In Focus

I finally did something fun this summer.

As the chaos of a hectic and depressing summer finally begins to wind down, my boyfriend and I found ourselves with something we haven’t had much of lately—a day with nothing planned.

The weather was nice, and he wanted to get outside and do some hiking. We started looking at local parks when I came across the Thomas Dambo trolls in Detroit Lakes. I thought that sounded like a fun adventure and something his kid may like, so we decided to go.

We started at the city park and found the first troll. We didn’t exactly do a lot of research beforehand. We saw the trolls and assumed they were all located in one big park. They weren’t.

After a few minutes of searching, we found the list of addresses and realized we would be driving to several different locations around Detroit Lakes. There is also one in Frazee, which we visited on our way home. Each location required a little hiking to find the troll.

Other than our initial confusion about where to look, it turned out to be a lot of fun. We got to see different parts of the area that we probably wouldn’t have visited otherwise.

The first troll has a storybook and a map that explains the project, and the information is also available online. Another troll is located in a sculpture garden that appears to be expanding. Walking around and looking at all the different artwork was another unexpected part of the adventure.

The only trail that was even slightly difficult was the one leading to the golden rabbit. There was actually a warning sign about the trail, and for good reason. Some sections were steep and had been affected by rain and erosion. I’m just glad I remembered to tape my knees before we went.

We also kept running into the same group of people at nearly every stop, which made us laugh. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones who thought spending a day searching for giant trolls sounded like a good idea.

It was just nice to get out and do something different.

Other than gas, water and a few treats afterwards, it was also a relatively inexpensive outing. We got some exercise, spent time outside and had a little adventure—all things that are easy to overlook when summer gets busy.

Since we were in Frazee, we also had to stop and take a picture with the giant turkey. It seemed only appropriate.

Beyond being fun, I think projects like this are a smart way to bring tourism to an area. It gives people a reason to visit different communities, explore places they might otherwise drive past and spend a little time—and money—locally.

It also got me thinking: Why couldn’t we do something similar around here?

Otter Tail County already has its Giants. We could easily create some kind of monument or character representing each community. Towns with schools could use their mascots—or former mascots. Clarissa could have a Buck. Hewitt would obviously need a Pickle. Imagine finding a Tiger tucked away in the woods or a Pirate waiting down by a river. Or go with a theme like the trolls—we could do gnomes or something. Some could be right in town, while others could be placed in county parks or along trails, giving people a reason to get out and explore.

It wouldn’t have to be complicated. It could simply be something fun that connects the communities and gives families, visitors and locals another reason to get out of the house for a while.

After all, sometimes you don’t need an elaborate vacation. Sometimes you just need a nice day, a little curiosity and a giant troll hiding somewhere in the woods.