Brainerd MN

Location

Brainerd is an important city located within the Crow Wing County in Minnesota. It is also the seat of the county and thus it has political and strategic significance for the region. This city is located in the central Minnesotan region and is a part of the Brainerd Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes the neighboring Cass County.

Importance

The location of the city on the banks of the River Mississippi is what promotes its great tourism industry. This area and the area surrounding it is a part of the Brainerd Lakes area, an area that includes a large number of lakes, each with a valuable amount of tourist significance. The majority of the area of Brainerd is a pine forest area.

Brainerd also has an important cultural significance. Paul Bunyan is considered to be a native of Brainerd and the majestic Paul Bunyan Trail includes parts of Brainerd. There is the talking Paul Bunyan installed here at the eastern end of This Old Farm. Brainerd has commercial importance also. It is an important city as regards the service sector, retail department, manufacturing sector and various other professional services.

Today, Brainerd is a railroad center because of its strategic location. It has various repair shops needed by the railways. It also specializes in agriculture besides its various occupations. Agriculture forms a dominant sector of the economy. Some of the important crops grown here are alfalfa and oats. Dairy farming is practiced to a significant extent also, and so is poultry farming. Other primary sector industries that are popular in Brainerd include lumbering and wood manufacturing.

Size and Other Specifications

The city of Brainerd occupies 8.4 square miles of area, which is largely terrestrial. Only about 0.5 square miles of the area of Brainerd is occupied by water. The city is elevated at 1,217 feet.

As of 2000, there were 13,178 people living in Brainerd, within 5,623 households. More than 95% population of Brainerd is white American. The number of married couples living in Brainerd is quite low, at about 36% of the total population. Most of the income for Brainerd comes from tourism due to its close proximity with the lake-ridden nearby cities of Crosslake and Nisswa.

Attractions

The main point of attraction in Brainerd is the proximity to the lakes, included in the Brainerd Lakes Area, which always sees a large number of tourists in the spring to fall which are the peak seasons. The people here indulge in fishing and boating, which are the prime activities. Fishing for bass, walleye, pike and other varieties of fish is carried on in a large scale in Brainerd.

Boating and cruising are highly popular activities throughout the lakes area. The cruise boats are usually not very big, though a few of them can accommodate up to hundred people at a time. The cruises move along idly on the chosen lakes as the people party on the deck. Vacationers use these cruises for arranging family get-togethers and also arrange celebrations for birthdays and wedding anniversaries on the decks of these cruising boats. There are several boats plying on the waters of the various lakes of Brainerd and so it is generally not necessary to book them in advance. In the peak season, though, booking can be a good idea especially if there are a large number of people planning to go on a cruise together.

Apart from that, Brainerd is a haven for golfers also, with about 520 holes present on scores of golf courses. Nature lovers find paradise here, especially on the Paul Bunyan Trail, which stretches to 100 miles and takes the visitor through forests, lakes and rivers. Another sport that is popular in the Brainerd Lakes region is hot air ballooning which allows people to move over the entire region checking out its lakes and sylvan beauty. Some other attractions for family vacationers that visit this area include parks with several interesting features such as racing cars and simulated mineshafts.

Brainerd is also famous for its 4th of July Independence Day celebrations. Several events are simultaneously celebrated on this day, including Gospel Night music, Arts in the Park, a parade and various other forms of entertainment.

Other places of tourist interest in Brainerd include the Franklin Art Center which has displays of paintings, stained glass works and pottery. The Crow Wing County Historical Society and Museum is located here too, which gives a good insight on the way ancient people lived their lives here. The Charles Lindbergh Historic Site and the Grand Casino Mille Lacs are other places of tourist interest.

Living Facilities

Hotels are found in most of the Brainerd area, but the greater tourist flow is directed at the resorts present mostly near the lakes. The resorts have their own fishing tours and golf courses to keep people interested. People also look at lake properties as vacation homes and there is a thriving real estate business for both new and lived-in properties in the region.