Category Archives: Greater Minnesota

Spark Up Your Yard for an Unforgettable Fourth of July Celebration

: Flickr Creative Commons: eric wittman

You know the new saying, ‘Pics or it didn’t happen!’ Everybody is snapping photos of everything they do, everywhere they go. Make your Fourth of July celebration photo-worthy with these DIY tips!

1. Create a photo station!

Make an awesome place to take photos that capture the patriotism and hilarity of your friends and family this Fourth of July.

: Flickr Creative Commons: Steve Depolo

Start with the backdrop.

Find yourself a roll of butcher paper, drafting paper, or large poster paper. Make sure it is big enough so a group of people can fit in front of it for a photo. Having trouble finding it? You can purchase it here. To decorate the backdrop, get some red, white, and blue paint (and probably some glitter, because.. glitter) then splatter paint the paper to get the effect of fireworks. For a messy and fun way to splatter paint, try this tutorial.

If you don’t feel like making a background, an American flag works great too!

Put the backdrop up near where people will be hanging out. It could be on the side of your house, on a shed or a fence.

Now for the props!

: Flickr Creative Commons: Randy Robertson

No good photo booth is without an abundance of props! Cut paper flags, Statue of Liberty crowns, Uncle Sam hats, etc, and tape them to wire or wooden grill skewers to create fun props to take pictures with! Additionally, purchase some sparklers to make your photos really glow! For inspiration, or to purchase already made props, check out this etsy shop.

Put a basket of disposable cameras near the station, or if you really trust your friends, a digital camera with a timer!

2. Food

: Flickr Creative Commons: Ginny

Now that your photo station is complete, we can move onto the food! Here is a list of delicious and festive recipes that your guests will love!

For lunch recipes, click here.

For adult beverage recipes, click here.

For dessert recipes, click here.

3. Activities!

Alright you have a killer photo station, and stellar snacks. What else do you need? Games! Get a volleyball net, a bocce ball set, coy boy golf, or any kind of yard games you think your guests will enjoy. If you are feeling up to another DIY project, check out this tutorial for yard Jenga! It’s like regular Jenga, except bigger (and you have to be careful not to let it come crashing down on your toes!)

: Flickr Creative Commons: Erik (HASH) Hersman

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Six Summer Events in Minnesota You’ve (likely) Never Heard Of

By Mary Gramer, Social Media Marketing Intern

Have you ever wanted to sail in a dragon boat race or attend an international tug-of-war contest? Did you know you could do just that right here in Minnesota? We’re not kidding! Read on to learn more about six unique events coming up this summer in Minnesota.

Flickr Creative Commons: Alan Light

1. Pipestone Historic Downtown Guided Ghost Walk

Founded in 1880, Pipestone is a small town in southwest Minnesota that is home to around 4,000 people. On Saturday nights, you can go on a 1.5 hr guided tour of the town, beginning at the Pipestone County Museum. This tour is not only a mobile history lesson, it is also a showcase of the town’s paranormal activity. Individuals can expect to encounter a ghost or two along the way, especially upon entering Pipestone’s historic hotel.

When: Every Saturday night at 8pm between Memorial Day and Labor Day

Cost: $7

To make a weekend of it, check out http://www.pipestoneminnesota.com for more information about town events!

Flickr Creative Commons: Andi Sidwell

2. Urban Assault Ride

Biking, obstacles, beer, contests, racing… WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT? Urban Assault Ride is a bike race that takes place all over the country. This summer, Minnesotans can participate in July at the Minneapolis race. The distance of the race is around 20 miles, and typically takes a team around 2 hours to complete. The obstacles include, but are not limited to, bike jousting, slip n slides, puzzles, paint ball, and many more!

When: July 12 at 9am

Cost: $50-$65 per person

For more information, or to sign up, go to http://urbanassaultride.com/city/minneapolis/

Flickr Creative Commons: Renaud Camus

3. 23rd Great American Think-Off

Do you enjoy controversy? Then perhaps this event would suit you. The Great American Think-Off is an annual debate where four finalists are selected each year to debate a specific question or topic. This year’s question to be debated is “Does technology free us or trap us?” You can attend the debate at James Mann Center for the Performing Arts in New York Mills, MN.

When: Saturday June 13 at 7pm

Cost: $12 in advanced, $15 at the door

To learn more about this cranial tradition, head to www.think-off.org

Flickr Creative Commons: Dark Dwarf

4. Dragon Festival on Lake Phalen

The Dragon Festival at Lake Phalen Park is a festival full of wonderful smells, sounds, and sights. With dances and foods from all over Asia, this is a phenomenal cultural experience for people of all ages. Additionally, both days of the festival include dragon boat races. The sport of dragon boat originated in China, and includes long boats, sculpted and painted like dragons, racing to the finish line. This is an exceptional family activity – come hungry!

When: July 11&12, 10am-5pm

Cost: No entrance fee, bring cash for food, and some activities
If you would like more details, go to dragonfestival.org

Flickr Creative Commons: benkay

5. Community Collaboration Hot Metal Pour

Do you know how metal sculptures are created? Check out this event in Fraconia Sculpture Park in Shafer, MN where artists from around the world demonstrate the process. Watch, and participate with, artists working with liquid metal at 2700 degrees F. The park will also feature live music and guided tours.

When: August 1, 10am-8pm

Cost: Free

For more information, check out http://www.franconia.org/communitypour.html

Flickr Creative Commons: toffehoff

6. International Tug-Of-War: USA vs Canada

Who knew that there was such thing as professional tug-of-war matches? An annual friendly ‘war’ has been declared between USA and Canada, and is to be settled by a game of tug-of-war. The match takes place on the border of Minnesota and Canada in International Falls. The winner stays dry (by not being pulled into the river) and also gets a trophy and bragging rights.

When: July 2

Cost: Free

If you want to attend or learn more, go to http://www.uniquelyminnesota.com/features/international-tug-of-war-international-falls-mn.htm

Had you heard of any of these events before? Know of any other unique events coming up in Minnesota? Make sure to share your thoughts in the comments!

Each photo shared under the this license.

DIY Citronella Candles, Easy and Effective!

By: Mary Gramer, Social Media Marketing Intern

We all love to eat dinner outside on the deck, but as the sun sets, the bugs come out… things can get a little less than enjoyable. Using bug sprays and store-bought remedies to keep the bugs away can be expensive and harmful to both humans and the environment. As a solution, I tried out making my own candles to use at my family’s lake home in Alexandria, Minnesota. They were extremely easy to make, and they turned out to be stylish and effective at keeping away those pesky mosquitoes!

Flickr Creative Commons: Katja Schulz

How to make your own citronella candles!

Materials:

Vessels to make candles in (glasses, mason jars, tea cups etc)
Candlewax (soy or paraffin)
Wicks
Hot glue gun
Citronella essential oil
Other scented essential oil (optional)
Something to stir hot wax
Scissors
Sauce pan you are willing to sacrifice
Friends to help (optional, but strongly suggested)

Preparation:

The first step is to order the citronella essential oil. I do not have any stores near me that sell it, so I ordered it online from Amazon.com. I purchased a relatively cheap brand because the candles are to be used outside, and not in any topical manner, so I figured the quality was not super important. The kind I purchased came with two, 1 oz. bottles of the oil for $9 total. I used nearly all of both bottles to make the eight candles pictured above.

The second step is to acquire the rest of the materials. I purchased all of the vessels shown above at a thrift store. Each piece was a dollar or less. I spent a total of $7 on these items. I recommend purchasing thrift store items because it is both cost-effective and better for the environment! Additionally, you won’t feel bad if the flame from the candle gets soot on the container.

Next, I went to a chain craft store for the rest of the materials, which I would advise against. I paid $24.99 for 4 lbs. of soy wax chips, and somewhere around $5 for the wicks. I did not have enough time at this point to look for cheaper options online, but I am sure you can find cheaper wax on Amazon.com. The paraffin wax was indeed cheaper, but I chose soy because it burns cleaner.

Before you begin, I recommend lining your work surface with newspaper or something similar to protect your counter-tops/table.

Procedure:

First, I hot-glued the wick base, (the wicks had metal bases attached to the bottom), to the inside bottom of the vessels. Leave the wicks long; do not cut them to the right height yet.

Now start melting your wax. I put roughly 5 cups of wax into my pan at a time, and as it melted, added a little less than 0.5oz of the citronella essential oil. Here is where the other (optional) essential oils come into play. I personally did not add any other scents to my candles. The citronella was powerful, but pleasant. If you aren’t a huge fan of citronella, you could add some lemon or grapefruit to give it a less potent smell. Now give the wax a good stir. I used a clean paint stick because I was not willing to use any of my own spoons or spatulas.

Then let the wax cool down for a couple minutes in the pan. If the wax is too hot, it will melt the hot glue holding the wick down.

Now this is where friends come in handy.

I had some of my friends hold up the wicks slightly to the side as I poured the wax into the cups (be careful, the wax is hot). Then they took pens, and rested them over the vessels with the extra wick wrapped around them once or twice to keep them upright.

I repeated this process three times to fill all the containers. Wait 1-2 hours for wax to re-harden, then head outside, and grab a lighter to enjoy your new candles!

Flickr Creative Commons: Wonderlane

Results:

So to make 8 candles, varying in size from large to small, it cost me around $45. That is roughly $5.63 per candle, which is cheaper or equivalent to commercially made citronella candles, depending on the brand/size. To cut down on cost, buy the wax online – you can get more wax for half the price I paid at the craft store. I checked on Amazon.com, and I found a 5lb bag for $12. If I had purchased this instead, the result would have been closer to $4/candle.

Will you try making your own citronella candles this summer? Do you have any favorite warm-weather DIY activities? Please comment with your thoughts and suggestions below!

Flickr Creative Commons Photos are under this license.

Top Breweries in Minnesota

The Midwest is home to a large German- American population, especially in Minnesota. That is why this post is to celebrate all of the great breweries we have in this state! So if beer is your game or if you just enjoy a cold one, check out our list of the top breweries in Minnesota. Heck, it could be so good, it convinces you to move here! Also check out the link to 20 other great breweries from which this list was created!!

1) August Schell Brewing Company

August Schell Brewing Company calls New Ulm Minnesota home. Its brewery produces great beers like Grainbelt Premium, Schell’s Firebrick, Schell’s Octoberfest, and Grainbelt Nordeast. They truly have some great beer!

2) Summit Brewing Company

Summit Brewery also has wonderful beer! Based in St. Paul, it produces Extra Pale Ale, Saga IPA, Oatmeal Stout, and Summit Seasonals!

3) Cold Spring Brewing Company

Cold Spring Brewery, located in Cold Spring Minnesota, is the lesser, but better known brewery from Minnesota. It is popular for its beer called the Northern, John Henry, Olde Johnite, and Cold Spring!

4) Surly Brewing Company

Flickr Creative Commons: Cursedthing

Surly Brewing Company, who just relocated to near University Ave, has any fantastic beers! Their most popular are Surly Furious, Bender, Cynic, Coffee Bender, and Surly Abrasive.

5) Flat Earth Brewing Company

Our last award for top breweries goes to, Flat Earth Brewing Company. Their most popular beers are, Angry Planet Pale Ale, Northwest Passage IPA, Element 115 Lager, Belgian Pale Ale.

Top Five Most Haunted Places in Minnesota

Flickr Creative Commons: Trevor Cameron

Everyone thinks that Halloween and Fall are the time to be fearful and scared of ghosts. However, this is not the case. A Haunting can occur on all days, at any time, and where ever. However there are times of the day and situations that heighten the probably of a sighting. The first is when it is around 3 AM in the morning. Known as the bewitching hour, it is the perfect time as it is dead silent and ghost can communicate better. Secondly, any time during electrical storms, thunderstorms, rain, or solar flares. These times produce energy within the supernatural world of which many paranormal beings feed from. For these cases, it actually seems like spring is the best time to have a paranormal sighting, as the weather and the time is conducive. For this reason, this weeks blog is all about the most haunted places in Minnesota.

1) Wabasha Street Caves, St. Paul MN

This first and most well known supernatural sight would be the Wabasha Street Caves in St. Paul. These caves claim to fame is that they were home to many famous gangsters. The gangsters occupied these caves to conduct all of their illegal activity. This illegal activity led to a few deaths in the caves, and rumor has it that they still haunt the place today.

2) Camp Ripley, Fort Ripley MN

This military fort located near Brainerd Minnesota, is home to many warriors stuck in limbo. Many people have reported seeing old soldiers wander the fields and highways near the fort carrying old weaponry. In fact, my friend from this area told me one of the creepiest stories. As she was driving home with her mom, she passed the camp. As she drove she taught she saw a man on the side of the road, looking like he was about to cross. However as she approached the man, evaporated!! She reported that the man was wearing a bowler hat and clothing from the early 1900s.

3) Anoka State Hospital, Anoka,MN

Anoka State Hospital, used to be an asylum. This asylum was one of the only ones in Minnesota at the time and only took cases that were the most extreme. The hospital was desperately under funded, leaving many of the patients to be ill attended to. Due to the funding many patients were left to wander the property or placed into straight jackets. Even with all this cruelty, the most haunted part of the hospital, is the tunnels that connect the different parts of the property. These tunnels, meant to make transportation of the patients easier, became its own labyrinth, leaving many patients stranded and hopeless. With little other foreseeable options, many of the patients hung themselves. To this day, many of the staff at the hospital refuse to use the tunnels as the give off a creepy and haunted vibe.

4) County Highway 21, Warren, MN

This portion of the highway , located on the border of North Dakota, is said to have a hitchhiker ghost. This hitchhiker will ask for a ride from people and get into the car. As the ghost and the driver pull away, the hitchhiker evaporates from the car! People who have experienced this eery tale, say it is one of their more troublesome experiences.

5) Darling Lutheran Church, Little Falls, MN

This church has one of the most twisted past. Back in 1905 the violent murder of young women, Miss Anne, was committed within the church walls. It is reported that two black men entered the church that night and strangled miss Anne. Her body was found beaten and bruised. It is said that to this day her spirit still haunts the church today.

Top Five Outdoor Activities for the Minnesotan Spring

Now that winter is on its way out, cabin fever and hibernation have come to an end. It is time to shed the winter layers and enjoy the warmer weather, Minnesotan style! That means, put away the winter coat and snow pants, and put on a pair of shorts, a college sweatshirt and enjoy that 40 degree weather! Even though our start of spring is still a bit cold, the spring time is one of the best times to visit and live in this great state. The snow is melting, the grass is getting greener, the trees are budding and school is almost over. It is the start of our 6 months of sunshine and warmth, which we intend to take full advantage of! So please come join us and take part in the beauty of our state with these top 5 springtime activities of Minnesota.

1) Go for a Bike Ride

Flickr Creative Commons: Dustin Gaffke

Minnesota is the perfect destination for any biker, family biking excursion, or just casual ride. Ranked as the number most bike friendly city in the United States, Minneapolis has many opportunities for a ride around the city. Bikers can enjoy the Green Way and River Road bike trails, which link most of the Twin Cities Metro. These bike trails are well-maintained and provide gorgeous scenery. On River Road, riders can look upon large, beautiful houses as well as the river, of course!

If urban bike riding doesn’t trip your trigger, Minnesota also offers many different bike trails that run through state parks, country side, and along lakes. Check out the Explore Minnesota and Pedal MN websites to find the route that perfectly fits your needs.

2) Grill out in a park

Flickr Creative Commons: Maria Erkland

Who can pass up good food, good company, and the great outdoors? Correct answer: nobody! That is why grilling and barbeques are great springtime activities, especially in Minnesota. Our state has many city and state parks that allow for grilling, many of which have grills available for you to use. Check out Minneapolis Parks and the DNR’s website to see your nearby park’s grilling options and regulations. Go out, grab your friends, a football or soccer ball, and a grill and enjoy! Also here are some Food Network recipes for grilling, just in case!

3) Watch a Baseball Game!

Even though baseball season is just beginning, it’s never to early to support America’s favorite pastime by catching a game. Minnesota has several opportunities to do just that, either with the Minnesota Twins, Saint Paul Saints, or College Baseball. What’s more, you can enjoy two of our favorite Minnesota springtime activities – watching the great sport and grilling – by tailgating at the next game. It’s a win-win situation!

4) Go Hiking!

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Flickr Creative Commons: Loren Kerns

Ever wanted to watch the forest and nature come alive with the arrival of spring? Well, Minnesota has plenty of opportunities for doing just that. Whether it is a leisurely stroll or a rugged hike, Minnesota has many different trails and levels of difficulty. All you have to do is visit Explore Minnesota and find the trail that fits your needs the best! After that you can go out and relax, and enjoy being one with nature with the perfect afternoon hike.

5) Visit the North Shore

The North Shore is one of the most beautiful locations in Minnesota and, dare we say, within the United States. Bordering on Lake Superior, the North Shore offers activities ranging from hiking and biking to shopping, swimming, good eats and much more! The North Shore is home to a beautiful landscape of rolling hills, cliffs, wilderness, lakes, and the beach. The possibilities are practically endless. Personally, our favorite locations were Gooseberry Falls, Grand Marais (which was recently voted America’s coolest small town), Park Point, the Duluth Board Walk and Carlton Peak. Even if these aren’t for you, the North Shore has plenty to offer! So get up there ASAP and enjoy its beauty!

Note: We hope that you found all of this information insightful and entertaining! However, we just want to make a safety notice. When biking in Minneapolis or greater Minnesota, please follow all bike regulations. Please keep our bike trails great, clean and safe! Wear a helmet, share the road and obey traffic signs. Additionally, when being outdoors, please dress appropriately, especially on the North Shore. While the weather is nice, it does vary a lot in the springtime. Dress in layers and bring along a hat and mittens. Lastly, when hiking and biking, please carry along plenty of water, snacks, and an emergency kit. Also, tell people where and when you will be out on your hike or bike ride. Even though the trails are safe and cared for, having someone know where you are at, and when to expect you back are important for your safety! They can make sure that the appropriate people are alerted if you do not return as planned. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy nature, but also, be smart, aware, and make a plan!

Best Places for a Road trip in Minnesota

Feel like taking off for the weekend but can’t necessarily afford the airfare? We understand, and we’re here to tell you, you don’t have to! Taking road trips are just as fun! For those of you who are Minnesotans, let us know if you’ve been to any of these places–cause they sure sound fun!

1. Soudan Underground Mine State Park (Soudan, MN)

Are you into physics, or just feel like doing something completely outside the box? Well, how about visiting a mine? Yep, definitely not a place many would think to go to. But, believe us this place if worth going to. Something very interesting that’s happening at the Soudan Mines is, the University of Minnesota has an actual research facility in the mines for the main purpose to research dark matter! So if you’re into physics, feel free to take a road trip, because it sounds like it would be a very informative trip.

Expected traveling time from the Twin Cities area: 3 hours, 35 minutes.

2. Glensheen Mansion Historic Estate (Duluth, MN)

Not only is the Glensheen Mansion located in one of the best places to visit in Minnesota, but it carries within it an amazing amount of history. Built in 1905 by the Congdon family, and setting for two murders, the mansion is an exemplary image of the 20th century Duluth. The mansion extends over 27,000 square feet and has in it 39 rooms. The estate also includes a cemetery that is located next to the mansion, since Clara Congdon decided: “I will have quiet neighbors”, as an entry in her diary shows.

Expected traveling time from the Twin Cities area: 2 hours, 25 minutes.

3. Jeffers Petroglyphs (Comfrey, MN)

These petroglyphs extend over 160 acres, yet their origin date are completely unknown. It is believed that some of them were created between the 3000 B.C. and A.D. 1700. Although only open between the months of May-September the site also contains several natural trails, vast amount of opportunities for hands-on activities, and information about the surrounding flora and fauna. A lot of historic content in one same place, wouldn’t you say?

Expected traveling time from the Twin Cities area: 2 hours, 28 minutes.

4. Grand Marais (Cook County, MN)

Amazing destination indeed. This place offers great a view of Lake Superior. Gran Marais hosts two major, family-fun activities; one in the last weekend of July called the Dragon Boat Festival, where dragon shaped boats compete. The second one, happens the following weekend (the first weekend of August) called the Fisherman’s Picnic, which celebrates the town’s fishing and logging of herring. Definitely worth the trip!

Expected traveling time from the Twin Cities area: 4 hours, 20 minutes.

5. The Spam Museum (Austin, MN)

SPAM—you’ve probably heard of it, once or twice. Well believe it or not, there’s a museum for it and you should definitely take a trip to visit it! Offering several SPAM demonstrations featuring a variety of cuisines, and a little history of the changes in food through the years, nothing else will offer such an experience. If you decide to visit, definitely let us know what you think!

Expected traveling time from the Twin Cities area: 1 hour. 41 minutes.

Well dear reader, this is where we end our post. Hopefully some of these stories and pictures have incited in you the urge to pick up the car keys and go. There’s definitely a lot to see and explore in Minnesota. Get away with the family and let us know if any of these places will be a definite future destination.

See original article here.

5 quotes about Minnesota by Famous People

A lot of past and present influential characters have come out Minnesota; politicians, singers, actresses, actors, athletes, etc. The midwest has and always will be a part of them. That is why after reaching stardom, they look back and acknowledge how fortunate they were to be born and raised in Minnesota. Here are some quotes by some of these Minnesota natives:

1. Al Franken

“I grew up in Minnesota, where we treasure our tradition of civic engagement — and our record of having the nation’s highest voter participation.”

2. Bob Dylan

“Well, in the winter, everything was still, nothing moved. Eight months of that. You can put it together. You can have some amazing hallucinogenic experiences doing nothing but looking out your window. There is also the summer, when it gets hot and sticky and the air is very metallic. There is a lot of Indian spirit. The earth there is unusual, filled with ore. So there is something happening that is hard to define. There is a magnetic attraction there. Maybe thousands and thousands of years ago, some planet bumped into the land there. There is a great spiritual quality throughout the Midwest. Very subtle, very strong, and that is where I grew up.”

3. Garrison Keillor

“Minnesota is a state of public-spirited and polite people, where you can get a good cappuccino and eat Thai food and find any book you want and yet live on a quiet tree-lined street with a backyard and send your kids to public school. When a state this good hits the jackpot, it can only be an inspiration to everybody.”

4. Sean William Scott

“I grew up in Minnesota and everyone is so nice there. It is like Fargo. Everyone’s so chipper and you make friends just grocery shopping. We kill each other with kindness.”

5. Jim Ramstad

“The Minnesota spirit of compassion and help for people in need has moved countless Minnesotans to step forward to provide relief for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina.”

Well dear reader, this is where we end our post. If you’re from Minnesota you’ll probably relate to many of these personalities’ opinions. If so, feel free to leave a comment and tell us which one you related to the most. Have a great Thursday!

The 6 ways Minnesotans can adjust their home for climate change

Winter is already here, but with the holiday hectic activities we might’ve forgotten how to prepare our houses for this abrupt climate change. Here’s how:

1. Sign up to power your home with renewables with Xcel Energy.

That means that for the next months although your bill might seem a little higher than usual, it won’t be as high as it could go. This is because Xcel won’t charge the usual $4 fuel charge that you usually see on your bills.

2. Clean your gutters.

With the heavy rain fall that will come after the snowy winter ends. The extreme rainfall could exceed the capacity of your gutter, and cause exterior damage to your home. Avoid this by cleaning them. Furthermore, be also sure to check your sprouts and be aware that the water should be flowing far away from the foundation but not fast enough for it not be absorbed into the soil.

3. Don’t place your valuables on your basement floor.

Purchase waterproof containers. Even if you think water doesn’t get to your basement, it’s better to be prepared. Store your valuables in a high place, where you know they won’t fall.

4. Consider adoption.

This might sound silly but think about adopting a tree! Or, planting one. This is just to add some environmentally conscious advice, in general. Since you know, trees are always highly needed.

5. Consider condensing technology.

“”These systems are very energy efficient and have the added benefit of being small enough to mount on a basement wall rather than sitting on the floor and thus reducing the likelihood that the heating plant will be ruined and a house made uninhabitable if water gets into a basement,” Hamilton wrote.”

6. Check the street sewer’s drains.

Clean sewers without debris or trash prevents localized flooding when the heavy rain fall occurs.

Find original article here by MPR News.

5 Winter Activities to do in Minnesota

Skiing, ice-skating, and snowboarding are all famous activities to do in the winter. But, what else is there to do? Minnesota can be really cold during the winter, (understatement of the year?) and it’s normal to think that there’s not much to do other than sit around and read books. So, for those eager to go out and explore snowy Minnesota here’s a compiled list of 5 Winter Activities to do In Minnesota.

1. Visit the Holidazzle Village

Located in Downtown Minneapolis the Holidazzle starts off on November 28th with a parade, fireworks, lights, and a whole lot of singing. Although the parade only happens, to open up the festivities, the celebration continues. Take a stroll down Nicolette Avenue with family and friends, and you will come across the Holidazzle Village. It’s free of charge, and takes place from November 28th to December 21st. We bet we’ll be “dazzled”!

2. Go to Bentleyville,”Tour of Lights”

A successful and annual event in Duluth, MN. Be ready to be really cold!! Due to the Lake Effect Duluth is always a bit chillier than the Twin Cities.

If you decide to go to Bentleyville (which we totally recommend you do), put on extra layers and be ready to have fun! It takes about an hour to go through all the tour. But, people usually take up more time to stop for hot cocoa and cookies served throughout the tour. There is also the option of getting marshmallows, which you can enjoy over a fire with some hot cider. However, don’t take our word for it! Go, and let us know what you think!

3. Snowmobiling

After doing some research on where to do this, we came up that Ely, MN was one of the best places to go snowmobiling in. The trails seem to be famous, and one of them cross over three state forests! There are several options as to how long you can decide to go. For example, the 170 mile Taconite Trail, or the 80 mile Tomahawk Trail, both of them providing amazing scenic routes. There are other several options to choose from, of course, but those two seem to be the most famous ones.

4. Skijoring and Dog Sledding

What is Skijoring you ask? Well, if you’ve ski or dog sled before, you probably already have a good idea. Basically, Skijoring is skiing while you have a dog pull on you. Almost like a mix of dog sledding and skiing, if you will. There are six different parks at which you can do this at. All of them are under the link provided by the Three Rivers Park District. All six of them have different trails, and distances you can choose from.

5. Participate in the Saint Paul Winter Carnaval

This Carnival takes on a little later in the year. Starting off on January 22nd and resuming on February 1st, the Carnival is filled with family-fun, day-to-day activities. Mostly all taking place in Rice Park, you can expect a day with up to 23 different events all going on throughout the day. So, you can pick and choose whichever you want to go to!

The story behind the St. Paul Winter Carnival stars with a New York journalist describing St.Paul as “another Siberia, unfit for human habitation” during winter. Offended by the journalist’s remark, the Saint Paul Chamber of Commerce decided to prove otherwise, thus the Saint Paul Winter Carnival.

So, dear reader that’s where we end our post. Have you done or are thinking about doing any of these activities? Let us know, and until next time!