Bemidji’s Bunyan Ranked Among America’s Top Roadside Attractions
The folks at USA Today have compiled a list of the 'Top Ten Must-See Roadside Attractions' in the country and a Minnesota staple made the cut!
An 'expert panel' selected the top ten with the criteria including the attraction being a short detour away from a major highway.
The Paul Bunyan statue in Bemidji made the list at #7. While the state is known for having a bountiful batch of Bunyans, USA Today ranks Bemdji's as the best.
Well-known through folktales, Paul Bunyan and his pet, Babe the Blue Ox, are immortalized throughout Minnesota. One such paring is found at the Tourist Information Center in Bemidji, where visitors from all over take a moment to pose with the duo for a photograph. Paul stands at 18 feet tall, alongside Babe whose horns span 14 feet.
For me, the Akeley Bunyan is best, but to each their own. I would agree with USA Today that the Bemidji Bunyan is the best-known and is probably the most photogenic.
The top five roadside attractions, per USA Today, were the Dalmatian Fire Hydrant in Beaumont, Texas; 'Carhenge' in Alliance, Nebraska at number four; The World's Largest Ball of Tine in Cawker City, Kansas at three; Shealy's Official Skunk Ape Headquarters in Ochopee, Florida at two and Lucy the Elephant in Margate City, New Jersey.
See Minnesota's State Bird like you've never seen it before -- through the lens of Canadian photographer Chris Whitty
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