Paul Bunyan had Andy, Emily, Olivia and Erin right in the palm of his giant hand. According to my Minnesota Curiosities manual, there are many statues of the mythological lumberjack in Minnesota, but the town of Akeley claims the whopper. Only fitting, as the stories of Paul were born in this long-ago logging town. We picked up a child’s version of his history for a buck at the adjacent Akeley Paul Bunyan Historical Museum. Truth be told, it was the only bit that interested our kids at the museum. It isn’t a shrine to Paul at all, but a collection of mementos from early Akeley.
For the Files: Statue is located on Main Street (Hwy 34) in Akeley, Minnesota. His beard is utterly freakish. His face might give you nightmares. My 3-year-old had to be coaxed forward.
