Interested in moving to Barnum MN from Konawa OK (Duluth: apartment, rental)

[Sdaggs]

Hello! My family and I are very interested in moving to somewhere in MN with our main focus being Barnum. This is the first time we have ever done such a big move and honestly, I'm overwhelmed! I have a 7 year old little boy who just finished first grade and a 5 year old little girl who just finished pre-k. I've looked at the school some and it definitely made me smile. I am curious to know about how the homes for rent are. Prices, sizes etc. We are actually looking to move this time next year. My husband works for a private coca cola plant where he drives a snack truck and delivers to the vending machines and fills them. I am a stay at home mom but wanting to get back into the work field, maybe with the school.
But before we make any permanent decisions, I'd love to hear from you all on all the good, bad, and ugly of MN. We definitely want snow so that is not a problem. The oklahoma heat kills us every year. I'd love any and all opinions!Wyoming is also an option. We would just like to be well informed before we make a decisuon. Thank you!

[demtion35]

Wyoming the state? or the Minnesota town? Barnum has a old fashioned style county fair, it is on the 35 highway, there is lots of woods and lakes around the area, not sure on rental though, perhaps look into Duluth as another option, much more to do in that town though. It is a short drive out into the country roads in from Barnum. No ideas about the schools sorry. It is close to the northshore if that is of interest to you at all. It is somewhat of a small town, and it will get lots of snow and cold in the winter. Fall time there would be beautiful. There are a lot of trees and country to explore. It is a neat area.

[Izzie1213]

I'm only familiar with the area because of the drive from the Twin Cities to Duluth. Also went camping in the Hinkley area when younger and a few other are I along Highway 35....I am from Minnesota but lived in Dallas/Ft Worth for about 8 years so very familiar with the long, rather boring drive from Oklahoma to Minnesota, Kansas being the most blah part of the drive.

The area of Barnum is pretty rural. But with having young kids you can meet the "mom" of their classmates so that's a great way to meet new people. Rental will probably be much less than the cities but not familiar with rental situation there. Maybe join a Facebook for that area. You will so much appreciate the summers here after the oppressive heat of Oklahoma. But be sure to take advantage, warn weather is short lived. Having a vegetable garden here is much easier and fun for the kids to pick their own green beans and such.

You probably meant Wyoming, Mn. You might find that area a bit less rural than Barnum. It's closer to the Twin Cities and I haven't seen but know there is a lot of new homes and such in the Hugo area so probably/more choices for housing, but probably higher cost than Barnum. But that's more of a guess than a fact.

Your husband does delivery? Hopefully he will quickly learn about driving on roads in the winter. Might be good for you to start out with a home that does snow removal for you like a apartment or townhouse. That can be a burden when you do it yourself.. you need a snowblower.

[Sdaggs]

Hey guys! Thank you so much for your input! I actually did mean Wyoming the state. I had no idea that there was a Wyoming MN lol! That's how much research I still need to do. Right now we live in a little town in OK called Konawa. We like the small town feel and my husband would eventually like to own land. The vegetable garden is a huge plus to this. I love to garden. We love camping and fishing and hunting. My husband is a disabled veteran (like a small percent) so he gets the military hunting and fishing licenses. Not sure how that works in either place either. We want somewhere that the community does things like fairs and things that families can spend a day out together.

So it's pretty in the fall? Lots of color? And the snow. Oh it all sounds wonderful! My mom used to have family in Barnum and that's why this became an option for us. I would never have heard of Barnum otherwise. She did mention Deluth too. I really just need to make a weekend trip out there and see what it's like.

[Tyryztoll]

Be cautious with your visions of the snow. The past couple years we've had almost none at Christmastime and then TONS after the New Year.....which is the absolute WORST. It would be great if that trend would reverse itself next winter.

[orca17]

Originally Posted by Izzie1213

I am from Minnesota but lived in Dallas/Ft Worth for about 8 years so very familiar with the long, rather boring drive from Oklahoma to Minnesota, Kansas being the most blah part of the drive.

This struck a chord with me. The Kansas Turnpike is without a doubt the most boring highway that I have ever traveled.

[unxpctd]

As long as you can handle the winters/snow and higher taxes...Minnesota is a wonderful place to live.

[Pincho-toot]

Originally Posted by Tyryztoll

Be cautious with your visions of the snow. The past couple years we've had almost none at Christmastime and then TONS after the New Year.....which is the absolute WORST. It would be great if that trend would reverse itself next winter.

I grew up in Miami and I LOVE the snow. I think they'll be fine in that regard. The snow isn't even bad to me, its that crappy ice that accumulates on the roads and makes parking a hassle.

[Pincho-toot]

Originally Posted by orca17

This struck a chord with me. The Kansas Turnpike is without a doubt the most boring highway that I have ever traveled.

Really? I don't mind it myself but I find Kansas a pleasant state to drive in. It does drag on though.

[geebabe]

OP - About 5 miles from Barnum is Moose Lake which has a bit more to offer business-wise, and it is still rural. Heck, there are many small towns to choose from. I used to live between Carlton and Wrenshall near my favorite state park. And we always enjoyed the Carlton county fair in Barnum.

One of the great things about this area is the Willard Munger State Trail that goes from Hinckley to Duluth for 70 miles. When I lived in Carlton County I used different sections of this trail a lot. I loved it!

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_tr...ger/index.html

Another great thing about this area are the state parks, although that can be said for all of Minnesota. I think we have a wonderful state park system. Near Barnum there is Banning SP, Moose Lake SP, and my favorite, Jay Cooke SP. Beautiful!

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/map.html

Someone mentioned Duluth and although I like Duluth for medical care, shopping and exploring, I wouldn't want to live there. I worked in downtown Duluth for ten years and appreciated living 30 miles away, in a small town.

Someone else mentioned the North Shore. I lived up there also, for six years (Silver Bay) and although it is absolutely gorgeous up there I was glad to leave. But hey, that's me. There are, I believe, eight state parks on the shore and they are all spectacular with so many trails. Lake Superior is awesome!

I could go on and on about the eastern part of Minnesota. I love it here. I didn't even mention the St. Croix River area which is the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin with towns on each side.

https://www.nps.gov/sacn/index.htm



I hope this helps and good luck to you and your husband with your big decision.