The Holy Grail is in Minnesota?

Lets face it. My tastes in travel adventure are a lot like Clark Griswold’s. Pack up your semi-willing family…and then drive thousands of miles across the country on the ultimate quest to see Walley World. And while you are doing that…its absolutely critical to stop at every tacky tourist attraction along the way. But, what is the ultimate Griswold-like tourist attraction? You know the answer. Everyone has made a joking reference to this attraction since the beginning of roadside attractions. What is the Holy Grail??? No brainer…its the Largest Ball of Twine.

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As subscribers to this blog, its important for you to understand that balls of twine are no simple matter. There are actually 4 noteworthy balls of twine located across the USA.

1. Largest ball made by a community (sisal twine); Cawker City, Kansas
2. Largest ball (nylon twine); Branson, Missouri
3. Heaviest ball; Nebagamon, Wisconsin
4. Largest Ball (sisal twine) made by one man; Darwin, Minnesota

While these are all OBVIOUSLY road trip worthy sites…I think only one ball is worthy of the title of the Holy Grail of Roadside Tourism. That BALL is the Largest Ball of Twine made by one person in Darwin, Minnesota. I had the honor of visiting here when I passed through Minnesota as my 49th state on the quest to visit all 50 states.

So…I need to defend my position. What makes this 17,000 pound ball the best? The answer is the late, great, twine twirler…Francis Johnson. Mr. Johnson is the definition of the word “commitment.” As mentioned, this ball (as documented by Guiness World Book of Records) is the only twine ball that was built by just one person. Mr. Johnson spent at least 4 hours a day, every day, for 29 years to accomplish this feat. And here is the kicker…Mr. Johnson was a non-smoker that died of emphysema. It is believed that inhaling all the twine fibers over the 29 years caused him to die of this lung disease. How’s that for tragic irony? You dedicate your life to building this ball…then, it kills you. So, if you get near the west side of Minneapolis…make the trip out to Darwin, MN, and visit the Holy Grail of tourist attractions. PT

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