Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Yay Amy!

Amy Knit Think (aka Amy Rea), has written a book, and the book has been published, and my copy came from Amazon just the other day. This Minnesotan in exile is enjoying it immensely.





Now this is exactly my kind of travel guide: it lists yarn stores (yay), and it lists books stores (yay), and it lists lots and lots of good places to eat (yay,yay,yay!). Because when I travel, that really is basically what I want to know. Where's the yarn, where are the book stores and where can I eat?

However, for those with wider interests, the book covers lots of other possible activities, from ice fishing to ballooning to museums, to local festivals, to camping to..., well you get the picture. As Amy points out, Minnesota has lots to offer.

The Twin Cities get the most detailed coverage, which makes sense, since they have the most to cover; but the book's information extends across the whole state, which is a lot of territory. Sort of made me want to visit Bemedji........

Her style is felicitous, dry humor included. Did I mention that she took the pictures, too?

The only problem is that it made me homesick, and then made me realize that while a lot of things are just the same (or almost) a lot of things have changed in the many years since I lived there - which is a different kind of homesick feeling.

Still, it left me wanting more. Amy, how about a neighborhood by neighborhood guide to the Twin Cities? See, I kept thinking about more stuff that could go in it (that is, if the stuff I'm thinking of hasn't disappeared in the last 30 years, which I guess some of it has......) Some changes are for the good, though. There's now a Tai restaurant in the town I grew up in, which there sure wasn't back then, and that gives some consolation for the general gentrification.

But I digress. The main point is, "Yay Amy!" And for everyone else. Buy this book. Visit Minnesota. You'll be glad you did. Ya, you betcha.

4 comments:

SSK* said...

I L-O-V-E to visit family in MN! That was where we went on our favorite family vacation ever (and we are going back next summer).

I do know what you mean that some things change while other things stay the same. My hometown has grown up way too much for my liking. It makes me wistful.

Firefly Nights said...

I have a little award for you on my blog today.

Kitty Mommy said...

When Mike was looking for a job after grad school, our top three choices were Madison, Duluth, and Bemidji. As much as I liked all three, I sure can't say I'm sorry that we wound up here!

Anonymous said...

Wow, thanks! What a lovely writeup! I'm blushing. ;-)

Frankly, I'd love to do an entire book just on the Twin Cities. I could fill as much space as I did on the whole state. The downside is all the things that keep closing...sigh...but watch the MN blog (flyover-land.com), I'll be spotlighting different 'hoods.

Thanks again!!!