Author talk: ‘100 Things to Do in Minnesota Before You Die’

A new book offers suggestions for “100 Things to Do in Minnesota Before You Die.”

It’s the second book for author Julie Jo Larson. Her first book was called “100 Things to Do in the Minnesota Northwoods Before You Die.”

“As I was doing book events for it, people from southern Minnesota kept asking me, ‘When are you going to do the book that covers us or everybody?'” Larson said.

She whittled the 100 things to do across the state down from a list of around 200.

“I think one of my favorite places in the northern, northern part would be the High Falls at Grand Portage,” she said. “I love watching the water crash down. You meet a lot of people from across the country and Canada there.”

She also included Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park in the book. And she says everyone should visit one particular state park.

“Everyone should go to Itasca State Park at least once,” she said. “The headwaters of the Mississippi River — it’s a beautiful state park, but when you walk across … it’s just phenomenal to realize that that is the longest river in the country, and it goes all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico.”

Larson will be signing her books from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, April 29, at the Bookstore at Fitger’s. “100 Things to Do in Minnesota Before You Die” can be found in many bookstores and on her website.