"I ripped it open and haven't stopped smiling.” - Reader Review “Julie Jo takes the reader on a joyous and informative ride as she explores so many fun and interesting sights, milestones and experiences in the Twin Cities, many of which I didn't even know about even though I've lived there most of my life.” - Reader Review “The secret destinations in this book are super inspiring - and so well laid out!” - Reader Review "It's probably helpful to have lived in the Twin Cities, as I have, to enjoy Julie Jo's new book SECRET TWIN CITIES. But, the two-page vignettes are so cleverly told that they will probably be fun for a much broader audience. The book is on our coffee table and we pick it up often to read two or three of the short tales aloud. It's most often good for a chuckle to lighten our day." Reyn Guyer, Inventor of Twister and the Nerf Ball If you're looking for sites you've never heard of, or don't know much about, grab a copy of "Secret Twin Cities," by freelance journalist Julie Jo Severson. Severson captures a reader's imagination right away with teasing chapter titles . . . "Secret Twin Cities is a two-fer. You can read it just for fun without leaving home, or you can use it to map a day's outing." Mary Ann Grossmann, St. Paul Pioneer Press Where can you view a rare handwritten letter by Mozart in the same building where a notorious gangster was once chained to a radiator? Whose remains are stored inside a suitcase on the upper shelf of a local German bar? Where is there a park hidden 120 feet below street level, and why is it the subject of an opera? What's the story behind the world's largest Lite-Brite and the city bus stop with giant steel flowers sprouting from it? The answers to these and many more questions about Minneapolis and Saint Paul are found within the pages of Secret Twin Cities. The Twin Cities metropolitan area invites visitors and locals to revel in nature, art, science, history, innovation, and with this book as your guide"¬,¬"a bit of the unexpected. You'll play a musical sidewalk railing, stand exactly halfway between the Equator and the North Pole, and explore the spot many Dakota people consider as the center of the earth. Weaved into delightful narratives by local writer Julie Jo Severson, Secret Twin Cities is a treasure chest of offbeat, extraordinary discoveries. Whether it's your first visit, or your lifelong home, you'll broaden your Twin Cities itineraries, bucket lists, and trivia vaults. Where can you view a rare, handwritten letter by Mozart in the same building where a notorious gangster was once chained to a radiator? Whose remains are stored inside a suitcase on the upper shelf of a local German bar? Where is there a park hidden 120 feet below street level, and why is it the subject of an opera? What's the story behind the world's largest Lite-Brite and the city bus stop with giant steel flowers sprouting from it? The answers to these and many more questions about Minneapolis and Saint Paul are found within the pages of Secret Twin Cities. The Twin Cities metropolitan area invites visitors and locals to revel in nature, art, science, history, innovation, and with this book as your guide"¬‚¬"a bit of the unexpected. You'll play a musical sidewalk railing, stand exactly halfway between the Equator and the North Pole, and explore the spot many Dakota people consider as the center of the earth. Weaved into delightful narratives by local writer Julie Jo Severson, Secret Twin Cities is a treasure chest of offbeat, extraordinary discoveries. Whether it's your first visit, or your lifelong home, you'll broaden your Twin Cities itineraries, bucket lists, and trivia vaults. Minnesota native Julie Jo Severson grew up dreaming of working in a newsroom like Mary on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. These days she s a freelance journalist and editor living in a Minneapolis suburb with her husband and three teens. With a longtime passion for preserving life s rich and whimsical stories before they fade away, Severson launched the blog Carvings on a Desk, cocurated the anthology Here in the Middle, and works with individuals to record their personal histories for future generations.