Eat Like a Local

All demanding field work requires satisfying meals to sustain the incredible energy output. As we have all learned, snorkeling and fighting strong currents all day can really give you an appetite, so our field experience has included many meals in many restaurants.

But which ones should we go to? Since our project is funded by the LCCMR (Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources), we have decided that the best way to use Minnesota's money is to put it back in the pockets of local Minnesotan businesses. As a result, we have become quite the connoisseurs of the "Authentic Mexican Restaurants" of Southern MN, and discovered the best places to grab a cheap, tasty bite to eat ($2 Burger Baskets, anyone?!) The locals are always extremely friendly and willing to talk about anything, from farming's impact on water to China's monetary policies to how we look like we might eat our hands off if we don't get our food in the next two minutes. 

Molly, Brooke, and Maya enjoy their Mexican Flag enchiladas at Authentic Mexican Restaurant in New Ulm, MN

It feels really nice to get to know not just the local Minnesotan mussels, but the townspeople and the landowners adjacent to the bridges and rivers we snorkle in. Talking with people can also give us really valuable information about the river systems and land use changes that might affect or give context to our results. Building local relationships is always important in the scientific research world!

Digesting our food babies after a full lunch at the Coffee Pot Cafe in Alexandria, MN (Now serving Pepsi!)