Exploring Minnesota
Minnesota, like many states, has a wealth of small town communities. Each community has a story about its founders, struggles over the years, and the current residents who call it home. Every town's story is unique and should be recognized in the identity of the town. Many communities are simply waiting for visitors to drive through and hear their story.
Unfortunately, fewer people wander, without purpose. It feels vulnerable to travel without a plan and rely solely on serendipitous discovery of the unknown. Our questions are too quickly answered by a Google search. Or we mindlessly follow the computerized voice directing our every turn. And if we ever deviate, we will be immediately chided with a constant reminder that we are off course and need to make a u-turn as soon as possible. We are more comfortable stopping at the same food chains with the same logos that we see every 60 miles. We would rather settle for repeatedly eating the same Culvert's burger or Caribou coffee. The potential for discovering something new or different is outweighed by comfort and routine.
We prefer predictable mediocrity because we are afraid of the unknown.
Where does that leave us? Design and architecture bridge the gap of fear and entice visitors to experience something new. Retail or town branding can be the beginning of defining an identity that attracts curiosity. Once you capture people's curiosity, you begin to set up expectations for the perceived value of visiting or even living in your town. It could be a big gesture like the city hall or public art. Or it can be simple changes that are mindfully done to reflect the care and pride of your community.
Minnesota has 330 towns will a population less than 1,000. There are 212 towns in Minnesota with a population of 1,000-6,000. That's a total of 542 untold stories that could have a stronger presence and attract visitors from across the region with the Calf Fiend Cafe (Redwood Falls, MN - featured image), the Frank Lloyd Wright gas station (Cloquet, MN), geodesic home manufacturing (North Branch, MN), or simply extraordinarily large fish sculptures (Nevis, MN and Rush City, MN).
Whatever your story, get it out there. Give other people a chance to see your town and experience the value of the people who choose to live in your town.
Here are my 5 tips for learning to Discover New Places:
1. EXPLORE, look beyond the map on your phone, SEE the world around you
2. When possible, CHOOSE NEW businesses, restaurants and experiences
3. Lower your guard, BE OPEN to new experiences
4. Don't plan everything, LEAVE TIME for spontaneity
5. Be CURIOUS, ask People questions and really LISTEN to their answer
My hope is that you will discover something about yourself on your path of discovering new places.
Stay Curious.
