Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota!
I have loved Weird Al's music since I was in high school (a long time ago). For a long time I had only one cassette tape of his music, and wasn't exposed to his other albums, so when the UHF album was released, even though I'd actually seen the movie, I was unaware that the song "Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota" existed, until Jim and I went to a Weird All concert in late 1996. Of course Weird played a Minnesota song in Minnesota.
Ever since then, I have wanted to see the twine ball. And have been too lazy to do so, even though it is LESS THAN TWO HOURS from my house.
Thanks to Katie, (child numero uno), who suggested a fangirl trip to the twine ball, I have now seen it. Katie's mother-in-law, who lives close by, also wanted to see this product of one man's obsession with baling twine.
So we packed up Katie's kids and drove on Friday. We sang the Weird Al song on our way. We missed the last turn, had to turn around, and then, THERE IT WAS, right there on the side of the road in Darwin, MN, big as life. I didn't get a picture of the whole pavilion, As you can see, the ball is protected by glass so I could not lick the twine ball (darn).
Funny to me story: Emma (baby in picture beneath) had a major blowout soon after we got there and Katie had to strip her down. She didn't bring a spare outfit, but the souvenir shop had a pink onesie in Emma's size! So that was Emma's souvenir, which she was able to wear right away so she wasn't naked. La La (the other grandma) got Jackson a t-shirt, which he refused to wear that day, but I saw pictures from the next day and he was wearing it.
Jackson and I had our souvenir picture taken
Of course the rules are laughable 101 years later. I can't imagine a single woman teacher being told she couldn't hang out at Cherry Berry.
I have a thing for water towers and there was one right there at the Twine Ball site. The flags hang on the pavilion for the Twine Ball.
The actual Twine Ball. I couldn't get the whole ball in one picture without the reflection of the glass being really annoying.
Ever since then, I have wanted to see the twine ball. And have been too lazy to do so, even though it is LESS THAN TWO HOURS from my house.
Thanks to Katie, (child numero uno), who suggested a fangirl trip to the twine ball, I have now seen it. Katie's mother-in-law, who lives close by, also wanted to see this product of one man's obsession with baling twine.
So we packed up Katie's kids and drove on Friday. We sang the Weird Al song on our way. We missed the last turn, had to turn around, and then, THERE IT WAS, right there on the side of the road in Darwin, MN, big as life. I didn't get a picture of the whole pavilion, As you can see, the ball is protected by glass so I could not lick the twine ball (darn).
Funny to me story: Emma (baby in picture beneath) had a major blowout soon after we got there and Katie had to strip her down. She didn't bring a spare outfit, but the souvenir shop had a pink onesie in Emma's size! So that was Emma's souvenir, which she was able to wear right away so she wasn't naked. La La (the other grandma) got Jackson a t-shirt, which he refused to wear that day, but I saw pictures from the next day and he was wearing it.
Jackson and I had our souvenir picture taken
Of course the rules are laughable 101 years later. I can't imagine a single woman teacher being told she couldn't hang out at Cherry Berry.
I have a thing for water towers and there was one right there at the Twine Ball site. The flags hang on the pavilion for the Twine Ball.
The actual Twine Ball. I couldn't get the whole ball in one picture without the reflection of the glass being really annoying.
Bucket list item checked off.
Also the guy at the souvenir shop was very knowledgeable. He told us some stories from the history of Darwin, and was very personable. He was a guy who loved his town. There was a little museum attached to the souvenir shop and if I had ever had ancestors who lived in Darwin, I would have been in history heaven. Jackson enjoyed the doghouse, the model house, train, grain elevator, and church, and the old-timey school desks. He didn't want to leave. I could have stayed there longer as well.
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