Red Wing, MN

Red Wing Minnesota, the home of Red Wing shoes, is a small town on the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin about an hour-ish SouthEast of Minneapolis-St. Paul. You can learn more about the city at http://www.redwing.org.

This may seem random, discussing a small town that most of you have only "heard of" due to the "Red Wing Shoes" shops scattered around the country (http://www.redwingshoes.com). But it's not - see, I received a card from my grandmother this Christmas - she lives in Red Wing, and that's where my Dad is from. And, I hadn't talked to her in over 10 years.

So, it may be time for a visit. It's a bit scary for me, because I'm not what you'd call "close" to my father's side - my dad and his siblings all scattered across the United States many years ago. My dad always discussed not being close to his father, and we made many journeys up north that didn't really teach me how to relate to family. I learned that from my ex-wife's family, actually. My family? Not so much. So, I'm quite apprehensive about the idea of getting together with people I barely know, but I also think I have a unique opportunity to learn here. So, I'm planning a visit...