Copyright FOX 9
Seth Varner is traveling to all 856 incorporated communities in Minnesota and posts photos and history from each one under Wandermore In MN on Facebook. A culmination of all my passions Local perspective: The Driftless Area in Southeastern Minnesota is filled with rolling hills, deep valleys and scenic vistas. And nestled in the heart of Bluff Country is a town of about 1,000 people, where visitors certainly give a hoot. Seth Varner and his wife, Eliese, are taking in the sights and sounds at the International Owl Center in Houston. Their tour includes a visit with JR, a 7-year-old eastern screech owl. In addition to taking selfies with their new feathered friend, the Varners document everything from the art on the walls to the ornaments in the gift shop, all in an effort to showcase the best one of the town's main attractions has to offer. "I didn't know a single thing about Houston. I didn't know about the gorgeous bluffs. Didn't know about the owls. Had no idea," said Seth Varner. History, travel, food What we know: The Varners are about three quarters of the way through an epic adventure to see all 856 incorporated communities in Minnesota. At each stop, Seth Varner takes photos of prominent churches, restaurants and businesses and posts them on Facebook, under the name Wandermore in Minnesota. "It doesn't matter if your population is twenty people or if you got two-hundred people or two hundred thousand people, every town is treated equally in that we document the history and try to do some local tourism sites and showcase like, 'Hey, here's what there is to see or do new in each town,'" said Varner. Varner started his journey in Steen, Minnesota back in February and since then, he's traveled from Ada to Zumbrota and almost everywhere in between. For every step of his 12-stage project, Varner posts his itinerary in advance and asks his followers on social media to give him suggestions of what to do when he is in their area. "For me personally, I do believe every town has a story. Everything I put out is positive, and it's always shining the towns in a good light," said Varner. Hitting the road The backstory: Varner started Wandermore in 2020, when he got bored in his hometown of Wahoo, Nebraska, after he was sent home from college during the pandemic and decided to visit every town in his home state. Since then, he's continued his travels across five other states and turned his posts into published travel guides, which he sells to fund his escapades the following year. "I love writing, I love photography, I love travel, and so those three things alone, that's kind of what culminates Wandermore, I would say for the most part," said Varner. The future of Wandermore What they're saying: Varner says once he wraps up his time in Minnesota in a couple of weeks, he'll have visited 18% of all the incorporated towns in the country. Even though Wandermore won't last forever, for now Varner has no plans to stand still. "I hope I get to keep doing this for years down the road and showcase really all that our flyover states have to offer," said Varner.
