In the area:

The farmland of south central Minnesota is dotted with lakes. These waters are popular for fishing, boating and swimming . Historic sites and museums in several towns tell interesting tales from the past.

At St. Peter, the new Treaty Site History Center focuses on the Indians and fur traders who used this river crossing, and includes artwork on Indian life by an Army captain. The 1871 Cox House, open for tours, features Victorian period decor.

The Blue Earth County Heritage Center in Mankato gives insight to the earliest settlers of that area. The Seppman Mill, one of Minnesota's first grist mills, is found at nearby Minneopa State Park (list state parks). The park also features a waterfall that tumbles 45 feet. Several antique shops in and around Mankato offer relics from the past to take home. Mankato is also home to the neighborhood that inspired the Betsy-Tacy children's books.

One of the oldest homes in the state is the Alexander Faribault residence, built in 1853, in the town that bears his name. Faribault is also home to a woolen mill, well known for its blankets. The mill offers tours and has an outlet store.

Winding through the countryside between Mankato and Faribault is the 39-mile, newly paved Sakatah Singing Hills Bike Trail (list trails). The lakes in this area around Waterville are popular for fishing, and there are several lakeside resorts and campgrounds.

In the college town of Northfield, the 1876 bank raid by the Jesse James gang is reenacted each September. The bank is now a museum that tells the story of the heroic town's defeat of the James gang. The well-preserved, 19th-century storefronts downtown now house antique, book, handcraft and espresso shops.

In Owatonna, a Prairie Style bank designed by Louis Sullivan in 1907 attracts architecture buffs. Other historic highlights of Owatonna are an orphanage museum, a village of pioneer-era buildings, and Cabela's, a huge outfitters outlet with 150,000 square feet of entertaining exhibits and outdoor products.

There's also a pioneer village in Albert Lea. In the summer, the professional Albert Lea Community Theatre offers great plays and musicals (list theater and arts). At nearby Myre-Big Island State Park, the interpretive center houses a collection of American Indian artifacts.

Five interconnected lakes surround Fairmont, a town rich in water recreation. The restored 1901 opera house offers entertainment once again, and the history museum preserves relics from the past