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The Perfect Northern MN Weekend Getaway

Looking for a fun Northern MN spring weekend getaway. We have the perfect one planned.

Friday, April 26, 2019: 
Check into your Roseau hotel (click here for a link to local lodging). After getting settled in, head to “A Taste of Warroad” & enjoy a sampling of great eats, treats, live entertainment, & brew (see flyer below for details).

PRO TIP: If you are able to get to town before 2pm, schedule a Polaris Factory Tour.

Saturday, April 27, 2019: 
Enjoy an amazing breakfast at one of our local restaurants. Then head over for a tour of the Polaris Experience Center. After your tour, pick up lunch and head out for a road trip to the Northwest Angle (only 55.9 miles from Roseau – don’t forget your passport). Have your picture taken at the Northernmost Point Buoy & enjoy dinner in the “top of the nation” before heading back to Roseau.

If you prefer to stay in Roseau for the afternoon our rustic yet sophisticated streets are filled with shopping that will fascinate all varieties of shoppers. We also have many talented local artists who offer unique, original items.

Sunday, April 28, 2019:
After breakfast, check out one of our day trip suggestions before heading home. Visit the “Day Trips” page on our website for some of our favorite day trips from Roseau.

Click here to purchase “A Taste of Warroad” tickets.

a taste of warroad flyer only2019

75 Greatest Players in Minnesota Boys High School Hockey: No. 4 Neal Broten

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It’s hard to picture a better four-year hockey run than the one Neal Broten experienced.

He led Roseau to undefeated regular seasons and state tournament berths in his junior and senior seasons of high school in 1977 and 1978, scored the game-winning goal in the NCAA championship game for the Gophers in 1979, won an Olympic gold medal in 1980, finished runner-up in the NCAA tournament with Minnesota in 1981, won the Hobey Baker as the best player in college hockey that season and then immediately joined the Minnesota North Stars just in time for their run to the Stanley Cup finals.

To recap: That’s two state tournaments, two NCAA championship games, an Olympic gold-medal game and a Stanley Cup final all in four years’ time, with a gold medal and NCAA title to show for it.

Not too bad.

“It is as good as it gets. The only way it’s better is if we could have won the Cup,” said Lou Nanne, who was the general manager of the North Stars at the time. “Just being a part of all those, wow, it’s very, very rare. I don’t know of anybody else that has.”

“Every once in a while, I think about that,” Broten said. “Those years, it seemed like every year we were right in there for the championship, so it was pretty cool.”

For Broten, the No. 4 player on the Pioneer Press countdown of the top 75 players to ever play Minnesota boys high school hockey, it all started on the rinks of Roseau. Specifically, the north rink.

“(That) was kind of where we developed all our skills. We used to go out as 8-year-olds, 9-year-olds and play against the high school team when it got cold enough,” recalled Broten, who now lives on a farm in River Falls, Wis. “The people in town used to get out the hoses and make a rink out there.”

Broten fondly recalls making that walk — roughly just under a mile — to and from the rink each day. That’s what you did in Roseau in the winter. When the snow started to fall, people would race to flood the rinks, which became a second home to kids. Broten said he would spend up to 10 hours a day out skating on the weekends. When they weren’t on those rinks, he and his friends were playing hockey in the streets.

“Just grew up loving hockey, just couldn’t wait to go out on the ice,” Broten said. “That’s how you get good, that’s how you understand the game and develop skills.”

That formula sure worked for Broten and his teammates. Roseau was a powerhouse during Broten’s high school tenure. He credits a number of things for that, from the peewee coach who was “extremely tough on our players and expected a lot out of us” to the love for the game he and his teammates possessed. When Broten wasn’t playing, he was planted in front of his television on Wednesday and Saturday nights, glued to Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts.

Roseau put on quite a show in its own right. The threesome of Neal Broten, his younger brother, Aaron, and Butsy Erickson formed what Mike Ramsey thinks might be the best line ever.

“I can’t tell you how good they were,” he said.

Ramsey found out first-hand, the hard way. His Minneapolis Roosevelt squad made the trek to Roseau for a regular-season contest during the 1977-78 campaign. Ramsey had heard about Roseau’s top line, which supposedly had scored in the first shift of every game that season.

“So we went up there and said there was no way they were going to score the first shift,” said Ramsey, who was one of three Roosevelt defensemen who went on to play Division I hockey. “Well, long story short, they put it in the net on us. They beat us like 6-2 or something like that. They just throttled us.”

Roosevelt wasn’t alone. Roseau — led by Broten, who tallied a staggering 43 goals and 77 assists as a senior — throttled just about everyone, with the exception of Edina East, which bounced Broten’s Roseau squads out of back-to-back state tournaments — once in the quarters, the second time in the semis. Those are the games Broten remembers most, because of the emotions that came with the defeats.

In the postgame interview after the 1979 NCAA championship game in which Broten scored his famous game-winning goal, diving to the ice and sending a shot past the North Dakota goalie, Broten mentioned how happy he was to win a national title after his previous shortcomings at state.

“You always wanted to put your best foot forward. Like (my) dad would say, you always want to work as hard as you can and say you tried as hard as you can,” Broten said. “I was just fortunate to be on some really good teams in Roseau and we did some good things. It didn’t really fuel a fire, it was disappointing not to win, because we were used to winning.”

Broten continued to win at every level thereafter. There was the gold medal for the Olympic team he didn’t even expect to make, and there was the Stanley Cup he won with New Jersey in 1995.

In 1,099 NHL games, Broten — who stood just 5 foot 9 and weighed less than 180 pounds — tallied 923 points, including 634 assists. Broten was always known as an elite set-up man.

“I knew the game pretty well and knew my teammates were important and to pass them the puck was something that coaches back then preached to us as little kids,” Broten said. “So that’s what I tried to do as I got older.”

With his poise and selflessness, Ramsey called Broten’s game “refreshing.”

“The brain that he had, the hockey knowledge and the perception of what was happening out on the ice, the peripheral vision, he had a unique skill set for a small guy and he was able to use it very effectively,” Nanne said. “He was a tremendous player.”

Broten played in two NHL all-star games, and was inducted to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000. His No. 7 jersey is retired by the Dallas Stars.

But Broten said everything — the championships, the honors, the goals — all pale in comparison to playing for his hometown at the state tournament.

“All the other stuff, like the Olympics, was just a bonus, and playing pro hockey was just a bonus,” Broten said. “Growing up, playing with my friends from when I was 5 years old to when I was 17, you can’t beat that. That’s what it’s all about.”

Article from: Twin Cities Pioneer Press

Photo: Center Neal Broten displays the jersey he will wear when he makes his NHL debut as a Minnesota North Star against St. Louis on Tuesday night, in Bloomington, Minnesota on Monday, March 30, 1981. Broten, a member of the U.S. Olympic team and most a member of the University of Minnesota hockey team, has signed a tryout form with the Stars and will play the lat three games of the regular season. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

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These 10 Minnesota Drive-In Restaurants Are Fun For An Old Fashioned Night Out

Earl's Drive-In

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These 10 Minnesota Drive-In Restaurants Are Fun For An Old Fashioned Night Out
With spring right around the corner, it’s time to gear up for drive-in season! From frosty root beers to ooey-gooey chili dogs to burgers and malts, drive-in food sure is delicious. Minnesota has plenty of these all-American restaurants to check out as the weather gets warmer. Although most of these establishments are only open seasonally, people come in droves as soon as they open their doors. Take a look:

1. Dari-ette Drive In – St. Paul
It’s rare that drive-in restaurants serve anything other than all-American burgers. But Dari-ette may surprise you. This seasonal drive-in serves up delicious meatball sandwiches and mouth-watering Italian style chicken breast fillet sandwiches. This small drive-in has been delivering service with a smile since it first opened more than 60 years ago. No matter what you get, be sure to wash it all down with a sweet treat! Address: 1440 Minnehaha Avenue East, St. Paul, MN.

2. Wagner’s Drive In – Brooklyn Park
This drive-in located in the outskirts of the Twin Cities is a must-visit next time you’re craving a burger and fries. Mondays are the premier night to hit the town and head to Wagner’s. On those warm summer evenings, cruise on over to this drive-in joint. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped right out of the ‘50s or ‘60s. The Wag-Niters Car Club can be seen grabbing meals to eat in their classic rides. So come on down for a night of tasty treats and old-fashioned fun! Address: 7000 W Broadway Avenue, Brooklyn Park, MN.

 

 

3. Peppermint Twist Drive-In – Delano
Family-owned and operated since 1982, this charming drive-in restaurant is a great place to bring the whole family. With enough menu choices to satisfy even the pickiest eaters, the menu will surely satisfy. It’s full of burgers, chicken, and other great American fare. After you eat, take the kids into the Teddy Bear Park for fun on the wooden train, the wishing well, and plenty of fun games. You don’t want to miss this charming, bright drive-in in Delano. Address: 115 Babcock Boulevard, Delano, MN.

 

4. Gordy’s Hi-Hat – Cloquet
No trip up north is complete without a stop to the famous Gordy’s Hi-Hat! Since it first opened in 1960, many families have made this drive-in restaurant a family tradition. The parking lot is always overflowing with vehicles coming from all over for the amazing hand-pattied burgers and delicious breaded and fried cheese curds. Not a burgers and fries kind of person? Their menu also includes soups, salads, and fish. Top if off with a scrumptious strawberry shake! Address: 415 Sunnyside Drive, Cloquet, MN.

6. Barney’s Drive In – Waseca
Located along the shores of Clear Lake, this iconic drive-in restaurant has been around since 1949, when a steak burger was just 20 cents! Their menu is still serving up classic drive-in fare, such as coney dogs and homemade root beer. Get here early, though, because the best parking places at Barney’s have views of the lake. Be sure to snap a family picture by the giant chicken before you leave. This charming spot is one place you won’t soon forget. Address: 1300 E Elm Avenue, Waseca, MN.

 

7. Sue’s Drive In – Pierz
This quaint drive-in has become a traditional detour for northbound travels. That’s in part thanks to its delectable food, as well as its amazing fantastic staff. Always serving up smiles with every order, the staff here uses locally supplied beef and bacon to cook up every order. We hear the mac-n-cheese bites are so good you’ll need at least two orders. Time to swing in to Sue’s Drive In to start some new family traditions. Address: 425 Main Street South, Pierz, MN.

8. Roscoe’s Root Beer & Ribs – Rochester
BBQ is probably not the first type of cuisine you’d think of when you hear about a drive-in. But Roscoe’s Root Beer & Ribs will not fail to amaze you. The barbeque ribs and chicken may take the cake here, but you can still find a burger and fries on the menu. Pair it with tasty JoJo potatoes and a serving of divine baked beans to make your taste buds come alive! Address: 603 4th Street Southeast, Rochester, MN.

 

9. The Country Drive In – Winthrop
This old-fashioned drive-in restaurant specializes in juicy burgers, homemade ice cream treats, and even fried chicken. Located in the small town of Winthrop, the Country Drive In is a local favorite. Since its opening more than 50 years ago, people have flocked in from all over for a bite of their tasty cuisine. The pizza burger, with cheese in the middle, is a favorite for many. Upgrade your burger to a meal if you crave crispy fries and a salted caramel shake! Address: 802 5th Street West, Winthrop, MN.

 

10. Earl’s Drive-In – Roseau
Perhaps one of the first drive-in restaurants in Minnesota, Earl’s opened their doors in the 1940. Nearly 100 years later, Earl’s continues to deliver exceptional food and service. You’ll be hard pressed to find another drive-in this quaint anywhere else. Its charming red-and-white checked exterior looks like it’s straight out of the past. If you’re at a loss for what to get, try the Hiboy. This decadent sandwich will fill you up for the rest of the day! Address: 1001 3rd Street Northeast, Roseau, MN.

Article from: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/minnesota/drive-in-restaurants-mn/?fbclid=IwAR1MvllQSZsokwBD-9P9wIEEAVZBuY38V9v8CdtsMd3u5vJHSGSHjFu4LEo

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