BLACKBERRY PATCH SYRUPS in the most tempting flavors.
A TARDIS tucked into a corner.
Cotton candy in buckets.
Dictator soda. Say what?
Minnesota’s largest porta potties.
Pop art.
Seemingly unconnected, they are. All were photographed inside Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store, also known as Jim’s Apple Farm outside Jordan along US Highway 169.
I love discovering and photographing places like this to share with you. Jim’s has been around for more than 30 years. But I’d never been there until about a month ago. It’s not quite an hour’s drive from my Faribault home.
There’s so much to see in our own backyards…if we only take the time to discover, then appreciate.
TELL ME: What should visitors see in your backyard?
FYI: Check back for one final post, featuring my two favorite photos from my visit to Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store. Click here to read my first post in this series and my second post.
Jim’s Apple Farm closes for the season on the last day of November.
© Copyright 2016 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
What flavor was that Dictator Soda.. “Lenin and Lime”?
Good one, Jake.
To answer your question, I don’t know.
Dictator soda – oh my. The syrups sound intriguing as well.
Oh, you wouldn’t believe the soda flavors and names.
I thought the syrup sounded yummy, even though I rarely ever use syrup.
Yay the TARDIS! And the recently updated bathrooms! Which, by the way, are perfectly normal bathrooms on the inside not port a potties at all! You captured the spirit of this place well on all your posts!
Thanks for telling me that the porta potties are just regular bathrooms. That’s good to know since I tend to avoid porta potties unless absolutely necessary.
In this series the thing most apparent to me is that I did not realize how drawn I can be to a label or repulsed by it. Who would be drawn to “Dictator Soda”? I wasput off by the angry-looking dictators, then the loud coloring (seemed very artificial) of the drink made me think how unhealthy it would be. GASP! It screams “CANCER” pop to me! Ha ha!
As for something in my backyard, when folks come to visit, I give them the “Good, bad and ugly” tour. This is an area rich in Native American history and beautiful landscapes. But there is also the stark reality of white man’s influence. Oddly, most visitors say they appreciate the “reality” tour. Tourism isn’t all about the “pretty” things, after all. I like what you said, “…if we onlly take the time to discover, then appreciate”.
I agree with you about the soda. When I was picking up wine last week for Thanksgiving dinner, I noticed a vivid blue wine and thought, “That does not look good at all.” It was that inexpensive brand of wine I drank occasionally many decades ago. And, yes, the shop employee said they still sell it. Not much. But some.
It sounds like you do a great job of showing your guests the important history/sites in your part of Oklahoma.
TELL ME: What should visitors see in your backyard?
Tough question as there are so many things to see and do depending on where a person is and at what time of the year.
Alaska Sealife Center, Portage Glacier, Dalton Highway (locally know as the “Haul Road”) from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay next to the Arctic Ocean, Lake Hood in Anchorage it’s the largest floatplane base in the world right in the middle of an international airport. Large plane, small plane their all there.
Oh my the list goes on………………….. But on the top of my list would be Denali Park. If in the area during Autumn a try for the Denali road lottery is a must, but you must enter for it during the summer. The road through Denali National Park is closed to private vehicles during the year except for the 4 days of the lottery. Wild life, scenery, wilderness its all there.
https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/road-lottery
But Audrey, I think the Midwest has just as much to see and do too! Thanks to your blog you continuously highlight areas and things that would easily be missed, for this I thank you!
That’s quite the list. Don. Thank you for sharing. I find the Denali Park lottery the most interesting thing. Why is access so limited?
You are so sweet. I love sharing my discoveries with all of you.
The park is limited to busses only so that the wildlife is not scared off into the mountains and thus more wildlife is seen and the park remains a wilderness with few people seen. Also because the road is gravel the amount of dust kicked up with too many vehicles traveling becomes an issue.
OK, thanks for explaining, Don.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I bet that syrup would be great on homemade waffles.
Sounds delicious.
I stopped at Jim’s Apple Barn quiet a lot in my Minnesota days, that, and the Red Jacket Trail in Mankato were my favorite stops
Thanks for stopping by, Mark, to share two of your favorite Minnesota places.