It turns out ... they do a whole lot more than people anywhere else I've lived. Minneapolis is a city filled with people that don't let 7+ months of winter fase them. They embrace the weather regardless of the season and find ways to stay active during months where others would prefer curling up on the sofa every night. In the winters, there's skiing at The Depot, observing or racing in the Loppett, dining at one of the many incredible restaurants spanning the Cities, hitting one of the cities' many breweries ... the list goes on.
I've never wanted for things to do in my time here - even when the temperature dips low into the negative realm. But let's be real. The BEST season to be a Minneapolitan is the summer.
Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes, folks. No matter what rent you pay, you're never far from a lake and the many activities that come with. With summer (hopefully) right around the corner, I've compiled a list of the activities that made my summers in the Twin Cities especially fun.
Paddle Sports on Lake Calhoun
Some of my favorite memories with A are on Lake Calhoun - kayaking, canoeing, or doing the paddle boats. We tried to rent a paddle board a couple times, but the wait times were too long and we just wanted to get out on the water asap. You can rent any of these options from Wheel Fun Rentals right by Tin Fish, and after an hour or so working up a sweat and taking in the beautiful scenery of Lake Calhoun, Lake Harriet, and Brownie Lake (all connected), you can end an already incredible evening with a fish taco and a beer from one of my favorite Minneapolis food spots.
You know you're a true Minnesotan when your family gets a cabin up north. It doesn't matter what size it is - it's just what Minnesotans do. Get married, have kids, get a cabin. When I interned at Gen Mills, I met my friend, Andy, whose family is incredibly hospitable and welcomed a group of interns to their cabin on Daggett Lake for the weekend. That turned into a repeat visit the next two summers - weekends filled with skiing, jet skiing, long rides on the pontoon, good food & drink, and aweseome friends. So relaxing and fun!
Apple River Camping & Tubing in Somerset, WI
Camping. Horseshoes. Ladder Golf. Floating the river. So much fun. Check out this video A put together of a trip our friends made to Somerset last summer! On second thought ... maybe don't watch it. They may kill me for posting :) (and hey ... check out all those Hoosiers on this trip!)
Pedal Pubs
Think bar crawl on wheels. It's a blessed thing, really. I've done two with groups of friends and one with my team at work. You're on a pub on wheels, essentially, with 7 people pedaling on each side, one bartender in the center, and a few friends resting on non-pedal seats. You let the guide know which bars you'd like to stop at, and for the next two hours you just pedal and drink away. Very fun! And a very great workout! My plan is to do one for Alex and my last weekend together in Minneapolis.
White Water Rafting in Wisconsin
Last summer, A and I headed to Wisconsin with Living Social to do some white water rafting with friends. The trip included a stop at a round barn (?!?) to make homemade ice cream, hiking at Rib Mountain, dinner and dancing at Great Dane Brewery, and then rafting down a river whose name I can't remember. I'm so glad we went and was impressed with Living Social's planning and preparedness for the trip. I don't have a picture from rafting (A and I took waterproof Kodak cameras but haven't scanned in those pics), but here's a pic of the beautiful scenery at Rib Mountain!
Twin Games at Target Field
Baseball. Beer. Brats. Buds (friends! with a b!). The Twins are hardly the team to beat these days, but a summer day goesn't get better than one spent in the sun and drinking Michelob Golden Lights with your best friends.
Okay, now I'm getting really sad about leaving. I have to go cry now. Happy Tuesday!
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