Since 1910 the legend of Paul Bunyan has delighted children of all ages. I can remember listening to stories about the giant lumberjack and his faithful companion Babe the Blue Ox as I was growing up. While there are some arguments as to the true birthplace of Paul, I know of nowhere else that has as many statues and references to the giant as the Brainerd Lakes area does. As we travel around in the north woods of Minnesota there are constant reminders of this legend. In Pine River there are a pair of Paul's baby booties, which you can stand in, as well as a pair of his boots which you can lace. 
In Akeley, MN they claim to have his razor and several other things that belonged to him. And as recent as a few years back, Paul Bunyan Land, a theme park devoted to Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox was located right in the heart of Brainerd. MN. (In recent years Paul, Babe and the park were moved a few miles away to make room for "progress" in the form of Kohls department store.) Paul still talks when you visit him and he even knows your name. This delighted Maggie to no end!
There are many shops and restaurants in the area that refer to the Bunyan Legend, including our favorite, the Chocolate Ox ice cream parlor in Nisswa. Most restaurants refer to the different size cuts of beef as Paul, Babe or Paulina (Paul's girlfriend). Don't get the Paul cut unless you are REALLY hungry! The rails to trails program in the Brainerd Lakes Area converted to old railroad tracks into a walking and biking path that runs 100 miles from Brainerd, MN to Bemidji, MN. The path is named the Paul Bunyan Trail. In Bemidji, the trail leads to Bemidji State Park and from there you can connect to the Blue Ox trail as well as the Heartland trail.
Today we spent time in Pequot Lakes. It may be best known around these parts for it's water tower which is shaped and painted to look like a fishing bobber. Wouldn't you know it, but the bobber is said to have gotten caught on a construction tower there when Paul was fishing in a nearby Whitefish lake. He fought Notorious Nate the 40 foot Northern Pike, but Nate got the better of Paul's hook and broke Paul's line. The line with the bobber went flying back and caught on the tower, where it still sits today. Now, in addition to the bobber, there is a new attraction that sits just below the tower. It is a giant chair and a statue of Babe. Maggie has a new fascination in the Paul Bunyan Legends as of late, and sitting in this chair amazed her. To read the legend of Paul Bunyan check out this website. http://www.paulbunyantrail.com/talltale.html
As I mentioned in front of Paul's large chair was a very fancy Babe statue. As I gazed upon the statue I realized that it reminded me of similar statues I had seen on our travels. As we have traveled the country we have noticed that there is a public art initiative involving animal statues. They are beautifully painted and catch your eye as you drive through an area. It is amazing to see how many different ways there are to paint the same statue. We have seen bears in Cherokee, NC near the Great Smoky Mountains, buffaloes in Buffalo, MN and now oxen in the north woods of MN. There are also horses in Billings, MT, Grizzly Bears in Missoula, MT, buffalo in West Yellowstone and winged horses in Kitty Hawk, NC. Many of these brightly decorated animals will be displayed for the summer and then put up for auction in the fall, with the proceeds going to local charities. You can find out more about these art initiatives at www.fiberstock.com. It is company in Buffalo. MN that produces the fiberglass statues.
Babe was the first one of these art installations that we have seen up close. Apparently there are 22 other statues in the surrounding cities and here they are only on display until Labor Day. Then they will be auctioned off to raise money for The Crossing Arts Alliance which has identified a need in area communities and will use funds raised through this project to expand, offer and implement art classes for K-12 students in Lakes Area schools. With my background in teaching and Maggie's love of art we have seriously considered buying one of these statues and putting it in the yard of my parent's lake home. In order to make an educated decision as to which Babe would suit my parents yard the best, we decided to drive around and see as many oxen as we could find. Maggie was constantly on the lookout for Babe and she would strive to be the first one in the car to spot the statue. Here are some photos from our Lakes Area search.
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