Albert Lea – Beauty, history and Minnesota lakes
Mrs. C and an early rocker hail from a small southern Minnesota city. Marion Ross and Eddie Cochran grew up in Albert Lea. They were each proud of their hometown. Ross – who rose to fame in the role of Mrs. Cunningham on the 1970s hit television series “Happy Days” – routinely returns home.
Cochran, who made “Summertime Blues” in to a major hit died at a young age. Cochran was 21 when he died in a car accident during a concert tour in England. Albert Lea hosts Eddie Cochran Weekend annually.
The two celebrities are featured along with the area’s history at the Freeborn County history museum. Ross’s turquoise pick-up is on display in a room dedicated to the actress. Cochran has a nice exhibit among the rock and country music displays.
From its early days of Native Americans living in the region to major meat producing plants, Albert Lea’s museum offers visitors an interesting look into its history.
The museum includes exhibits on antique furniture, musical instruments and clothing. The museum presents them in interesting displays.
Freeborn County museum has one of my favorite historical attractions – a living history town. It’s a small exhibit, but an interesting one.
The area’s first log cabin is on display. It’s small, indeed. The cabin is protected under a covering.
Buildings at the living history village – located near the county fairgrounds – were relocated to the museum from their original spots. A school house, church and businesses are located at the village.
A sheriff’s office and jail had to be checked out. Lisa wasn’t with me during this portion of the visit; otherwise, she would have likely ended up behind bars. The girl has a living history jail record.
Downtown Albert Lea offers a mix of nostalgia and recreation. The city’s main street is home to buildings that have been around since the late 1800s. We love old buildings. They have the best architecture.
The city’s tourism bureau has the perfect spot on the street – “Unique” is written above its front entrance.
The Marion Ross Theater stands at one corner of the main street. The community theater building proudly promotes its namesake.
The Interchange – a coffee and wine bar – offers an excellent cup of Joe (actually, a vanilla latte). We enjoyed lunch there. Lisa and I each sampled a chicken salad Panini. Delicious! I added a cup of potato soup.
Fountain Lake Park is a beautiful area across the street from the Ross Theater. People were fishing and boating during our visit. I couldn’t find a bad view of Fountain Lake. It is a beautiful lake with a beautiful park.
We didn’t get a chance to go for a cruise on the lake with the Pelican Breeze II, but we have friends who have enjoyed a cruise of two. We plan to return and take the cruise ourselves.
We enjoyed our visit to the city of 18,000. We are excited for a return trip. We recommend visiting Albert Lea.
For more information on Albert Lea, please visit www.albertleatourism.org.
