Fun facts about Minnesota

I recently read a list of 50 great things about Minnesota. I won't list them all here, because most of them we've heard before and some are not that interesting.

There were, however, two that were so surprising I had to do more research.

32. Rhubarb only grows in Minnesota. (Some out of towners will tell you differently, but don't believe them.)

I find this VERY hard to believe, although it explains why Publix in Jacksonville charged several dollars for five stalks. I couldn't bring myself to buy something that grows in every Minnesota yard. And, yes, South Dakota yards too. Which proves this wrong already.

A simple Google search on "rhubarb" dispels this notion completely. Rhubarb is actually indigenous to Asia and came to the US via Europe in the late 1800s.

Further research may indicate that there is a certain type of rhubarb native to Minnesota, but it hardly seems worth it...when, really, does it matter? Let's chalk it up to an enthusiastic Minnesotan thinking up yet another way that state is unique and better than anywhere else. And who could blame him/her?

49. Minnesota has 90,000 miles of shoreline. This is more than California, Hawaii, and Florida combined.

Since the person who wrote this list was wrong about the rhubarb, I'm now skeptical of everything on the list. But, if true, WOW! What's the big deal about the coasts, anyway? Some of us have lived within mere miles of the ocean and can count on hands and feet (maybe just hands) the number of times we've actually touched the water.

I checked the DNR website and the most relevant stats I could find are:

- 13,136,357 acres of total surface water area

- 69,200 miles of natural rivers and streams

So 90,000 miles of shoreline doesn't seem impossible, does it?

Has this made anyone hungry for rhubarb pie and a boat ride?