Well, he got the raccoon, and it was soon joined on the farm by a ferret, a fox, a prairie dog and more critters.“ Forty years later, here we are,” Vogel said.
People can enjoy the animals at Safari North Wildlife Park by walking through the park on foot along the many paved trails or by boarding the Expedition Safari train. It takes guests through a 10-acre portion of the park where they can observe African lions, monkeys, several different types of antelope, zebras, cranes and more.
There are also several interactive attractions, including an opportunity to feed the giraffes and ride on the backs of camels.
Safari North Wildlife Park operates from 9 a. m. to 6 p. m. daily from May 10 through October 4. The last entry of the day is at 4:30 p. m.
Check out the website, Safarinorth. com, for more information including the current price of admission.
Safari North Wildlife Park 8493 State Highway 371 Brainerd, MN 56401 Season: May 10 – Oct. 4 Parking is free Hours: 9 a. m. – 6 p. m. Website: Safarinorth. com
Paul Bunyan Land There’ s a folktale that’ s been told in Minnesota since the 1800s. Our 10,000 lakes were supposedly created by a giant lumberjack named Paul Bunyan and his blue ox, Babe. As they explored the state together, they left behind giant footprints that over time filled with water.
The Brainerd community has really embraced the legend. Since 1954, a giant animated statue of Paul has been saying hello to and answering questions from travelers in Brainerd.
The statue’ s original home was the Paul Bunyan Amusement Park that was located at the intersection of Highways 210 and 371. It operated from 1950 until 2003. The park was purchased by another family that relocated it to a property east of Brainerd along Highway 18.
Paul Bunyan Land opened for business in Summer 2004, and has been home to the statue ever since.“ The magic of our park is that when guests arrive, Paul greets the kids by name and actually interacts with them.
“ He plays games with them like red light, green light, and also tells stories of his history. Stories that include how the lakes were formed and how he found Babe,” Lois Moon, co-owner, Paul Bunyan Land said.
Moon and her brother own the amusement park that has become a must-see attraction for families spending time in Brainerd.“ Most families spend a good portion of the day here to get everything in,” Moon said.
After families spend a little time with Paul, Moon said they proceed into the amusement park where they can go on more than 20 different rides. The rides include the Kiddie Canoes, Tilt-A-Whirl, Dodgem’ Cars and the ferris wheel according to the Paul Bunyan Land website.
In addition to the amusement park, there is also a petting barn and the Pioneer Village, which takes people back in time. The village features 40 buildings, including a schoolhouse, a church, a saloon, Post Office, blacksmith and sawmill.
“ You pay one admission price for everything that’ s here. The only thing you pay extra for is food if you want to eat in one of the cafes,” Moon said.
Children 2-and-under get into Paul Bunyan Land for free. The rate is the same for guests ages 3-to-64, and discounted for seniors 65 and over. Season passes are available. Current pricing can be found on the website, Paulbunyanland. com
POPULAR WATERPARKS IN BRAINERD
For those who want to spend more time with Paul Bunyan and his blue ox, Babe, they can also be found at the Paul Bunyan Waterpark, which is inside the Arrowwood Lodge at Brainerd Lakes in nearby Baxter. The organizations are not affiliated.
Paul Bunyan Waterpark is a 30,000-square-foot indoor waterpark featuring two slides, a lazy river, a basketball hoop area, a lily pad-walking area with a rope over the top of it, a zero-entry area for infants and toddlers and an indooroutdoor hot tub.
Waterpark hours vary depending on the time of the year, and can be found on the lodge website: Lodgeatbrainerdlakes. com
Paul Bunyan Waterpark The Lodge at Brainerd Lakes 6967 Lake Forest Road Baxter, MN 56425 218-822-5634 Lodgeatbrainerdlakes. com reservations @ lodgeatbrainerdlakes. com
The Rapid River Lodge & Waterpark is an 80,000-gallon park that features a lazy river and pool, two big slides— a 230-foot-long raft slide and a 175-foot-long body slide— and an indooroutdoor hot tub. There is also an 8,600-gallon activity pool for the little ones.
Waterpark hours and more information can be found at Rapidriverwaterpark. com
Rapid River Lodge & Water Park 7376 Woida Road Baxter, MN 56425 218-825-7234 Therapidriverlodge. com rrlbaxter @ gmail. com
The Holiday Inn Express in Baxter is home to Three Bear Water Park, which is billed as the biggest waterpark in Brainerd. It boasts 250,000 gallons of heated water, a 1,000 gallon splash bucket, two 300-foot-long slides, a lazy river, a family and adult hot tub that can seat up to 18 people, and a separate area where younger children can enjoy some watery fun.
Three Bear Waterpark 15739 Audubon Way Baxter, Minnesota 56425 218-824-3232 info @ brainerdhi. com Brainerdhi. com / brainerd-water-park
FISHING ADVENTURE FOR THE FAMILY
For those who want to go on a fishing adventure, there are several guides that offer customized fishing adventures, including Captain Richie Boggs, who has been taking people out on the Brainerd Area lakes for 35 years. Now 62, the Nisswa resident grew up on Gull Lake.
“ Fishing is what we did for entertainment,” he said. Nowadays, it’ s his livelihood.
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