The pelican is the oversized concrete statue of my childhood. I grew up in a town nearby and went to a rival school. I spent a lot of time in Pelican Rapids playing baseball, basketball, and at track meets, so I've had many glimpses of the pelican between the buildings downtown as we drove through town.
On this occasion, we were on our way to visit my parents. It was another gorgeous day so we parked on Broadway and walked down a boardwalk to the Pelican. We have since made 2 or 3 other stops at the Pelican, once with ice cream and another time (after Thanksgiving) because he was sporting a scarf and hat that were in the school colors.
The Pelican stands on a platform at the base of the Mill Pond Dam at the headwaters of the Pelican River. This August the 15.5 foot tall concrete bird celebrated it's 50th birthday. He looks pretty good for 50 (and a little bit menacing).
Tips: I recommend getting some ice cream in a waffle cone at Scoops on 1st Ave and walking across the street and down a short alley to the park. There you can enjoy the view from on top of the nicely landscaped dam while you enjoy your ice cream.
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