Summer Kick Off...

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Well, the unofficial - official - start of of summer kicks off tomorrow with Memorial Day Weekend...The forcast for Minnesota looks FANTASTIC and we are thrilled to have family coming to town to celebrate with us...
This weekend, much like Minnesota Summers, FLIES BY much much much too quickly for me. Given the loooonnnngggg Minnesota winters - I have a LOT I want to do when it's nice outside. In addition to the usual stuff: bike rides, gardening, grilling out, bonfires, rest & relaxation, etc...
I have a laundry list of things I want to do with the kids in the coming months while we have this great weather...

A Minnesota Summer Bucket List if you will...

(And when my hubs reads this - he'll probably fall off of his chair - Just last week he reminded me that if it were up to me, we'd never be home...Well, it's not like I'm planning another big trip to Disney...YET.....................)

So...What am I missing from the Minnesota-area list? What are YOUR favorite things to do in the summer?
Leave me a comment and let me know what you look forward to doing most in summer-help me find more hidden gems!

Without further ado...Here's MY (somewhat local) Bucket list...in no particular order -

Como Zoo & Como Town
Normandale’s Japanese Garden
Canterbury Park
Paddleford Boat Cruise
Hastings Car Show
Valley Fair
Cascade Bay
Apple Valley Aquatic Park
Crystal Lake Beach (What other fun beaches are around this area?)
Children’s Museum – Wizard of Oz Exhibit
Duluth – Gooseberry Falls
Take the kids Tent Camping - Where should we go???
Wisconsin Dells
Grandma’s Lake Place – Mahnomen
Anderson’s Lake Place – Detroit Lakes
Chutes & Ladders Play area
Minneapolis Farmer’s Market
Target Field Twins Game - CHECK! 5/26/10
Midway Stadium Saints game
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Elko Speedway Racing
** Minnesota State Fair

**OH MY GOSH! Liz just totally reminded me that I left off the Great Minnesota Get Together! Thanks Liz! (We haven't taken the kids to the MN State Fair yet - But we never miss the Dakota County Fair!!)

Due to the popularity of this post after just an hour of it being up...by request...I am adding McLinky. Go ahead - create a Minnesota Summer Bucket List of your own and link it up here!

11 comments:

LutherLiz said...

Um, you are missing the State Fair! Also 4th of July Fireworks if you have a preference for location. :)

Anonymous said...

hahahaha I did two of those on Saturday for the wedding!

Back to the 50's car show is June 18-20 and a BLAST.

Um....let me think. County Fairs are always fun...

Andrea M. said...

Lake Minnetonka Regional Park (hwy 7 and 41) is really cool. They have a man made sand pool pumped with filtered lake water...and it's only $1 to get in for the day. Plus they have an AWESOME play area. We love camping anywhere on the North Shore and Itaska state park. Ely blueberry festival is also lots of fun...end of July I think.

Suzi said...

How about the 4th of July parade!? I LOVE the Apple Valley 4th of July parade!

Anonymous said...

parades!! So many around the cities. Taste of MN? Grand Ol' Day? This summer I want to go to this place http://www.larktoys.com/ down south. Seems like fun. family reunions? But really, I love just going to parks around our house with just us or friends and watching the kids play and run around like crazy.

Anti-Supermom said...

One of my favorites, that I'm hoping to do this weekend, a drive-in movie. We usually go to the one in Cottage View?.

And there are so, so many great parks out there with geo-caching, yea!

I big puffy heart summer.

Jen Westpfahl said...

That is a LONG list.

I have a camping idea that I'll run by you by e-mail.

Lani said...

sounds like you are going to have a fun summer!!

Linda said...

Laura, LARK Toys is great! http://minnemom.com/2009/05/30/lark-toys-kellogg-minnesota/

Andrea, thanks for the note about Lake Minnetonka Regional Park--it sounds wonderful!

We love to go to The Landing (or actually anything run by Three Rivers Park District).

Looks like an ambitious list!

Anonymous said...

Thursday train rides downtown to farmers market on the Nicolet Mall, then lunch on a patio somewhere.

Stone Arch Bridge, then lunch at Procna.

Walk around Lake Harriet, the coffee at Java Jacks.

Walk around Lake Calhoun, lunch at Lucias.....hmmmm Im sensing a pattern here.


Betsy

Jen Knox said...

I'm coming to this post about a month later (so typical of me) but another fun activity is taking the kids to watch the model boats at Centennial Lakes on Sundays. There's a model boat club that puts their boats in the man-made lake and they tool around and answer questions. Qcumbers restaurant is right there too for a healthy buffet-style lunch!

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