Meet the first "Kid-Created" Trip Jones Guide: Detroit Lakes, MN!

What happens when you hand the Trip Jones “ultimate adventure” playbook to 36 creative fifth-graders in a Minnesota lake town? You get a brand-new **Kids’ Visitor Guide to Detroit Lakes**—18 collectible cards bursting with kid-drawn art and insider tips that make every bike ride downtown or hike at Tamarac feel like a level-up moment.

How The Project Came Together

Community dream team:  The Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce invited Trip Jones team Brent Hieggelke and Joel Sayles to pilot our first small-town deck. From day one, Chamber president Jackie Buboltz rallied local businesses and schools behind the idea.  

By Kids, For Kids

Fifth-graders from Rossman and Roosevelt Elementary applied for the “design squad,” researched their hometown’s coolest spots, sketched original artwork, and wrote kid-friendly descriptions. The result is our most authentic guide yet—straight from the imaginations that will actually use it.  

Hot-Off-The-Press Reveal

On May 21, 2025, just before summer break, every student artist got the very first pack—still warm from the printer! Their pride (and animated trading frenzy) said it all. 

Why this first-of-a-kind kids’ visitors guide matters?

Detroit Lakes proves that **adventure isn’t measured in skyline size; it’s measured in curiosity. By letting kids curate their own backyard, we’re giving them the tools (and confidence) to explore bigger horizons next—whether that’s Chicago, LA, or the wilderness just beyond the treeline.

Huge thanks to Jackie Bubolltz at the Chamber, our partner schools, local businesses and—most importantly—the young creators who turned their hometown into a deck of adventures. You’re the newest members of the Trip Jones crew, and the world is already more exciting because of you.

Ready to start your mission? Grab a deck, pick a card, and start exploring—Detroit Lakes, Minnesota is waiting!

Read the great coverage in the Detroit Lakes Tribune here: https://www.dl-online.com/news/local/kids-visitor-guide-to-dl-makes-its-local-debut