Pioneer Park
It’s a rare Saturday that I don’t fill my hours shopping one store after another. But this weekend I was feeling materialistically satisfied (for once) and decided instead to discover what else my great state has to offer other than boutiques and big box shops.
The Minnesota Pioneer Park rests just an hour outside of the Twin Cities, so, looking at the description on-line, it seemed like a smart Saturday sightseer’s spot. Upon arrival however, we began to chuckle that our car was one of only two in the visitor’s parking lot, and the costumed tour guides paired their period Laura Ingalls Wilder prairie dresses with Reebok trainers and neon Mossimo wrist-watches.
The site was a little sorry and very silly, but we still managed to enjoy and educate ourselves even so. The site was set up as a little village with over twenty themed buildings. The two favorites were:
The Barbershop
The Town Hall
Once upon a time, every damn thing, from aspirin bottles to bread boxes to barbershop chairs, were robust and wonderful and designed with real reverence.
I asked out loud, “You think in 150 years tourists are gonna wanna come to an outside museum and see all the lame plastic crap we go buy at Target today?”
