I’ve been to Minnesota three times—once on a lark in late autumn when an unexpected snowstorm necessitated purchases of gloves and hats, once on a quick business trip to do a press check at a former job, and once as a starting point for a two-week romp around the Dakotas. None of them were long enough to completely immerse myself in the 12th-largest state in the United States, yet they did afford me the opportunity to check out some of the state’s more than 10,000 lakes as well as its striking architecture. Read about the top five buildings in Minnesota >
Tag Archives: Minnesota
Seeing Red
Red is an extreme color. For many, it’s all about love and passion. What would Valentine’s Day be without red roses or red heart-shaped boxes of candy, presented by the revered red-blooded American, perhaps, in some cases, to his red-hot mama? Those emotions, however, can lead to danger, another of the color’s associations—The Scarlet Letter, for instance, or stop signs and stoplights and code reds. You’ll see red if you’re angry and overheated, and if you’re a politician on the rise, you’ll need to don the requisite red power tie. But not everything red is so intense. Plenty of red things around the world have nothing to do with its common links, and they’ll make an equally strong impression on you. Read about the top five reds >
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Shelf Life: The World’s Best Bookstores
When you’re confined to your home for any reason, from a three-day cold that has you feeling haggard to a yearlong global pandemic that has wrecked every aspect of your life and has completely enervated you, you need a panacea to prevent insanity. From cobbling together inventive workout routines with household items to starring in your own YouTube videos to whipping up something completely new in the kitchen, we’ve all found methods to amuse ourselves. (Binge-watching brainless reality shows doesn’t cut it.) Of course, the old standby — curling up with a good book—rises to the top of the ways to escape your situation and enter a world far-removed from your own. And finding a unique brick-and-mortar bookstore to expand your library with anything from the definitive biography of an obscure artist to a demotic novel for a beach read is where it all begins (sorry, Amazon). Read about my top five bookstores >
Stephen Travels 