store in Grand Forks to pass time until the start of law school. It was the same company that was located in St. Cloud. Two months later, my girlfriend would relocate herself to Grand Forks and join me at work. She worked in a separate department however. At the same time I would be attending law school, she was entering graduate school for her master's degree in speech pathology.
I survived the first year of law school. Entering the second year of law school I made a terrible decision in my life. I suffered a flash of stupidity and called time out on my relationship with my girlfriend. About two weeks later, I realized the mistake I had made. I repented and begged her to have me back. Thankfully she agreed, albeit hesitantly at first- which was understandable. Hours before the beginning of 2005, I proposed to her on the white sand of Clearwater Beach, Florida. Amazingly, she said yes.
The third year of law school was marked with an unbelievable speed of events. I was named to the Board of Editors for the Law Review, got married, worked part time at a local criminal defense firm, and played hockey. Somehow I found time for class. Graduation finally arrived and I was handed a diploma. At that point I realized professional student was no longer a career choice.
After several unsuccessful job interviews throughout Minnesota, I came across an advertisement for work in International Falls. As first I laughed at the thought of working in extreme northern Minnesota. But the more I thought about it, the more appealing it became. My wife urged me to put in an application. An interview was granted. The interview consisted of just talking with my future boss, followed by a tour of the town, delivery of lunch to his daughter, a tour of his house, and my first glimpse of Rainy Lake. My future boss brought my father and I out to lunch at Thunderbird Lodge. This place sits directly above the water, much like some houses down on the bayou in Louisiana. Looking around I couldn't help but be attracted to the northern lifestyle. At some point during the meal, my future boss asked if I would be interested in having him as my boss. It was the easiest yes of my life in terms of employment.
And that brings us to now. So.... read on!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
The County Next Door
My position within the State of Minnesota requires me to serve two counties at the same time. At least twice per month, I travel with my co-workers to Lake of the Woods County. The county seat there is the town of Baudette. The difference between Baudette and International Falls is as follows: half the population, twice the prairie and three times the love for the sport of hockey. West of Baudette marks the transition from forest to the start of the Red River Valley. Lake of the Woods County is easier to locate on a map than Koochiching County or International Falls.
It is the literal crowning achievement of Minnesota: the Northwest Angle. It is the funny little section at the top of Minnesota that suggests that state or federal legislators at one point had nothing better to accomplish than annexing a liquid portion of Canada that resembles the shape of a battered chimney. The unique thing about the Northwest Angle is that it is 90 percent fresh water and the remaining portion consists of a remote Indian Reservation run by the Red Lake Indian Tribe. In order to get to the Red Lake Reservation on must traverse a brief portion of Ontario by car or ferry across the Lake by boat.
When time permits, my co-workers and I have lunch at a place called Rosalie's. Like most towns north of Bemidji, restaurants in International Falls and Baudette are seldom associated with national name brand chains. We have McDonalds, Subway and Dairy Queen (What MN town is complete without a DQ?). But there is nothing like Applebees, Outback Steakhouse or Buffalo Wild Wings. Instead, dining out is run by small town folks who offer their spin on chicken, burgers, salad and walleye. The appetizers rarely exceed mozzarella sticks, nachos or cheese covered french fries. Dessert is usually dedicated to ice cream with cake or pie. During the summer seasons, rhubarb desserts cannot be avoided. Should you ever swing by Rosalie's on the western edge of Baudette, give the Pub Burger your attention. It has everything on it your mother told you that you should never eat: deep fried pickles, onion rings barbecue sauce and bacon, plus a half pound burger with cheese. For those needing a bolder challenge, try eating this burger without the use of a napkin.
It is the literal crowning achievement of Minnesota: the Northwest Angle. It is the funny little section at the top of Minnesota that suggests that state or federal legislators at one point had nothing better to accomplish than annexing a liquid portion of Canada that resembles the shape of a battered chimney. The unique thing about the Northwest Angle is that it is 90 percent fresh water and the remaining portion consists of a remote Indian Reservation run by the Red Lake Indian Tribe. In order to get to the Red Lake Reservation on must traverse a brief portion of Ontario by car or ferry across the Lake by boat.
When time permits, my co-workers and I have lunch at a place called Rosalie's. Like most towns north of Bemidji, restaurants in International Falls and Baudette are seldom associated with national name brand chains. We have McDonalds, Subway and Dairy Queen (What MN town is complete without a DQ?). But there is nothing like Applebees, Outback Steakhouse or Buffalo Wild Wings. Instead, dining out is run by small town folks who offer their spin on chicken, burgers, salad and walleye. The appetizers rarely exceed mozzarella sticks, nachos or cheese covered french fries. Dessert is usually dedicated to ice cream with cake or pie. During the summer seasons, rhubarb desserts cannot be avoided. Should you ever swing by Rosalie's on the western edge of Baudette, give the Pub Burger your attention. It has everything on it your mother told you that you should never eat: deep fried pickles, onion rings barbecue sauce and bacon, plus a half pound burger with cheese. For those needing a bolder challenge, try eating this burger without the use of a napkin.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Reflections of the Revered North Country
Greetings~
This is the first of several entries regarding life in a very small town. However, you must first be educated on where this small town is located. After that will come the history and present details of my life within the small town.
When one discloses to others that he lives in International Falls, Minnesota, the initial reaction of most others are thoughts of cold, ice, snow, blizzards and where the frozen forest greets the Arctic tundra. Still, there are those remaining few others that believe International Falls is a blessing because it whispers the word "paradise" to those who conform to an outdoors lifestyle. There is plenty of hunting, fishing, snowmobiling and boating. The enthusiasm for fishing is not a well kept secret here: all local restaurant menus offer a taste of walleye (of which at least 50% of the restaurants prefer Canadian Walleye).
In the upper Midwest, Chicago and the Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul) are big city life. After that come the smaller big cities: Fargo, Duluth, St. Cloud, Rochester, Madison, Sioux Falls, Des Moines, etc.. Next are medium towns like Grand Forks, Minot, Bismarck, Bemidji, Grand Rapids. Finally, you hit small town: International Falls, Baudette, Fergus Falls, Lake Wobegon, and Hinckley. For those that may be reading this blog from locations such as New York, California or Texas, you may consider small towns to be villages. But do not presume that our smallness means our housing consists exclusively of igloos or tents.
When one looks at an atlas to determine at the geographical location of International Falls, it is breath taking. You start by finding Minnesota, then look at the chaos called the Twin Cities. Usually the Twin Cities is easiest to find on a map of Minnesota. After that point, it is fairly easy to become un-oriented with municipal geographical location. From there you begin scanning northwards past Duluth and the Iron Range. Keep going north until you hit the Canadian Border- and there you have "the Falls." The other method for finding our location is to turn on the Weather Channel and look for the coldest temperature along the Canadian Border that is still within the United States.
There are three major routes offering access to the Falls. From the west there is Minnesota Highway 11. From the south and western portion of Minnesota there is US Highway 71. From the easterly and southern portion of Minnesota there is US Highway 53. Highways 11 and 53 offer the most scenic routes, each lined with countless trees, tall grasses and full of wild life. It is not uncommon to spot deer, pheasants, ducks and moose along the roadside.
Once a person arrives in International Falls, it takes less than five minutes to leave the city limits and way too long to return home. As one may survey from the descriptions above, the Falls is the definition of geographical isolation. The town and county are shrinking in population. This is evidenced primarily in the county's most recent demographics study- also known as a census to the normal person. Second, when driving through town, there is a large number of homes available for purchase. Many of these have been on the market prior to my arrival and have failed to sell until this point. Third, when one encounters the several hotels available to tourists it is alarming to see the vacancy rate. The only hotels filled on regular weekend basis during tourist season are Holiday Inn, Days Inn, and Motel 6. Tourist season often begins on Minnesota Fishing Opener, which is usually the second weekend in May. The season winds down after Labor Day. Finding a hotel room on a weekday, regardless of whether it is tourist season, is obnoxiously easy.
This is the first of several entries regarding life in a very small town. However, you must first be educated on where this small town is located. After that will come the history and present details of my life within the small town.
When one discloses to others that he lives in International Falls, Minnesota, the initial reaction of most others are thoughts of cold, ice, snow, blizzards and where the frozen forest greets the Arctic tundra. Still, there are those remaining few others that believe International Falls is a blessing because it whispers the word "paradise" to those who conform to an outdoors lifestyle. There is plenty of hunting, fishing, snowmobiling and boating. The enthusiasm for fishing is not a well kept secret here: all local restaurant menus offer a taste of walleye (of which at least 50% of the restaurants prefer Canadian Walleye).
In the upper Midwest, Chicago and the Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul) are big city life. After that come the smaller big cities: Fargo, Duluth, St. Cloud, Rochester, Madison, Sioux Falls, Des Moines, etc.. Next are medium towns like Grand Forks, Minot, Bismarck, Bemidji, Grand Rapids. Finally, you hit small town: International Falls, Baudette, Fergus Falls, Lake Wobegon, and Hinckley. For those that may be reading this blog from locations such as New York, California or Texas, you may consider small towns to be villages. But do not presume that our smallness means our housing consists exclusively of igloos or tents.
When one looks at an atlas to determine at the geographical location of International Falls, it is breath taking. You start by finding Minnesota, then look at the chaos called the Twin Cities. Usually the Twin Cities is easiest to find on a map of Minnesota. After that point, it is fairly easy to become un-oriented with municipal geographical location. From there you begin scanning northwards past Duluth and the Iron Range. Keep going north until you hit the Canadian Border- and there you have "the Falls." The other method for finding our location is to turn on the Weather Channel and look for the coldest temperature along the Canadian Border that is still within the United States.
There are three major routes offering access to the Falls. From the west there is Minnesota Highway 11. From the south and western portion of Minnesota there is US Highway 71. From the easterly and southern portion of Minnesota there is US Highway 53. Highways 11 and 53 offer the most scenic routes, each lined with countless trees, tall grasses and full of wild life. It is not uncommon to spot deer, pheasants, ducks and moose along the roadside.
Once a person arrives in International Falls, it takes less than five minutes to leave the city limits and way too long to return home. As one may survey from the descriptions above, the Falls is the definition of geographical isolation. The town and county are shrinking in population. This is evidenced primarily in the county's most recent demographics study- also known as a census to the normal person. Second, when driving through town, there is a large number of homes available for purchase. Many of these have been on the market prior to my arrival and have failed to sell until this point. Third, when one encounters the several hotels available to tourists it is alarming to see the vacancy rate. The only hotels filled on regular weekend basis during tourist season are Holiday Inn, Days Inn, and Motel 6. Tourist season often begins on Minnesota Fishing Opener, which is usually the second weekend in May. The season winds down after Labor Day. Finding a hotel room on a weekday, regardless of whether it is tourist season, is obnoxiously easy.
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