Sunset in Grand Marais

from flickr user anwpix
Stunning. That is the only word I can come up with to properly describe this Grand Marais, MN sunset photograph which is so saturated with blues, magentas and lavender tones that it seems to almost be painted. This would look simply perfect enlarged to sofa size and printed on canvas.

Fort Snelling's Building 53

from flickr user austins
Part of the Upper Post of Fort Snelling, this photo shows Building 53 -- originally a gymnasium/service club. Fort Snelling's Building 53 was built in 1903 and shuttered in 2006. Check out historic Fort Snelling either today or tomorrow before the looming Minnesota State Government Shutdown on Friday, July 1, 2011.

Long Meadow Lake

from flickr user radio.sputnik
Most people pass by Long Meadow Lake on Interstate 494 (southeast of Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport) without even realizing that it is in fact a lake. It's one of those areas that blends in with the marshes and backwaters of the Minnesota River when, in fact, it is a standalone lake. And being that is designated as a National Wildlife Refuge, the surrounding park will remain open over the upcoming July 4th weekend while the Minnesota DNR closes all state parks due to the looming State of Minnesota government shutdown.

University of Minnesota east and west bank

from flickr user Lucie Maru
To me, the real draw of this photograph is not the subject in the title -- the University of Minnesota -- instead I'm drawn to the tangle of highways and exit and entrance ramps.

Minnesota Twin Cities Pride June 2011

from flickr user Mpls55408
One of the many floats during the Minneapolis Pride Parade.

Red Power Roundup

from flickr user superh54
As the sign says, this International Harvester 1086 is the very first one built in the entire country. The IH 86-series tractors were the next to the last series of tractors -- the final being the 88-series -- before the Case International merger in the late 1980s. This photo was taken in Albert Lea, MN during the three-day Red Power Roundup sponsored by the International Harvester Collector's Club.

Minot, ND flooding

from flickr user Corps of Engineers St. Paul District
A temporary levee in Minot, N.D., nears overtopping from the Souris River June 22. The City of Minot enforced a mandatory evacuation shortly before 1 p.m. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, along with the North Dakota National Guard, continued to reinforce temporary levees to allow citizens affected by the mandatory evacuation enough time to safely leave the area. The Corps will continue to support local officials within the Souris Basin during the historic flood event. USACE photo by Patrick Moes

*As an update, may of the levees in Minot, ND on the Souris River have been topped and now have water flowing over them in to the city. An additional five to six feet rise on the Souris River is expected before it crests this weekend.

Duluth under a veil of fog

from flickr user mdlanglais
Duluth is often seen by us in the southern portion of Minnesota as a shiny tourist destination -- perfect for a long weekend getaway but many forget about the city's rather industrial history. These rows of brick buildings and warehouses perfectly capture what block upon block of Duluth truly look like and the thick fog in this photo only makes for a grittier appearance.

Morgan Creek Vineyard

from flickr user Gretcholi
The photographer says: I can’t think of anything better to do on a Friday night than to sit at Morgan Creek, share a bottle of wine and listen to live piano music - I mean look at this setting!!

Morgan Creek Vineyard is located near Minnesota Highway 68 near Cambria, MN.

Carnival in Brooklyn Park, MN

from flickr user nullane
With only about three weeks of summer in the books, it's hard to believe that we're already seeing city festivals and their associated carnivals brimming with sketchy rides and impossible-to-win games. This nighttime photo of a fully illuminated ferris wheel in Brooklyn Park shows that we all need to truly embrace summer as it is quickly sliding away.

Francisco Liriano Heading to the Mound

from flickr user Ebbs2
Taken from above the outfield at a Minnesota Twins game at Target Field in Minnespolis, this photo of Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano making his way to the pitcher's mound perfectly captures the scale of a major league ball park.

Back to the 50's - Model Cars

from flickr user Saibal K. Ghosh
One of the long-running distincitvely Minnesota events that defines early-Summer is the Back to the 50s car show at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Having only attended once myself before the photography bug really bit me, I am left gazing at photos such at this majestic work of art - a 1950s Chevy restored to a level far greater than its original glory.

Spinning wheel keeps spinning around

from flickr user bukieco
While it seems a bit early in the year to see a ferris wheel in action in rural Minnesota, I'll take it because when it spawn a photo that captures such amazing action everybody wins.

Cityscape from Prospect Park, N. Minneapolis

from flickr user Thom Q. Public
From rail lines to stadiums and the skyline, this angle of Minneapolis gives Minneapolis an entirely new face to the public unfamiliar with many aspects of the Mill City.

Windsurfing in Worthington

from flickr user weeklygobble
I've been through Worthington, MN two or three times in my entire life. I know I stopped once at the southwestern Minnesota city's Shopko store but I was totally unaware that the city had a lake to call its own. Even more surprising was that the lake played host to a windsurfing regatta this past weekend.

2011 Fixed Gear Classic Blaine Minnesota Velodrome racing

from flickr user rbnlsn
Racing is intriguing to me. Maybe it's the speed or maybe it's the agility of the racers. While I'm definitely among the legions of NASCAR fans, I count myself among the ranks of at least casual Indy Car racing fans and love the more niche styles of racing. Maybe that's why this photo of fixed gear bike racing at the National Sport Center's Velodrome appealed to me and made the cut today.

Purple Dusk In Minneapolis

from flickr user Sound Scapes
I've seen thousands of photos of the Minneapolis skyline taken at all times of the day but what sets this photo apart from teh rest is the fact that the photographer captured a high-in-the-sky moon, the purple sky of dusk and the skyling all in the same frame and managed to capture some of the area trees to provide some grounding to the photo.

Moose

from flickr user Joi Electa
An awesome close-up of a moose straight out of northern Minnesota where you're as likely to clip a moose as a deer with your car.

Bikini + Pyrotechnics

from flickr user mplsminx
Although the focus isn't as sharp as a tack -- which is understandable given the action in this photo, the photo works because it showcases incredible action in an apparent jumping spin -- especially nice given the inclusion of fire.

Cliche Cloud Hovers Over Minneapolis

from flickr user Butch Siemens
This is a case of perfect timing. The sun's rays and the position of the cloud match up just right making for a photo worthy of a large motivational poster or something cool like that.

Urban Time Lapse

from flickr user math3780
A shot of Minneapolis, Cirque du Soleil and Traffic on both land an in the air! The plane is taking off from MSP International, the shot is from the top floor of the Mall of America East Parking Garage.

Catch of the Day

from flickr user djsime
This raccoon, at Myre Big Island State Park in Albert Lea, MN, is going to be eating well tonight due to his recent catch of a very fresh fish from Albert Lea Lake.

Ricky Rubio

from flickr user Jonatan Gonzalez
After waiting two years, the pathetic Minnesota Timberwolves have apparently signed their 2009 (?) draft pick from Spain, forward Ricky Rubio. Even though his 6.5 points per game with his Spanish team is rather dismal, Minnesota Timberwolves General Manager David Kahn thinks he's the next big thing. Given the history of the Minnesota Timberwolves draft picks being the next big flop, we'll find out just what kind of basketball player Ricky Rubio really is if the 2011-2012 NBA season actually happens.

South Dakota National Guard Flood Response

from flickr user The National Guard
PIERRE, S.D. – A contractor packs down mud to strengthen the levee and a berm of sandbags line local residential and businesses to help contain the rising Missouri River in Pierre, June 1, 2011. More than 900 South Dakota Army and Air Guard members have been called upon to assist in flooding efforts for the communities affected by the flooding Missouri River.

Duluth Harbor

from flickr user JJWit818
A neat view of the bridge and harbor in Duluth, MN.