I enjoy learning about our state history…read more It's only an hour from Minneapolis, and it is a beautiful drive. I would never drive 5 hours during to visit a place like this without calling first, especially during a summer when my public pool was closed bc of a health pandemic. The are good walking trails here, and this area is just beautiful. It's obvious why this land was so valued. Many of the trails are flat, I wouldn't call the trails easily accessible bc some of them are pebble based and that's not necessarily friendly to strollers and wheel chairs and walkers and such. I'm not a fan of some of the wording or their signs. It's a very white washed version of events.

This is the location of the signing of a treaty with the Dakota people. There's an outdoor plaque,…read moreand a small walking trail; however, despite it being listed online as now open...they have a sign posted on the door that they are closed. A big inconvenience, especially if you have driven for 5 hours for the visit.

This review is for the Green Giant Sign along US 169 of which I've passed by for over 40 years on…read moremy way to and from the Twin Cities. It's been a familiar marker on my travels, a great example of Americana, and a personal life consistency comfort. "The Valley of the Jolly Green Giant" refers to the Minnesota River valley around Le Sueur. Today, just before dropping down into the valley heading south on U.S. Route 169 an enormous wooden sign of the Jolly Green Giant, along with Sprout, is visible with the caption "Welcome to the valley". Since the sign pokes up through trees, it has become a source of minor controversy as it sometimes startles passing motorists who have never seen such a thing. From the valley of the Jolly -- Ho, Ho, Ho -- Green Giant!

Comfortable arena with two very nice sheets of ice, each with its own spacious viewing area…read more What makes this arena nice is the roomy heated hall, complete with bathrooms, concession stand, and windows to both rinks, on the upper level. An elevator or stairs will get you up from the main floor to the upper level viewing areas. This is a nice, clean, modern arena. Lots of parking. Located next to the county fair grounds and just blocks off the main drag in New Ulm. The main entrance lobby is open, spacious and sunny with lots of windows to the outside. So why only 3 stars? In the land of 10,000 ice arenas, this arena is nice but not all that special. With all the rich history and awesome old buildings in historic New Ulm, this clean and pleasant building does not stand out. Hard to compete with all that history. Function over fashion. A very pleasant place to watch a hockey game.