Events and Activities

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Minnesota Waterfalls

July 27, 2010 in Events and Activities | No comments

If you’re out and about why not check out some of the great waterfalls in Minnesota:

Banning State Park (Near Sandstone, MN)
Cascade River State Park (north of Grand Marais)
George H Crosby-Manitou State Park (Up north) (falls is Manitou River cascades)
Grand Portage State Park (North of Grand Marais)
Judge C.R. Magney State Park (Devil’s Kettle Falls) (14 miles north of Grand Marais)
Minnehaha Falls (Minneapolis, MN)
Minneopa State Park (Near Mankato)
Ramsey Falls (Redwood Falls)
Split Rock Lighthouse State Park (Two Harbors)
Temperance River State Park (Silver Bay)
Tettegouche State Park (Silver Bay)
Vermillion Falls (Hasting)
Winnewissa Falls (Pipestone)

Make sure to make a return trip in the winter…it’s amazing how different they look frozen!

Basilica Block Party 2010

July 24, 2010 in Events and Activities | No comments

July 9th and 10th of this year the annual Basilica Block Party took place in Minneapolis. The party was seriously hoppin this year with lots of great musical acts and tons of great food and drinks. I attended Basilica Block on the 10th and had a blast. The musical lineup included acts such as Ingrid Michaelson, V.V. Brown, The Avett Brothers, Guster, The Barenaked Ladies, and more. With such an eclectic set of musicians, there was something for everyone.

On top of the great music, there were many food choices and the amibance was very laid back and enjoyable. There were people of all ages there – and it really was a great family event. We took our 3 year old daughter and she had a great time.

We got lucky and there happend to be a Fat Tire festival in Lorring Park that same day, so we made a whole day of being in the city. Overall, the Basilica Block Party was a great time. While the $45 ticket price is a bit high (since the food and drinks are also fairly expensive), it is still worth it for a great summer of good music and great people.

The 501 Club – Minneapolis

July 23, 2010 in Events and Activities, Food and Drink | No comments

The 501 Club
501 Washington Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55415-1127
(612) 338-3848
On a recent weekend excursion to Minneapolis (we were in town for Lilith Fair) a few friends and I stumbled upon a great little bar. It was a rainy night and we had ducked into a bar that was busy with people from the rained out Twins game, so once the rain subsided, we decided to head out in search of another bar one of my friends remembered from a previous zombie pub crawl. Although there was some dispute as to the location and name of the bar, we finally found it – The 501 Club.
For a Saturday night, the club was surprisingly pretty empty, but it definitely wasn’t dead. The people who were in the club were characters in themselves and they gave the place a very chill vibe. The club had two levels – an upstairs lounge area with a few intimate couches and a full bar and a main level with a stage for live music and another full bar. The drinks were relatively well priced and there was no cover – even with the live music.
The live music started shortly after we arrived, around 10 pm. The music was as chill as the bar itself and it added an even more relaxing ambiance to the place. One act in particular, Adam Svec, was a tremendous talent – and the best part about this bar is that all of the musicians are very accessible and they all seemed to stay around and mingle with people in the bar after their sets.
Overall, The 501 Club was a great place to hang out on a Saturday night in the city. And, if you’re hungry, they serve food until 1:30 am and on the weekends they have brunch. The prices were right and for a place just to chill and chat with your friends while listening to some great music, there’s no place better. Check out their website for a schedule of bands and other special events.

Trout Fishing Southeastern Minnesota – Part 2

June 26, 2010 in Events and Activities | No comments

The Trout We Caught

So, we finally made it trout fishing and due to a very good teacher, my husband and I both caught one our first day out! It was an amazing experience and the trout are truly a delight to catch and yummy cooked in a wood fire! (see next post for recipe).

Southeastern Minnesota, which contains 125 trout streams, is home to three types of trout: rainbow, brown, and brook. To fish for trout you must have a fishing license and a trout stamp which can be obtained at your local outdoors store, or any place that sells bait. You can also check the DNR website for more information. You can fish with any fishing rod and reel set up – you don’t have to be a fly fisher to pursue trout! All you have to have are some worms and a small hook (size 10 works great) and a rod and reel. We used small light weight rod/reel combos and they worked great. I don’t know all there is to know yet, but I’m learning. There are plenty of websites out there that can help you get set up.

Southeastern Minnesota has so much to offer even if you don’t fish, such as biking, camping, antique shopping, canoeing, and just sight seeing – it’s beautiful country! Make sure if you’re in the area to check out Lanesboro and stop in for some ice cream at River Trail Picnic Basket, big scoops of ice cream for a small price! And don’t forget your fishing pole!

Tags: fishing, minnesota, outdoor, trout

Richard T. Anderson Conservation Area

June 24, 2010 in Events and Activities | No comments

Minnesota River Valley

Flying Cloud Dr.
Eden Prairie, MN

When you come to this park be ready to do some hiking. There may only be 4 miles of trails but they are all up and down – lots of climbing and the downs are also not so easy, but at the top of the first trail you will be rewarded with a wonderful view of the Minnesota River Valley. You can see all of Shakopee from here.

This conservation area is also home to the Elizabeth Fries Ellet interpretive trail. This trail is very well marked and is very informative about this area in the mid 1800’s. You’ll learn about the native people who once lived in this area and the vegetation that still exist.

Stop by for a brief encounter with nature and history and be sure to bring your hiking shoes and a bottle for water. There’s a fountain where you can fill your bottle with spring water, and if you’re hungry the Lions Tap is just down the road!

Tags: anderson, conservation, hiking, lions, minnesota, nature, richard, tap

Carver Park Reserve

June 3, 2010 in Events and Activities | No comments

Woodcocks at the Carver Park Reserve

7025 Victoria Drive
Victoria, MN 55386

Carver Park Reserve is part of the Three Rivers Park district (which is in the west suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area). There is much to do and see in this park including lots of wildlife. During our day there we saw wild turkey, geese, ducks, but the most exciting was the woodcocks. Personally I had never seen one before so it was quite exciting! They say there are over 250 species of birds in the park plus fox, deer, muskrat, beaver and coyote.

The Lowry Nature center, which is located in the reserve, was the first public nature center in the Twin Cities. At the nature center there are over 250 acres to explore on well marked trails – just remember to bring bug spray! You will see bogs, marshes, hardwood forest and lakes on your hike. This is a very beautiful area so plan on spending the day.

There is also a campground in the reserve plus two reservable areas for family reunions or other outings. The reserve is also the home of the Grimm Farm – birth place of the first winter hardy alfalfa in North America! Today it is known as Grimm alfalfa and is the source of all modern varieties of alfalfa grown on more the 25 million acres in the United States and valued at $10 billion dollars annually. (Pretty cool if you ask me!)

So if you’re in the twin cities area and are looking for a fun day out, this is a good place to start! For more information check out the Three Rivers Park District website.

Tags: carver, cities, minnesota, park, parks, reserve, travel, twin

Loring Park – Minnesota’s Central Park

May 27, 2010 in Events and Activities | No comments

Loring Park in Minneapolis was first called Central Park in 1883 and was the first city park. By 1890 the park was renamed Loring Park after the first president of the Minnesota Park Board, Charles Loring. The park has a long and interesting history and today is 34 acres of lush green space, beautiful garden, tot lot/playground, walking path, bike path (Grand Rounds Scenic byway) and much more.

The Loring Park Art Festival is held August 7th & 8th and consist of 140 artist displaying their original work, strolling musicians, scheduled performances stage, children’s activities and food booths.

Loring Park is close to many of Minnesota’s finest attractions:

Walker Art center
Minneapolis Sculpture garden
Ground Rounds Scenic Byway
(Watch for upcoming articles on these interesting places)

Some of the top rated places to eat near Loring Park:

Joe’s Garage
Eli’s Food and Cocktails
Gangchen Bar and Restaurant
Rudolph’s Bar-B-Q
Salsa a la Salsa

It’s Grillin’ Season in Minnesota

April 29, 2010 in Events and Activities, Food and Drink | 1 comment

The weather has warmed up and the grills have come out. While we still get the occasional rain shower, that’s not enough to deter Minnesotans from getting out and warming up the grill. In the spirit of grilling season, here are a few great things to make for a crowd or just for yourself:

Scallops: While scallops might not be a traditional grill food (at least for the casual griller), they are a quick and easy way to get great seafood for your next get-together. You can either throw them directly on the grill for just a couple of minutes on each side or you get a frying pan with some butter and saute them for a couple of minutes on each side. Both ways make great seafood in only a few minutes.

Chicken: Whether you like BBQ chicken, lemon pepper chicken, or a Greek chicken, you can get the flavors you want and enhance them with the grill. A great recipe I like to use is for Greek chicken. Take the chicken breasts and marinate them in Greek yogurt, dill, and lemon juice for at least a couple of hours. Then shake them off a little and throw them right on the grill. Serve with feta cheese for a great Greek meal hot of the grill.

Steak: This is the crowd favorite by far. Even a cheap steak tastes great when it’s grilled, so it’s no wonder people like it. I like to marinate a couple of NY Strip Steaks fresh from the market in worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and Tabasco sauce. After a few hours the steaks are ready to go and with the marinade, there’s no need for steak sauce.

Asparagus: If you are a vegetarian you can make some great black bean burgers along with some fresh asparagus straight off the grill. The delicious flavor of asparagus is accentuated when it’s grilled and if you aren’t a vegetarian you can wrap some prosciutto around it for even more flavor.

While the list of things you can grill is endless, these are just a few of my favorites. Be sure to invite some friends over this Spring and get some grilling food and some beers for a great night of fun without going out!

Tags: food, grilling, minnesota, recipes, spring, steak, travel

Mill City Museum

April 23, 2010 in Events and Activities | 1 comment

Front of Mill City Museum

704 South 2nd St.
Mpls, MN 55401

Mill City Museum is a beautiful area in Minneapolis located near the Guthrie Theater and many other attractions including Mall of America Field/HHH Metrodome. The museum itself is an old Gold Medal flour mill that was nearly destroyed completely by a fire in 1991. The mill had been empty since the 1960′s but was left unattended until after the fire in ’91 when the city decided to salvage the ruins and turn it into a historical site.

The museum has many exhibits pertaining to the history of the flour industry in Minnesota and how it became the hub of the flour trade for many years. The highlight of the museum is the “Flour Tower”, which takes patrons up to 8th floor of the mill in an old flour elevator. The elevator ride takes approximately a 1/2 hour and has video and audio descriptions of what life was like in the mill given by actual mill workers.

The museum is set on the Mississippi River and St. Anthony Falls is right outside. The beautiful setting is almost better than the museum itself. The museum is very kid friendly and has many activities for children of all ages.

Overall, this was a great place to spend a Saturday afternoon. And since it is so close to other attractions you can just park for the day and walk to all of the neighborhood sites.

For more information visit the Mill City Museum web site.

Tags: city, historical, mill, minneapolis, minnesota, museum

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Events and Activities

Minnesota Waterfalls

Basilica Block Party 2010

The 501 Club – Minneapolis

Trout Fishing Southeastern Minnesota – Part 2

Richard T. Anderson Conservation Area

Carver Park Reserve

Loring Park – Minnesota’s Central Park

It’s Grillin’ Season in Minnesota

Mill City Museum

Upcoming Minnesota Events

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