I’ve spent more than 20 years in Minnesota, and I’ve explored all corners of the state. Part of the reason I wanted to take a fellowship for a year of study was my fascination with the state’s forests, and particularly the piney woods of the Arrowhead Region, which is mostly made up of Superior National Forest. It’s an area roughly equal in size to Vermont (which says a lot about how big Minnesota is). SNF includes the biggest Wilderness Area in the Lower 48 (the Boundary Waters) and it includes thousands and thousands more acres that are available for a wider range of uses, from mining to logging to fishing and hunting. I’ve spent a lot of the last semester at the University of Colorado studying the history of the laws that govern the country’s public lands, and I’m going to spend a lot of the next semester focused on researching the history, present and future of Minnesota’s public lands. The nation’s forests are undergoing rapid change. In Colorado and the mountain states to the north and west of it, lodgepole pines are being wiped out by mountain pine beetle. Aspen trees, another iconic trait of Colorado’s landscape, are also struggling mightily with warmer weather and nastier pests. In the East, western hemlock is being wiped out by a tiny Asian bug with no natural predators in North America. Moving from the east, the ash borer is leveling groves of ash trees across the country. Some of these phenomena are linked directly to climate change, while others have more to do with human manipulation of the landscape. In Colorado, biologists blame a variety of factors for the downfall of the lodgepole pines. Climate change may be part of the equation, but the larger issues have to do with overcrowding of trees, and that is linked to suppression of fire. As I move into the next phase of my research, I’ll be updating you on what I find in Minnesota’s forests, but I’m also wanting to hear what you’re seeing and observing. I’ve noticed more burr oak saplings in Voyageurs National Park for example. Are you aware of proposed mine claims? (They’re coming.) New trails? Midnight rule changes? The next months will tell much about the future uses of our public land in Minnesota.

One of the main reasons people travel is to visit sacred places, destinations that connect them to something bigger than themselves, or to some special qualities they admire. Jerusalem is a classic example, but in the academic world of religious studies, sacred places can include battlefields, natural landmarks, national parks, civic shrines (like the Lincoln Memorial or the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis) or even a place like Graceland. Here is how one set of academics — David Chidester and Edward Lilenthal — define sacred space. (Mindfully, I de-academized their language in my paraphrasing). First, it must involve some kind of ritualized behavior — there’s got to be some kind of human action. At a battlefield, that might be bowing one’s head in remembrance. At a national park, that might be posing for a photo on the edge of the Grand Canyon. Second, it has to give meaning to the visitor. It could just be marvel at the beauty of nature, the talent of Elvis or in a place like Jerusalem, it could be a connection to the transcendent. Finally, the space must be contested or negotiated. (This is the one I have the hardest time with; I’m not sure every sacred space is contested or negotiated). What they mean, though, is that in a place like Jerusalem, many groups vie to define the meaning of a place, or even to control access to it. Even among Christian sects, there are many disputes about where the events of the Bible took place and what they mean. At Gettysburg, Civil War buffs argue vehemently over how the battle should be memorialized, and how much commercialism is appropriate. By these definitions, what are our sacred places in Minnesota? There are important Native American sites that fit the categories, including the contestation — Pipestone National Monument comes to mind as a classic example. But there are other sites that might stretch the definition. Bob Dylan’s birthplace in Hibbing is sacred for some and not for others. I grew up in Nebraska, not caring about baseball, but I know some natives consider the site of Memorial Stadium to be hallowed ground, in a sports-fan sense. What do you think?

The September issue of Coastal Living magazine named Duluth the third best B&B town, after Santa Barbara, Calif., and Troncones, Mexico. Our northern city beat out such B&B icons as Key West, Fla. and Kennebunkport, Maine. The magazine singled out the Firelight Inn for being a place that’s particularly great for birders. The other B&Bs mentioned were Olcott House and Solglimt.

What do you think of these choices? Do you go to Duluth for a vacation, or is it a quick stop on your way to the North Shore or beyond? What are your tips for visiting Duluth?

I hate the term “leaf peepers,” so let’s just dispatch with that now. Why not hue hunters? Deciduous drivers? I know, I know, I’m barking up the wrong tree. So let’s get to the matter at hand. What makes a good fall color road and where are your favorites?

To my mind, fall roads should be lightly traveled two-lanes with a satisfying mix of hills and curves. In other words, they should be fun to drive as well as scenic. Mine are in Otter Tail County, in the northwest part of the state, and to the southeast, in the Bluff Country of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. I also have a soft spot for all of the roads in Itasca State Park (pictured above in 2007), where the orange maples pop against the old-growth white and red pines of the forest. I wrote a more detailed account of my wanderings in Otter Tail County last fall for the Sunday Travel section (Sept. 7).

What are your favorites?

A new edition of Monopoly called “Here & Now: The World Edition,” was released yesterday. In it, Montreal replaces Boardwalk as the most expensive property on the board, and Latvia’s capital, Riga, becomes its slightly less expensive dark blue neighbor. New York City got grouped with Sydney and London as red properties. The changes were spurred by an online poll. So it got me thinking:  what would a Minnesota version of Monopoly look like, according to the readers of the Star Tribune? Minneapolis and St. Paul would be big-buck dark blue, of course. Ely, Grand Marais and Brainerd perhaps could be red. The Great Northern would be king among the railroads. And what of the pewter tokens you move around the board? A walleye, a canoe, a hockey puck? Share your ideas here.

With the Travel story on Madeline Island (Sunday August 24), the last in a series on islands of the Midwest, I did what many travel writers are reluctant to do: I told you about one of my favorite places.  You understand the impulse to keep mum, right? If a place is overrun with tourists, the thinking goes, it’s ruined. The truth about Madeline, though, is that it already gets boatloads of tourists — literally — and they don’t impinge on the charm one bit. Now I want you to return the favor and tell me about your favorite island.One reader, David Darr, already has. “If you want to visit a truly unique set of islands; try the Bass Islands (particularly South Bass Island) in Lake Erie for some memorable experiences,” he wrote.  A subsequent e-mail explained why: “There is a lot of history connected to these islands.  Official claim to ‘fame’ is Perry’s Monument which is the third tallest (over 300 feet) federal monument in the United States.  The monument celebrates the Peace (after war of 1812) between the USA and Canada and is located on South Bass Island.  Some decisive battles were waged in Lake Erie. Middle Bass Island (Isle de Fleurs) supposedly was one of the Northern ends of the ‘Underground Railroad’.  In addition, Presidents kept cottages on the islands for summer enjoyment. I could go on but you get the picture. One other thing you will remember is the summertime ‘night life’ of Put-in-Bay; the village that is on South Bass Island. Easiest to fly in to Cleveland Hopkins, Darr added. Thanks David. Any other islands of the Midwest out there we shouldn’t miss?Â