"Biindigen!" (or "Come in!") says the sign at Morell's Chippewa Trading Post in downtown Bemidji, Minn. Inside, thick strands of tiny beads stream like a rainbow along one wall, while beaded butterflies, barrettes and earrings line a glass case. Birch-bark containers — with lichen left intact, and looking like rustic green rosettes — fill other shelves.
It's one of many places in this city of 14,440 where Ojibwe art reflects reverence for nature, and the community at large is finely tuned to the outdoors. Seasonal events range from summer dragon boat races and camping to frigid February ice-fishing and parking on the frozen Lake Bemidji for Bemidji State University classes.
The Mississippi River, which begins humbly 30 miles away, flows to Lake Bemidji before squiggling east and south. It inspired the city's Ojibwe name, Bemejigamaug ("a lake with water flowing through it"), and Bemidji counts as the first city along the Great River. There's evidence along the lakeshore of villages that stretch back thousands of years.
Downtown Bemidji hugs the southwest shores, where tourists grin and wave beneath 1937 statues of Paul Bunyan and his vibrant blue sidekick, Babe. They provide perfect selfie bait and make it easy to spot the tourist information center.
Inside, visitors spot comical displays of Paul Bunyan's supersized belongings — a baby moccasin, a rattle, a rifle and, yeah, even toenails. Bunyan bobbleheads entice shoppers while others study the fireplace, with rock from every county in Minnesota and every state in the nation.
On the northern shore, Lake Bemidji State Park beckons nature lovers. While some beeline for the campgrounds, the beach or the playground, I duck into the woods and head for the milelong bog walk.
Elevated above thick carpets of sphagnum moss, interpretive signs point out blueberries, grass pink orchids, insect-trapping pitcher plants and, finally, the showy lady's slipper. With its delicate pink-and-white blooms, the state flower should rank with Paul and Babe on any Minnesota bucket list. It blooms in June or July, but later visitors can find other wildflowers and enjoy the palette of fall, when shrubs turn red and deep-green spruce contrasts with the brilliant gold of tamaracks, rising above the boggy landscape.
Attractions
Diamond Point beach and park offers a playground, paths and place to swim. It abuts the university boathouse, which rents kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddleboards and bikes (1-218-755-2999; bemidjistate.edu/students/recreation).
