A SURPRISING THIRD GRADE ROAD TRIP!

 

Two nights ago I went on a wonderful musical road trip with my eight-year old grandson and his fellow third graders.  The background music to over 800 miles of Minnesota history and fascinating people with Minnesota connections was the well-known children’s song WHEELS ON THE BUS.  I’ve sung it hundreds of times over the years, but never imagined it being sung to an auditorium full of adults.  The slide show accompanying the excited singers and musicians added to the charm.  I truly didn’t want the program to end, and it made me Minnesota proud, even though I was born and raised in the neighboring state of Wisconsin.  Here are some of the people we were introduced to and sights we visited on our delightful road trip.

            Charles Lindbergh, who is perhaps better known as Lucky Lindy and the Lone

Eagle.  He was the first person to fly non-stop from New York to Paris in a single-seat, single-engine plane called the Spirit of St. Louis.  He was born in 1902 and spent most of his childhood in Little Falls, Minnesota, where you can take a fascinating tour of his boyhood home.

 

Bob Dylan, singer-songwriter extraordinaire, as well as artist, poet, and record producer.  He was born in Hibbing, Minnesota in 1941 and has recorded songs for over 50 years.  I was excited to hear one of my favorites—“Blowin’ in the Wind,” sung masterfully by proud third graders.  Bob Dylan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama in 2012.  Perhaps unknown to many is that he has also produced drawings and paintings which are currently in major art galleries.

            At different times of the year children and adults are treated to the movie classic THE WIZARD OF OZ, in which Judy Garland, a Minnesota native from Grand Rapids, Minnesota mesmerizes us with her portrayal of Dorothy, the young girl from

Kansas.  I never get tired of hearing Dorothy sing Over the Rainbow.  Judy once said, “I’ve always taken ‘The Wizard of Oz’ very seriously, you know.  I believe in the idea of the rainbow.  And I’ve spent my entire life trying to get over it.”  Fred Astaire, the famous actor and dancer paid tribute to her by saying, “She was the greatest entertainer who ever lived.”

 

            Of course a trip around Minnesota would never be complete without visiting Paul Bunyan, the lumberjack figure who remains a popular North American folklore hero.  Paul Bunyan’s pal is Babe the Blue Ox.

            And not to be forgotten is Francis A. Johnson who put Darwin, Minnesota on the map by creating the largest ball of twine ever developed by one man.  Starting in

 

1950, he worked for four hours a day over 29 years.  What we don’t know is why he chose this invention, but the people of the small town of Darwin are thrilled that he did.  Every August they proudly celebrate Twine Ball Day.  When I wrote a story about it a month or so ago I had no idea that my son’s third grade would celebrate this Minnesota novelty by singing Weird Al Yankovich’s song The Biggest Ball Of Twine.  The folks of Darwin will be happy to tell you that Weird Al even came to visit their town.

            Francis Johnson was no doubt a recent discovery for the third graders, but I’m

sure Prince, the singer-songwriter was more familiar.  As they sang Purple Rain, I thought of what a Minnesota legend he is, having produced 30 Top 40 Singles.  Born in Minneapolis in 1958, he wrote his first song at age seven, just a little younger than the majority of these kids.

            Another Twin Cities native known the world over is Charles Schulz, who

created the cartoon strip Peanuts and won five Emmy awards.  Nearly every day I drive by statues of Lucy and Charlie Brown.  Today, April 11, Lucy had an unexpected snow-topped crown adorning her head.  As the kids sang part of the Linus and Lucy song, they were especially spirited.

 

Before my road trip I didn’t know much about the Andrews Sisters from Mound, Minnesota, but the third graders reminded me of the song “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” a big hit in 1941 and still sung with gusto today.  The Andrews Sisters were a popular national vocal group of their time.

            Nearly every Minnesota third grader is familiar with the port city of Duluth, Minnesota, on Lake Superior’s North Shore.  Explore Minnesota and the tourist

board do a great job of promoting the spectacular scenery surrounding the beautiful and mysterious Great Lake, and it’s amazing how proudly and joyously the eight and nine-year olds sang the commercial about their state. 

            Most Minnesota kids are familiar with Minnesota sports teams and can tell you

 

 

plenty about the Minnesota Twins, so it was no surprise to hear a raucous rendition of We’re Gonna Win Twins, the fight song of our local baseball heroes.

            The night ended with the Andrew Lloyd Webber song Already Home.  I don’t always want to admit it, but after 43 years, I am truly at home in my adopted state of Minnesota.  Hearing these young kids proudly and loudly sing about their home state brought tears to my eyes.  Guess I’ve come of age.  Thought it would never happen!