The Weird Things You Start Seeing on Minnesota Roads in July

Welcome to July in Minnesota! After the long holiday weekend, during which many Minnesotans spent time on the road, you might have seen something you normally wouldn't see in other months, and in some cases, you might see some of these things yearly. Here are 7 of the 'weird' things you start to see on Minnesota roads in July.

Tractors That Block 30 Cars At A Time

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Local producers, as well as producers throughout the state, are out working on their fields. Whether they are spraying, doing some repair work on culverts, hauling haybales, or working on their irrigation systems, it seems every time you see a tractor, there is a long line of vehicles behind it, and for good reason. Passing a tractor can be dangerous, as they can be hard to see around, so it's best to slow down, give them plenty of room, and only pass when it is safe and legal to do.

Turtles

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July is the month that we see some of the highest numbers of turtles crossing the road, and some cities/townships have turtle crossing signs. Many times you might see a vehicle stopped in the road, when it's safe to do so, to allow the shelled reptiles to cross safely. If you are curious about how you can safely help turtles cross the road, or turtle "safety," you can head here. 

Sweet Corn/Fruit Stands Appearing 'Overnight'

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We've finally entered the part of the year where roadside stands pop up faster than weeds. One day, you are driving to the cabin and passing an empty corner, then on your way home, there is a sweet corn/strawberry/watermelon stand. Spotting your first stand is a sure sign summer is here!

More Deer Standing By The Roadside, Including Fawns

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July and August are when we start to see young deer start to leave their mom's side to go off on their own. For some reason, they are drawn to the ditches, where there is standing water and long grass to graze during the summer months. Remember, if you see one deer, chances are there is another one or two not far behind, especially around sunrise and sunset.

Construction Barrels...Everywhere

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July is peak road construction season here in the land of 10,000 construction barrels. While most of the major projects started in May, pop-up projects are happening all the time, seemingly on the way to wherever you are going. Even if you are confident the way you are taking is 'fine' give yourself a few extra minutes, because you just never know where these barrels are going to pop-up.

Campers, Boats, ATVs, & RVs All Going North On Friday

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You can almost time them in St. Cloud, starting at around 11:30 in the morning on Friday, through 6pm Division and Highway 15 are packed with everyone hauling everything out of town and towards their campground or cabin. It's like a parade, one that doesn't give out candy, each Friday going in one direction, followed by Sunday's encore of traffic all coming back.

Wildlife That Refuses To Move

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While turkeys come to mind for me, there are plenty of wildlife that don't care you've got someplace to be. Whether it's a sandhill crane, goose, turkey, deer, bear, or the occasional moose, you are suddenly on their time, or it can be an expensive lesson for you to learn.

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Every season changes what you'll find on Minnesota's roads, and July may be the most unique of them all. From slow-moving farm equipment and fresh sweet corn stands to turtle crossings and weekend cabin traffic, these little moments are part of what makes a Minnesota summer feel like, well... Minnesota.

What strange thing/or common things have you seen on the road this summer? Show us in the comments!

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