travel
Family Travel to Minnesota: Road Trip Through Midwestern Farmland
Taking a family road trip through Minnesota is a perfect way to teach your children about farm life all while seeing the beautiful countryside.
Background on Minnesota
Minnesota is not only home to some of the cutest small towns in Minnesota and some of the friendliest people in the U.S. (Minnesota nice!), but it also boasts beautiful twin cities: Minneapolis and St. Paul and is the headquarters for many large international corporations (Have you heard of Target? Best Buy? Aveda?). This midwestern state is family friendly and from the northern border of Canada down to Iowa, it's rolling hills and farmlands make road tripping through the state a fun travel destination, perfect for family travel too.
My cousin and one of my closest friends both live in Minnesota, so I try to sneak visits there whenever possible. This last visit was a multi-destination trip after a business trip to Chicago and before a quick visit to Fargo to see my brother. While there, my friend Heather and I road tripped to Iowa so I could step foot into my 48th state. The 3-hour roundtrip drive reminded me how much I love the midwest.
Road Tripping Through Minnesota Farmlands
Most kids are fascinated with farms, so getting them to enjoy the ride won't be tough. We stopped and talked to farmers along the way. If you're traveling with kids, consider having them keep track of all the different animals they see.
Veer off on country roads.
Stop in small towns. This picture was taken in Hope, Minnesota. My friend wanted to send a card so it would be postmarked that it was sent from Hope. We chatted with the employee at the post office for quite a while, learning that it is only open for 2 hours a day due to low visitation.
Be sure to research and share with your children the changes in farming from 50 years ago to today. For example, most barns 50 years ago were made out of wood, many painted red. Nowadays, barns are made with galvanized steel or other more durable and cost-effective materials.
Explain things to your children about silos, what they are used for, and other equipment found on the farm: tractors, tools, and more.
What are your favorite road trips? What tips do you have for road tripping with children?
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