Summer Information For St. Paul Area In Minnesota






Jul 20, 08

St. Paul Area
Minnesota

The City of Lakes

The St. Paul vicinity encompasses a wide array of landscapes and activities. Whether you want to spend time exploring the heart of a city or the strolling the streets of a small river town, this is the place.

St. Paul, capital of Minnesota, began as a settlement called Pig's Eye. It took its name from Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant, a French-Canadian whiskey trader who moved a group of squatters to a river landing near Fort Snelling in the 1800s. The name changed after about a year when Father Lucien Galtier built a log chapel to honor St. Paul.

The city has retained many of the stately stone and brick mansions of yesteryear. St. Paul's Cathedral and the State Capitol dome mark the skyline in contrast to its sister city, Minneapolis', skyscrapers.

Endless Waters

These twin cities share many of their cultural and recreational resources. Nicknamed "City of Lakes," almost 1,000 bodies of water dot the metropolitan area. This provides ample opportunities for water sports, including fishing, boating, water-skiing, canoeing and sailing.

There are several city and state parks in the area. Fort Snelling State Park encompasses 3,300 acres on the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. Hiking and picnicking can be enjoyed here.

A number of museums offer visitors a variety of entertaining options, including the Gibbs Farm Museum, Minnesota Children's Museum, Minnesota Museum of American Art and the Science Museum of Minnesota.

Several events take place in the twin cities during the summer, including the Taste of Minnesota, the Aquatennial Festival and the Minnesota State Fair.

Unique Towns

The small town of Taylor Falls, population 700, was named for Jesse Taylor, who established timber claims there in 1838, and it is just one of the unique towns surrounding St. Paul. The falls are now covered by a dam built in 1902.

The region is known for the unusual rock formations along the St. Croix River. Dalles of the St. Croix, rock formations that form the rugged St. Croix River Gorge, are right on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border.

Visitors can see lava cliffs eroded by the river during the glacial period. These cliffs rise about 200 feet and the water reaches depths of 100 feet. Also of interest for its rock formations is Interstate State Park. Visitors can travel a self-guided trail to view the rock formations and glacial potholes along the bluffs of the St. Croix River.

Hastings is located on the Mississippi River. Greek Revival buildings and Victorian houses characterize the town. This natural river harbor took its current name in 1853. It was originally named Oliver's Grove in 1819. The Carpenter-St. Croix Valley Nature Center, along the St. Croix River, offers hiking trails.