The Friday Link for 8/16/24

Howdy all! 

This week I want to start with Minnesota! I have lived in other states, and while I have mostly enjoyed everywhere I've lived, nothing (in my opinion) matches my experiences in the state I was born. 

Minnesota has so many things to do, many of them free; many others are affordable. I've lived in places where there are about 20 total things to do within a 30-minute drive, and most of them are not worth a second trip.  I've also lived in places where there are a lot of things to do, but everything is overpriced. Minnesota falls in the middle.

Minnesota, and especially Minneapolis/St. Paul, are real marvels. Outdoor things, indoor things, a mountain of free things, a lot of things that you have to pay for but it won't break the bank. A great example is the Mall of America.  It's free to get into. You can just walk the place and burn 3 hours easily. If you want to spend a few dollars and ride the rides in the amusement park, try mini golf, or the 40 or so other things available, knock yourself out.  And if you want to spend big money, the mall can accommodate you too.

I also LOVE how many parks are in the cities and in the state.  The State Parks will cost you to get into, but all the city and country ones are free. Three Rivers Park system runs a bunch on the west side of town and they're all exceptional.  Bring bug spray.

Why am I cheering for Minnesota? I stumbled across a video channel FrenchTastic Explorations, featuring Marie, from France.  She is a travel vlogger with an extensive library.  She travels places and doesn't just focus on one or two things.  I can't stand travel videos that treat their destinations as a cliche.  She travels like a real traveler would, like if you were coming up to visit an old high school friend.  I have no idea who coordinates her days, but they do a very good job. It's good fun.  

She has made her way to Minnesota and so far she's having a blast.  She is also very complimentary of our state.  

Here is her first video from Minnesota.  Click on her page to find them all, plus travel videos from across the world.

Get ready to laugh for the next video.  One of Colbert's best bits is Community Calendar, where he and a celebrity review the happenings from the celebrity's hometown.  Colbert brings in the hilarious Sean Hayes to give us the Chicago Community Calendar just in time for the DNC! 

The final video tonight is a fun one revisiting Middle-Class foods that no longer are regulars on the family table. I remember more than a few of these recipes, and I actually want to try to make a few of them too.

Have a great weekend. Please be careful with COVID.  It is really dangerous right now.

Stay up to date on your vaccinations.

Please try to stay healthy!