Seniors Head Up North To Thief River Falls

 Thief River Falls, also called Thief River or TRF, is the county seat in Pennington County, Minnesota with a population of just under 9,000. Senior travelers will find the city 70 miles south of the Canadian border, where the Thief River flows into the Red Lake River.

Thief River Falls takes its name from a geographic feature, the falls of the Red Lake River at its confluence with the Thief River. The name of the river is a loose translation of the Ojibwe Indian phrase, Gimood-akiwi ziibi, literally, the “Stolen-land river” or “Thieving Land river,” which originated when a band of Dakota Indians occupied a secret encampment along the river, hence “stealing” the land, before being discovered and routed by the neighboring Ojibwe. So now we know.

Since the city’s foundation in 1896, LaBree Avenue has been a cornerstone of community life. Many of the businesses that were born in Thief River Falls were started on LaBree. The city’s Chamber of Commerce holds an annual “Crazy Dayz”, which is a “bargain day” of sorts on LaBree. Also, each fall, the city closes the street and hosts the “Great American Block Party”, during which vendors line the street and live music is performed. Sounds like fun to me.

 Seniors Enjoy The Outdoors In Thief River Falls

In Thief River Falls the big name is Arctic Cat, that traces its roots back to former Polaris Industries founder Edgar Hetteen who left Polaris in 1960 and started Polar Manufacturing in Thief River Falls.

Shortly after changing the name to Arctic Enterprises, the new company produced snowmobiles. A few snowless winters in the early 1980s bankrupted the 20-year-old company, which closed their facilities by 1982. In 1984, Arctic Cat was reborn under a new company name, Arctco, which was changed to Arctic Cat in 1996. Today Thief River Falls has some of the state’s finest trails and parks.

Senior visitors will find Thief River Falls to be a fun place. Indoor or out, seniors can discover outstanding recreational opportunities, incredible wildlife, and a wide variety of attractions. One of the finest attractions in and around Thief River Falls is simply the Great Outdoors: kayaking, golfing, hiking, fishing and even bird watching. TRF has a casino called Seven Clans featuring a hotel indoor water park.

 Seniors Find The Birthplace Of Snowmobiling

Thief River Falls is the birthplace of snowmobiling and is well known for its hunting opportunities. With access to more than 500 miles of groomed trails that interconnect to over 1,500 miles of trails in northwest Minnesota, Thief River Falls is a snowmobile hub with five different trails leading out of the city.

The Water Park and Pioneer Village are two prime favorites of visitors. And oh yes, hockey is right at home and is highly popular.

Seniors set your GPS for the great northwest part of Minnesota and enjoy a variety of the state’s great outdoor living. -jeb