Minnesota – Austin Bunton Designs

With more bodies of water than any other state (save, perhaps, Alaska), I’m guessing there are a lot of intentionally-submerged ruins and other waterborne wonders here.

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Table of Contents:

Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
Lakes to Check Out
Best Hotels
Richest Neighborhoods / Nicest Architecture
Vegan Restaurants and Shops
Ancient Ruins

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Phase 1:

Not long after my active-duty, I flew up to this state to link up with a war-brother from the old battalion. We checked out the city-sized Mall of America, then crossed the border and headed into the countryside of Wisconsin where his new house and family were. It was a good experience, but way too brief; I barely saw 1% of the state!

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Phase 2:

I’ve since learned that its motto is L’Étoile du Nord (French for: “Star of the North”), and that it is known for its more than 10,000 lakes. There are 11,842 over 10 acres (4 ha) in size, but you get the idea. Bordering one of the Great Lakes, there is also a lot of fishing and Naval training that goes on up here. The wrecks of many ships are at the bottom of the nearby state-sized body of water; lots of potential for salvage operations. Ruins are rumored to be down there, too; evidence of civilization before the time the great glaciers pushed their valley-leaving ways through.

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Phase 3:

Jessica Biel and Arden Cho are from here, so there’s reason to return, even if before this perfect final phase. I’ll be orienting to the entire remainder of the state by then, possibly even studying many of its 11,842 noteworthy inland lakes. I’m particularly interested in what might be hidden under overgrowth in the state and national forests to the north, as well as how things are handled on that one isolated island-like portion of U.S. soil on the other side of Lake of the Woods and Muskeg Bay.

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Lakes to Check Out:

(the ‘beds’/floors of)

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Best Hotels:

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Richest Neighborhoods / Nicest Architecture:

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Vegan Restaurants and Shops: