Man (and Woman) Kato

You’ve got to love a town that names a “Yard of the Week” winner (congratulations, Sharon Swanson!).

Being a native Minnesotan, you’ve also got to love the town that’s home to the Minnesota Vikings’ training camp every August. To support the team after an up-and-down performance in its first preseason game, I thought I’d offer some thoughts about things to do in Mankato – in addition to seeing the Vikings practice, of course!

A Case of Mistaken Identity (or at least misspelling)

Thanks to a typo somewhere in the mists of time, Mankato got its name from a misspelling of the Dakota Indian name for the area, “Mahkota,” which means greenish-blue earth. Although the first “European” fort was built in the area in the early 18th century, the town of Mankato can trace its roots as a town to about 1850. Founded on farming, milling, limestone quarrying, and related industries such as railroads and packaging, Mankato has been an important commercial center ever since.

The R.D. Hubbard House represents a reminder of this era. One of the milling barons of the era, Mr. Hubbard built an amazing Victorian house that has been restored to its circa-1900 grandeur. If you’re into that sort of thing, you can also see old-time cars and horse-drawn vehicles at Hubbard House.

What’s Happening

For up-to-the-minute information about local events, visit katoinfo.com and click on Mankato Events. It’s a very grassroots Web site that allows anybody and everybody to post events they think might be of interest. Searchable by date, it includes all events, from karaoke at local bars to daily details of what you can see at the Vikings’ camp.

You also can click here to download a surprisingly excellent visitors’ guide.

With about 35,000 residents, Mankato is well-known for its parks and trails, which often offer views of the beautiful Minnesota River Valley (let’s just say that the valley looks a little different in Mankato than it does in Burnsville). The Minnesota River Trail is probably the best way to see much of Mankato. Pick it up at Veteran’s Memorial Bridge at Lind Street in North Mankato, follow it through downtown Mankato, and end your exploration at Sibley Park in west Mankato, which even has a petting zoo.

If a flat walk, run, or bike is a little tame for you, consider visiting Mount Kato, which converts its ski slopes into seven miles of pretty wild mountain biking trails in the summer.

Later this fall – October 30, to be precise – B.B. King will perform at Mankato’s Alltel Center. If you can sneak into the Reception Hall before the performance, it’s worth a visit. Built more than 100 years ago as the First National Bank of Mankato, the former vaults are a cool feature of the room, and the AV and acoustics are very good.

For some killer fish and chips and all-around good pub grub – plus an outstanding selection of beers on tap – I’ve got to put a plug in for Pub 500. Visit before or after whatever you’re attending in Mankato.

It’s a Sports Town

In addition to a wide variety of sports at Minnesota State University, Mankato, beginning this week, the Mankato MoonDogs start play in the Northwoods League playoffs. A collegiate summer team, the ‘Dogs finished just a game back in the North Division, so they’re good enough to pay to watch.

We began this post with the Vikings, and it’s only fitting to end it with them as well. Coming up at the Vikings’ training camp will be Vikings Village, plus the opportunity to get up close and personal to every member of the team. But hurry, as camp breaks on August 14. Go to minnesotavikings.com for daily updates.