Otter

The pup is now four months old and can be seen in the Aquarium's Sea Otter Habitat.

The pup is now four months old and can be seen in the Aquarium's Sea Otter Habitat. Aquarium staff attempted to pair him with a surrogate mother in hopes of releasing him into the wild but their efforts proved unsuccessful, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined the pup could not be released. A sea otter pup who was abandoned in the Carmel-by-the-Sea area has found his home at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.

With two state parks, myriad roadside sculptures, and what some brave souls have crowned the best burger in Minnesota, Otter Tail County is no weekend ...

Who knew Rothsay, with its population of 605, was the prairie chicken capital of Minnesota? Rothsayers did, and that’s why they have a 13-foot prairie chicken statue proudly displayed off Highway 94. With the afternoon still young, we grabbed a patio table at Outstate Brewing Company, overlooking the Ottertail River Reservoir in Fergus Falls, and split a flight of sours and stouts served in a mini-canoe. The astronaut is a tribute to Nyberg’s daughter, a veteran of two NASA space flights; the giant foot, dancing knife and spoon, and spilled coffee cup are just for fun. This was followed by a speedy ascent up Hallaway Hill in Maplewood State Park, where the summit offers sweeping views of Lida Lake, and a steeper hike up Inspiration Peak, the highest point in central Minnesota. The peak got its name after Sinclair Lewis wrote about its “enchanted peace and seclusion.” Know who else finds this trail inspirational? More than 240 churches and cemeteries are tucked into these thar hills, but the silhouette of this 118-year-old chapel looks especially grand at sunset. All his catching and releasing made us hungry, so we booked it to the locavore-minded Fabled Farmer in Fergus Falls for power bowls and fresh-squeezed juice. True mom-and-pop resorts are rare these days, but this is still a family affair—run by brothers Nick and Andy and their parents, Brian and Margaret Leonard, who bought the property in 2006. Next up on our ambitious itinerary: 1910 Sip House on Ethel Lake. Opened in a modified grain bin in October 2020, the bar specializes in dry cider infusions of freshly pressed mango, Bing cherries, and homemade dill pickle brine. With eyes like X-ray scanners, this kid could laser in on a school of fish 100 feet away. Come dinner, we ducked into Stub’s Dining & Saloon in Battle Lake, the self-proclaimed “second best restaurant in Minnesota.” Stub Digre opened the supper club in 1969, but it’s got more personality than your typical prime rib palace. The Nailer was pure decadence (double patties squished between melty American cheese and gouda sauce) and the Fireball, stacked with serrano peppers and jalapeño mayo, delivered on its name. With two state parks, myriad roadside sculptures, and what some brave souls have crowned the best burger in Minnesota, Otter Tail County is no weekend slouch.