Numbers game

The next step was to located each of those entry signs, and number them on the MN map. I started with 1 on the south east side of the map, since I live in Rochester, and went clockwise around. US 10 near Taylors Falls has 2 signs... fancy! So now I have 64 stops to make and a lot of roads to cover to do it.

Minnesota State Entry Monuments

Minnesota has 3 different entry signs along the highway, for a total of 65 different signs and monuments.

From the MNDOT website:

     "Type I - Major Entrance Monument (12 total)

Monument-style signs located on interstate highways and the highway routes with the highest traffic volume.

Type II - Secondary Entrance Monument (20 total)

Historic and historic-style monuments of stone and wood, mostly located on highways with moderate traffic volume. Minnesota has 16 Type II entry monuments that are eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Type III - Minor Entrance Sign (33 total)

Metal signs located on highway entrance routes with the lowest traffic volume."

Fresh maps!

I stopped by one of the Minnesota Welcome Centers and obtained several of the 2017-2018 Official Highway Maps. These would be my guide as I strolled across every highway in Minnesota.

Side note - I think back in 5th or 6th grade our teacher had a whole lesson plan for a couple of days about using a map. We all received MN maps and had to find different cities, calculate distances, and plan routes. I also remember that he graded us on if we could fold the map back up properly. Weirdly, I think about that class pretty much every time I fold one of these maps back up...

How it all began...

Several years ago the BMW Motorcycle Owners Club of Minnesota held a contest to see who could take a picture of their motorcycle in front of the most "Welcome to [insert state here]" signs. I happened to be riding the Iron Butt Associations "48/10" (riding your motorcycle to 48 states in 10 days or less) that fall. I rode to all 48 states, dutifully taking photos at each border crossing, and then promptly did... nothing. I didn't enter at all... whoops. Fast forward a couple years and we arrive to Spring 2018.

I happened to be crossing back into Minnesota from a trip to Wisconsin and noticed the large "Welcome to Minnesota" entry monument along the side of the road. I thought "man, I wonder how many of those there are?" Luckily the MN Department of Transportation actually has a map of each entry monument. 

As I generally enter the BMW MN Club and the national BMW Motorcycle Owners of America mileage contest (see how many miles you can ride from April until October), I thought it would be cool if I rode my motorcycle to each one of the entry monuments and snapped a photo.

That blossomed into... "gee, I wonder if anyone has ridden every highway in Minnesota". After some hours on Google, I found nothing!

And so it begins... Riding Minnesota: A Man, a Motorcycle, and a Map of Minnesota