As the warm weather rapidly approaches in MN, we are gearing up for a summer full of adventure. Since the winters are so harsh in our northern state, we are experts at spending as much time outside as possible while the good weather lasts! This year try something new AND revisit some classic MN activities by adding these 15 things to your bucket list:
- View the oldest public wildflower garden in the US!
Flickr/Molly O. Check out the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden at Theodore Wirth Park! Don’t forget all of the other free gardens all over Minnesota like Munsinger and Clemens in St. Cloud and Northland Arboretum in Brainerd.
- Pick your own corn… all summer long!
Flickr/Peter’s Pumpkins & Carmen’s Corn Nothing beats MN grown sweet corn, and if you’ve never picked it yourself, you need to right away!
- Visit the Vikings training camp in Mankato.
Flickr/Matthew Deery Head to Mankato in July and August to watch practice, get autographs, and prepare for the season to come. Nothing beats free access to your favorite team!
- Take an epic tour of MN’s best waterfalls.
Flickr/Mr. Moment Hit the North Shore and see waterfalls in 7 amazing locations in 1 day!
- Take a hot air balloon ride in Southern MN.
Flickr/dfbphotos If you’ve never been in a balloon you’re seriously missing out! And Southern Minnesota is one of the best places to experience being high in the air. The views are incredible above the prairie!
- Enjoy free music or movies in parks all summer!
Flickr/John S. and James L. Knight Foundation And don’t forget the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, one of the biggest free events in the midwest!
- Go geocaching in MN’s State Parks! Minnesota, like many other places, is absolutely bursting with geocaches.
Flickr/Joel Gillman The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has implemented the Call of the Wildflowers program that lets you geocache your way through the state parks.
- Visit the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary.
Flickr/Amy Ross Seeing the bears here is a truly amazing experience!
- Watch a St. Paul Saints game.
Facebook/St. Paul Saints Baseball For a less expensive and incredibly fun alternative to a Twins game, spend a night cheering on the Saints.
- Visit one of MN’s gorgeous wineries!
Round Lake Vineyards Hit the trails! The wine trails that is! There are 5 in Minnesota and they’re all spectacular! They are the Upper St. Croix, the St. Croix, the Heartland, the Three Rivers, and the Great River Road. Be sure to check out Round Lake Vineyards.
- Learn how to scuba dive in our of our lakes.
Flickr/Todd Murray Portsmouth Mine Pit has a great beach and you can scuba dive, but any of the lakes in the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area will do!
- Spend a night in a hammock in the MN wilderness.
Flickr/Chad Fennell Whether you’re up in the Boundary Waters or at the closest state park, nothing provides a more authentic summer experience than sleeping suspended between 2 trees.
- Instead of just eating, actually go on a ride at the State Fair.
Flickr/m01229 Yes, the food is all phenomenal, but how long has it been since you actually got on one of these?
- Try a new flavor of homemade ice cream.
Flickr/Michael Hicks Or for a really cheap taste test, just ask at your local place for multiple samples… but you didn’t hear it from us!
- Wake up early enough to see a stunning MN sunrise.
Flickr/Sharon Mollerus Especially when you’re up at the lake. It’ll be worth the 5 cups of coffee.
Which one are you most excited to do this summer?
Flickr/Molly O.
Check out the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden at Theodore Wirth Park! Don’t forget all of the other free gardens all over Minnesota like Munsinger and Clemens in St. Cloud and Northland Arboretum in Brainerd.
Flickr/Peter’s Pumpkins & Carmen’s Corn
Nothing beats MN grown sweet corn, and if you’ve never picked it yourself, you need to right away!
Flickr/Matthew Deery
Head to Mankato in July and August to watch practice, get autographs, and prepare for the season to come. Nothing beats free access to your favorite team!
Flickr/Mr. Moment
Hit the North Shore and see waterfalls in 7 amazing locations in 1 day!
Flickr/dfbphotos
If you’ve never been in a balloon you’re seriously missing out! And Southern Minnesota is one of the best places to experience being high in the air. The views are incredible above the prairie!
Flickr/John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
And don’t forget the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, one of the biggest free events in the midwest!
Flickr/Joel Gillman
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has implemented the Call of the Wildflowers program that lets you geocache your way through the state parks.
Flickr/Amy Ross
Seeing the bears here is a truly amazing experience!
Facebook/St. Paul Saints Baseball
For a less expensive and incredibly fun alternative to a Twins game, spend a night cheering on the Saints.
Round Lake Vineyards
Hit the trails! The wine trails that is! There are 5 in Minnesota and they’re all spectacular! They are the Upper St. Croix, the St. Croix, the Heartland, the Three Rivers, and the Great River Road. Be sure to check out Round Lake Vineyards.
Flickr/Todd Murray
Portsmouth Mine Pit has a great beach and you can scuba dive, but any of the lakes in the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area will do!
Flickr/Chad Fennell
Whether you’re up in the Boundary Waters or at the closest state park, nothing provides a more authentic summer experience than sleeping suspended between 2 trees.
Flickr/m01229
Yes, the food is all phenomenal, but how long has it been since you actually got on one of these?
Flickr/Michael Hicks
Or for a really cheap taste test, just ask at your local place for multiple samples… but you didn’t hear it from us!
Flickr/Sharon Mollerus
Especially when you’re up at the lake. It’ll be worth the 5 cups of coffee.
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