A bright yellow picket fence runs for miles along the highway and cornfields near Jordan, building anticipation and raising the excitement level in the car several notches per mile.
And then there it is, a yellow behemoth rising from the prairie! A candy store to rival all candy stores, a good example of turning lemons into lemonade.
When the Wagner family’s commercial apple orchard was nearly wiped out by devastating hail storms two years in a row, they conjured up a vision of a seasonal candy store like nothing seen before in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Longer than the Vikings football field, Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store has kept growing over the years and is filled with over 3,000 different varieties of candy.
It’s a tradition for my daughter’s family (along with about a million other families, judging by the jam-packed aisles) to indulge their sweet tooths (teeth?) once a year. And I got to go along!
The aisles are narrow and numerous, piled with every kind of candy you remember from your childhood (and a whole lot more you don’t!). Overhead domes feature movie characters, this one with 24 more than life-size super heroes protecting the world from above.
Another room, another dome —
The aisles are narrow and numerous, piled with every kind of candy you remember from your childhood (and a whole lot more you don’t!). Overhead domes feature movie characters, this one with 24 more than life-size super heroes protecting the world from above.
Another room, another dome —
And of course, the largest PortaPotties in Minnesota.
When you open the door —
Surprise!
You walk into an immaculate full-fledged restroom instead of a portable toilet.
Mason was on a mission, ignoring all the other treats to find his favorite candy, and he found it. I loved these little wax bottles when I was a child, too, and was amazed to see they are still around. Of course, they were filled with root beer flavor then. Mason enjoyed every last one of his on the trip home!
Well, I’m sure you are wondering about my choice in all this world of sugar! I bypassed chocolate from every corner of the world for my favorite “penny candy” when I was a child.
Who knew it was even still made! I seem to remember you could also get them in the shape of watermelon slices.
I’m curious. What was your favorite choice when you were say, seven or eight? (And feel free to reminisce over more than one!)
There was a wide variety of candies love from Europe
ReplyDelete❤️ (and lots of heat and humidity) from South Carolina
Deletenow and laters.... taffy... wax teeth... candy dots on paper strips...bit 'o honey... On Friday after school the grammar school had early release but the jr and sr high didn't. Since we all rode the same bus I would walk home passing the gas station that sold all these candies. I spent my 25 cent allowance there hoping the candy would last till the next Friday. Good thing the walk was over 3 miles ! If I was lucky the pony ride would have its ponies out and I could stop and pet them... 25 cents for three trips around the track!!
ReplyDeleteYou brought back memories... W. Nyack, NY
❤️. I’d forgotten Bit O’Honey! Yum.
DeleteI used to like those dots that came on waxy paper about 3 inches across and you bought it by the inch. I remember it being pink and white but they may have come in other colors. My go-to comfort candy, though, are orange jelly slices. I would not want to live where I drove past that candy store often.
ReplyDelete❤️ My son-in-law bought peach slices. Similar I thInk. I think you’d be safe — it’s only open a few months in the summer.
DeleteI can well imagine that you were anxious to escape that oppressive heat in South Carolina. I have to say that the candy mall would not be my choice of a place to visit, but maybe my grandchildren think me boring since I always take them for a walk and try to explore nature with them.
ReplyDeleteThe boys had just come home from 10 days in nature — camping out West! The older boys had even photographed a grizzly bear, something I’ve never seen in the wild.
DeleteMary Janes come to mind as a favorite also Sugar Daddy. I got hooked on the latter at camp.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm not sure I could stand the smell of all that candy. Didn't it smell of sugar?
No smell. I think it is all pretty tightly packaged. ❤️I’ve never had Sugar Daddies but Paul and I both love Mary Jane’s and once in a while we dons them and buy them for a treat on a road trip.
DeleteThe dental fraternity in Minnesota must love these outlets?
ReplyDeleteI wonder are dentists the richest residents of Minnesota?
Still I shouldn't talk - I love peppermint cream chocolates and I
bet I can eat them faster than young Mason.
Cheers
Colin
Yes, I’m thinking this business is a dentist’s dream come true!
DeleteChocolate kits taffy that would probably pull off all the crowns and fillings in my old teeth.
ReplyDeleteHaven’t heard of chocolate kits taffy but I should probably avoid it, too. I do pass up carmels for that very reason.
DeleteDuring the war we didn't get candy. There wasn't any. It took awhile after the war to see much candy. I can't remember a favorite.
ReplyDeleteI love liquorice but not the soft sweet kind you get in shops now. I remember liquorice sticks which were part of the liquorice plant that you could chew and suck out the liquorice flavour. They were 1penny a stick. I can still get them at Borough Market near London Bridge where there is a liquorice stall. I still love liquorice.
ReplyDeleteI agree, licorice is not the same as when we were kids. We do have the Panda brand of old fashioned strong licorice in natural food stores and I buy it for my mom now and then. I still love licorice, too. ❤️
DeleteThat is a child's fun paradise. I have never been a big candy eater so I don't remember any candy from my childhood.
ReplyDeleteWe weren’t allowed much candy when I was little so it was a huge treat when we did get some!
ReplyDeleteYeah you got to visit Jordan! That is a fun store...I bought Orange Slices and licorice when we stopped there. It is a fun place to be! Did you hear that a car hit the building not too long ago? Hope you had fun with your grands!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great place to take the grandkids! I think I was partial to Good & Plenty. Ha, guess I still am!
ReplyDeleteWow what a huge candy store. I hope the kids didn't suffer from sugar overload. I loved liquorice all sorts as a kid
ReplyDelete.
No wonder the kiddies were excited! That's a dream come true for most kids. What a fun idea going through a porta-loo (that's what we call them here) into a proper bathroom. It must be strange seeing several people enter if you're not aware. I think licorice straps were a favourite of mine, or the hollow licorice that you sucked up sherbet through from a little white paper bag.
ReplyDeleteI used to like the coconut candies you chose, and the little wax soda bottles were fun. I used to like Heath bars, among many. The bathroom entrances are very funny.
ReplyDelete