Things to do in minnesota Archives - Living in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Believe it or not, Minnesotans LOVE winter! In other places I’ve lived the attitude has been MUCH different, people thought of winter as something to get through, not something to celebrate. That change in perspective makes ALL the difference, in my opinion. I’m especially grateful for the way that winter is embraced here this year as we look for ways to stay healthy and have fun while staying safe.

Today I’ll give you a list of 10 things that Minnesotans do to have fun OUTSIDE in the winter. Many of these are free or low cost ways to enjoy the season, and they range from simple to more adventurous.

Dog Sledding

Photo by cheptu00e9 cormani on Pexels.com

I’ll start with the one I most want to do this winter – mushing on a dog sled! We did a training run in a buggy in Alaska once and it was fun, but I want to do the real deal! There are several outfitters in northern MN that have excursions for regular people. They range from a short run to primitive camping trip accessed by dog sled. I’m not sure that I want to camp in winter, but it’s an option. I’d much rather stay somewhere like the Gunflint Lodge in Grand Marais and let them handle the hard stuff while I enjoy the dogs and all of the other fun things they offer all year round.

Minnesota has several dogsled races if you prefer to watch! The John Beargrease Dog Sled Race is run out of Duluth at the end of January, you can head to Ely for the Wolftrack Classic in February, or check out the Gunflint Mail Run … in 2022. 2021 was nixed for our old enemy Covid.

SnowShoeing

Ok – lets bring this down to something closer to home and easier to access for an afternoon out: Snowshoeing! When the snow gets deep this is a great way to be able to head out an enjoy nature without struggling through snow up to your thighs. The good news about snowshoeing is that you can try it for FREE! Minneapolis Parks have loaners that you can sign out of their “Adventure Hubs”- check the Minneapolis Parks web site, Theodore Wirth Park has an amazing network of trails and they rent snow shoes for $12/day, several Minnesota State Parks also rent snow shoes – for a great price – only $6/day. I advise checking their website and calling in advance just due to potential Covid related closures.

Tubing

If you want more of a thrill and less of a workout, try snow tubing! Our family loves to go to Buck Hill every year and spend a couple of hours ripping downhill on a big inner tube. Buck Hill makes it easy because they have a conveyor style lift that you stand on with the tube behind you and you’re pulled to the top to start again. And at the bottom of the hill is a big bonfire that you can stand around to warm yourself and an outdoor kiosk that serves up hot cocoa. If snow if sparse they make their own, so there is never a reason not to go!

Skiing / Snowboarding

If tubing isn’t your cup of tea, Buck hill also has down hill skiing and snowboarding. This year you have to buy all your lift passes online before you go. There are lots of options for downhill skiing and snowboarding – the other two that come to mind are Afton Alps near Afton State Park and Hyland Hills ski area. A great option at Hyland Hills if you don’t want to buy a season pass, but think you’ll ski multiple times is a 10 or 6 visit pass. They both rent skis there as well as give lessons.

Nordic or cross country skiing is also very popular! You can rent skis at some parks, like Theodore Wirth, and enjoy miles of groomed trails of varying difficulty. Hyland Hills park also has extensive groomed ski trails and ski rentals as well.

Build a bonfire & make s’mores

Don’t look at me like I’m crazy. You can do this all winter. I walk my dog at night and often see people with fire pits in their driveways, sitting out in lawn chairs around it, chatting and having a drink, and roasting marshmallows. In winter. 🙂 If you like this enough to do it often, check out Solo stoves – they are smokeless fire pits that everyone seems to love and they look really slick too. Perfect for flexing at your neighbors.

Ice fishing

This one holds ALMOST no attraction for me, except when I think about leaving my house and spending quiet time in another location. I don’t care about the fish.

People in MN LOVE being on the ice. If you get near a body of water in the winter, chances are it will be covered with ice shanties. People leave these little houses out on the ice all winter and hang out in them and fish. And you can catch some seriously large fish here if that’s what you’re into.

If you’re not ready for a shanty – drag your gear out onto the ice in a sled – some people set up little tents or just sit out there with a line through a hole in the ice and fish.

Visit the zoo.

OK, this one is a plan ahead because they are temporarily closed due to governor’s orders, BUT they are normally open all year and are a great way to spend time outside looking at the animals. We have two zoos to choose from in the Twin Cities – Como Park Zoo & Conservatory in St. Paul is smaller and FREE. It’s a great zoo to go to if you don’t want to spend a whole day and deal with huge crowds, plus it’s close to home if you live in MPLS or STP.

The Minnesota Zoo is the Mac-Daddy zoo. It’s huge and you’ll have your day cut out for you. We were members for a while and one of the things that we liked was the area where you can pet the stingrays. We also loved the indoor tropical forest path, nice and warm and lots of clear panes on the animal habitats so that you could see them from a lot of angles and in little nooks.

Sledding

I can’t even begin to guess how many sled hills there are in the metro area. I make a joke that it sounds like an amusement park at the park next to my house because the minute there is snow on the ground the hill is MOBBED with kids AND adults. No one can wait for this. This year I’m extra grateful to have this easy, fun, free and SAFE choice for my kid to gather with her friends outside. They head over there just about every day, and I feel great that they get fresh air, exercise, and social time. Most parks have a sled hill in them somewhere, and the one down the street doesn’t there will be one not far away – guaranteed!

Ice Skating

Another freebie for the most part! Almost every park sets up an outdoor skating area in the winter. They flood the field, set up boards for a hockey “arena”, and then leave lots of extra space around it for free skating. Parks in Minneapolis have warming houses where you can .. warm up! and change into and out of your skates. Lots of families donate skates that they have outgrown and the warming house has a wide selection of skates to borrow if you don’t have your own. You can also borrow hockey sticks and pucks if you have a pick-up game and I see adults out on the ice at night playing hockey all the time. Side note that Minneapolis has an ENORMOUS pond hockey tournament every (normal) year. It’s held on Lake Nokomis in south Minneapolis. They set up nearly 30 rinks on the lake!

Winter Festival

If you are more of an extrovert than me and like hanging around a lot of people and maybe you miss that this year – good news! The St. Paul Winter Carnival happens at the end of January /beginning of February. As of now it is still on!

They are featuring a craft brew passport to try some of our great local beers, there is a drive through ice and snow sculpture park, ice fishing and softball tournaments (yes, in the snow!), fun run, art show and more.

That’s about it for now – I’ll be posting some indoor ideas soon!

mschumann@kw.com

612-234-5703

1350 Lagoon Ave, Suite 900

Minneapolis, MN 55408

Teodora Pogonat

2023-11-19

We had a really great and thorough experience with Mary. We moved from Austin to Minneapolis and she helped us with every single logistic, big and small. She went above and beyond in helping us view homes, giving recommendations, thorough knowledge and explanation of every question we had, and even answers to questions we didn't know we needed to ask. Mary went and viewed homes for us while we were remote, pointing out everything she saw and even smelled. She watched out for us and pointed out things that we should pay attention to, especially since we came from a warmer environment and having no knowledge of what we need to know for living in a northern climate. Mary also had the unique experience of knowing the Texas real estate lingo to help translate the equivalent terms for us to equate the process from our previous state's lingo and process. Overall it was a smooth and seamless experience with Mary and I take comfort in knowing we were well taken care of and protected during the whole process.

Dave Englund

2023-11-14

Adding to my wife's comments... We discovered Mary through her very informative YouTube channel in our long-distance search for a place to spend summers away from the heat of central Texas. We knew nothing about Minneapolis, but Mary provided OneHome/MLS access a month before our 3-day visit from which we identified a preliminary set of properties to visit. Once in town, we changed course (homes or condos, this neighborhood or that) and added to the list more than once. She spent three days that included all day Friday, all day Saturday, and late into a Sunday afternoon, ending in texting an offer while on our return flight. We thought we were looking for the perfect space, but what Mary recognized was that LOCATION was more crucial to our bigger picture than the physical characteristics of the property. She watched our reactions as we visited more than a dozen properties, questioned and advised, and ultimately suggested that we might want to revise (or recognize?) our real goals. Her ability to identify precisely what we were looking for, even before we fully comprehended it ourselves, speaks volumes about her commitment to her client's needs above her own. Her invaluable support culminated in a recommendation we now realize was exactly right all along. Thank you Mary for your dedication and keen eye for detail. We are immensely grateful and now consider you to be our (first and only) friend in Minneapolis.

Joanne Englund

2023-11-07

We decided to buy a place in Minneapolis having only visited it once. Mary listened when we said what we wanted and paid attention to our responses as we checked out several condos and houses. She then guided us to the perfect place in the perfect setting. She knows this town and we are very grateful for her!

Erin Proctor

2023-10-08

Mary is amazing! We found her via YouTube while researching areas for our move to the Twin Cities. After watching a few videos we got the feeling that she would understand and appreciate what we were after, and we decided to reach out and see if she could help us. From the very first email, we knew she was the right realtor for us. As first-time homebuyers moving to MN from out of state, we felt she really understood what we were up against. We had quite a wish list and she helped us figure out which items were most important and what we could expect from the MN market. She was so patient with us and our never-ending questions, and she did a great job educating us and walking us through the difficult parts. We found our house on the second day of our search and Mary went to work with the offer. It was not an easy negotiation but this is where Mary really came through. She is the realtor you want in your corner! The effort she put in behind the scenes, dealing with an odd listing agent and crabby sellers, was truly remarkable. Every time there was a bump, Mary was in contact explaining our options and helping us navigate a tricky transaction while managing our stress and putting our minds at ease, assuring us that she would get us through to the other side. I honestly feel that we could not have done this without her. We’re so happy that we found this house, made this move, and had such strong support from our agent the whole way through. Her YouTube channel is a great resource for exploring potential Twin Cities neighborhoods, and we still enjoy watching and learning about the area and the new life (and weather) we’re going to experience. We definitely recommend checking her videos out, and when you’re ready to start getting serious about your move, we could not recommend Mary highly enough.

Carol Myers

We found Mary on YouTube when planning to relocate to Minneapolis. Her expertise in the real estate market and warmth made house hunting an enjoyable experience. Best of all, Mary helped us find our perfect home!

Daniel Donoghue

2023-10-01

I came to Minneapolis not knowing a single thing about the real estate market and without any contacts. After a long day of looking at apartments, my wife called around 8pm. She had stumbled upon a very appealing property listing, but I was leaving town the next day. I did a really quick search on the internet for a realtor and took a leap of faith on Mary based on some positive reviews. She responded to an online message immediately, sorted out our interests, and by morning had arranged a showing of the property. By that afternoon we entered a purchase agreement, but only as a result of some intense negotiation on Mary's part because of multiple bidders. Since then, Mary has become a good friend. I would like to emphasize Mary's delightful, warm personality. However, her professionalism, hard work and integrity are where my mind goes in providing this review. If you find yourself in my shoes, looking for someone to trust and rely upon, call Mary Schumann.

Meg Donoghue

2023-09-21

New to Minnesota and not knowing anyone, we reached out to Mary Schumann based on glowing reviews to show us a property in which we were interested. From the start Mary was very professional, friendly, and knowledgeable. She helped us successfully navigate and win in a double offer situation, answered or got answers to all our questions throughout the waiting period, and represented us at the final walk through and closing as we were not able to attend ourselves. We highly recommend Mary to anyone who is looking for a realtor, she is very kind, quick to respond to all requests and concerns, and helpful in every way possible throughout the process.

Holly Culbertson

2023-08-23

Mary has been fantazmous! We researched several realtors and stumbled upon Mary’s YouTube channel and found her to be down to earth, informative, trustworthy, and helpful. We reached out and she helped us with everything. We moved from FL to MN and Mary made our virtual experience easy, she was responsive and proactive, went above and beyond with the process, and made us feel at ease for being unable to be present in person. She communicated at every moment of the way. We would recommend Mary to anyone looking for homes anywhere she is willing to be a realtor because she is phenomenal!

Joey Dale

2023-07-21

Mary just helped us relocate from Florida to the Twin Cities, and the experience could not have been better. We discovered her initially on youtube while researching the area, and I sent her in email asking for some specifics. I wasn't really sure I was going to get any meaningful answer, but boy was I wrong. Not only did Mary respond with a bunch of helpful info, but she did it in less that 15 minutes. I was completely blown away. Fast forward two months, and we are in town, and meet face to face. Mary answered all of our questions, gave us a bunch of additional prospective, and was a delight. After that we headed back home confident that we were in good hands. While looking at homes, Mary was consistently one of the first showings when our prospects hit the market, and provided invaluable insight and prospective. She was attentive to our feedback and helped further refine our search. After we came in second place the second time, and were feeling discouraged, she was quick to reassure us that eventually we would be successful, and would be better off. Our next offer was accepted and we couldn't have been happier. She made sure to be onsite for the inspection and was able to answer any questions we had. Long story short, if you are looking to relocate to the Twin Cities metro, you need to have Mary Schumann in your corner.

Natasa Dragovic

2023-07-20

Mary is an amazing realtor! I came across Mary's Youtube channel initially and she seemed very knowledgeable. That was important to me because I moved from out of state and wasn't familiar with the area. She helped the transition be quick and smooth. We visited 15 apartments in one day because of my time constraints. She is on top of things and will make you a priority. Quite happy in my new home.

Tag: Things to do in minnesota

Winter in Minnesota – things to do OUTSIDE!