I love this map! Not only can you see what Minnesota is famous for, but you can hunt around for what creepy cryptid creatures are lurking in neighboring States. I am familiar with the Bigfoot legend of Wendigo, but I have to admit that I have never ever heard of Iowa's claim to fame, the "Big Blue Beast" of Mason City. I even lived in Mason City for a few years when I was three, and this is drawing a blank from me. Thank the on-line Gods for the internets!
In the deep water pond of Lester Milligan Park lurks the legendary Big Blue. This location is a popular scuba diving spot due to it's enormous depths, and many of the sightings have come from divers coming face to face with this cryptid beast. What is Big Blue? Eyewitnesses claim it is similar to a snapping turtle with one big difference - it is the size of a VW Beetle car hood!! A snapping turtle can get pretty big (as the picture below illustrates) but not BIG BLUE size.
Maybe when you are passing through Mason City next, skip over the Frank Lloyd Wright buildings and Surf Ballroom and head to Lester Milligan Park instead. Just be sure to bring a camera, and a pretty big stick.
At the very least maybe you can get a t-shirt or mug in the gift shop.
This is another phenomenon that is new to me, the Paulding Lights of Wisconsin. Located near Watersmeet off of US 45 on Robins Pond Road (the viewing location for the Paulding Light is located at approximately 46°21′08″N 89°10′43.5″W) these lights are an almost nightly occurrence. First reported by a group of teenagers in 1966, the mysterious moving lights have the classic folkloric explanation of being the lantern of a ghost railroad man attempting to flag down travelers.
If you are not a fan of "Spoilers for the Grey", then don't click on the various articles that claim to have debunked the Paulding Lights. I'd prefer to think of what fun it would be to go out there in the middle of the night and getting the crap scared out of me. I imagine that it is a rite of passage for local teens that has passed down for generations, so I don't want to know the science of it.
There are a few other State attractions that I am unfamiliar with - but I will let you find out for yourselves what is lurking out there. I just wanted to hit up some of our neighbors for this post. So happy ghost/cryptid/U.F.O. hunting!