Ho Ho Ho and Getting Corny

Ho Ho Ho………Green Giant

Please note, we’re not in real-time. I’m working to get you guys all caught up. For real-time, the best place to find us is on Instagram as rvlostyet.

If you lived through the reign of the Jolly Green Giant, you can appreciate this post. Wouldn’t you know that in Blue Earth, Minnesota, we happened upon this old icon.

He’s much bigger than life and stands at an impressive 55 1/2 feet tall. Some more stats you may be interested in:

• weighs 8,000 pounds
• made of fiberglass
• wears a size 78 shoe (you know what that means ladies)
• his smile stretches 48 inches!
• $43,000 to manufacture

The statue was listed by Time Magazine as one of the “Top 50 American Roadside Attractions.” This sexy green man wasn’t on the radar for the crew. But hey, when you can stroke those lovely green legs, why not?

If you prefer to see some video footage, here’s the latest.

https://youtu.be/u6JtmBCO1T8

So why in the world would anyone want to erect such a statue? Since peas and corn were (and still are) manufactured in Blue Earth, the town and company came to an agreement in 1978. The town could use the icon to commemorate the completion of I-90 as long as they paid for it.

On July 6, 1979, the Jolly Green Giant was erected. Every winter, he is draped in his infamous red scarf to keep him warm and cozy. The red scarf is also reminiscent of the original Jolly Green Giant from 1961.

If you’re ever driving by and decide you want to see this Jolly guy, take the exit towards Blue Earth. If you’re here Monday thru Friday from 9am-3pm, you’re in for a bigger treat. That’s when the museum is open and you can see the canning process of peas & carrots, watch retro commercial ads and get all the Green Giant memorabilia you can stand. Now on to our corny experience.

The Corn Palace

We blew on in to Mitchell, South Dakota to stop and pay a visit to the Corn Palace. A little background on this iconic and quirky place. In 1892, the small town of Mitchell erected the first ever palace made entirely of corn. They wanted to show the world that South Dakota has a healthy agricultural climate.

Ironically though, they were really boasting about their meat production, not corn. The town quickly grew and in 1905 another corn palace was built. This was also soon outgrown and the third and final corn palace was built in 1919.

The corn palace was a place where the folks of Mitchell could gather for the fall festival and celebrate the seasons harvest. There were stage performances and more. Later it would become a famous location for basketball tournaments.

Each year, the palace is redecorated with a new theme using naturally colored corn, festive grains and native grasses. Currently there are 13 different shades of corn to include: red, brown, black, blue, white, orange, calico, yellow and green. The theme this year is Rock of Ages.

At the end of August, the old mural is removed and the new one completed by the first of October. We were told by some volunteers inside that they use college students to help with the placement. There is an artist that designs where each color will go and instructions are given. A listing of the different murals through the years can be found here. Unfortunately no photos are provided but I’m sure you could find it somewhere on the web.

On their website, they state that the, “Corn Palace is known around the world as a folk-art wonder on the prairie of South Dakota.” It was definitely interesting to see and I’m glad we made a stop. Of course the girls walked away with popcorn and popcorn balls!

Goodbye Minnesota

Next up is Badlands and Mount Rushmore!

E-Book: For those who haven’t been following along, my e-book, “RV Wannabe: Learn about the RV lifestyle – Eliminate your fears – Head on down the road,” is currently available for pre-order by clicking on the link. Currently selling for $3.99 and after the release date of May 31st will go up to $4.99. It is free for Kindle Unlimited customers. 

{HUGS} from the Crew!

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