This one goes out to all of our outdoors-fanatics out there! We have a new “In Love With America” instalment in the pipeline for you, and just like last month, we will be focusing on an ENTIRE state rather than just another one of the US’ fascinating cities.
In this series, we’re shedding some light on our au pairs’ favourite spots in the USA. Whether it is a city, a state or just a general area that our au pairs are currently obsessed with – we’ll introduce some of North America’s “places to be” in an entirely new way. Our secret? We get our recommendations right from the source – our lovely au pairs – to ensure that our travel tips cover everything an Au Pair in America needs to know about and more!
Ready or not, let’s dive right into the beautiful depths of the ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes’: Minnesota
Buses | Rochester, Winona, Duluth, St. Cloud, East Grand Forks, Mankato, Moorhead, Minneapolis & St. Paul
Light Rail | Blue Line (Mall of America – Minneapolis) & Green Line (Minneapolis – St. Paul)
Cycle Lanes | Minnesota is among the states with the most miles of bike lanes
The Twin Cities | Minneapolis & St. Paul
Stone Arch Bridge | Minneapolis
Mall of America | Bloomington
Minnesota Zoo | Apple Valley
Como Zoo | St. Paul
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden | Minneapolis
Endless Bridge | Minneapolis
Mary Tyler Moore Statue | Minneapolis
Cathedral of St. Paul | St. Paul
Landmark Center | St. Paul
Harriet Island | St. Paul
Paisley Park | Chanhassen
Taylor Falls
Stillwater
Minnehaha Falls
Children’s Museum | St. Paul
Institute of Arts | Minneapolis
Weismar Art Museum | Minneapolis
Walker Art Center | Minneapolis
Schubert Museum | St. Paul
James J Hill House | St. Paul
Science Museum of Minnesota | St. Paul
Mat’s Bar | home of the infamous ‘Juicy Lucy’
Convention Grill | Edina
Young Joni | Korean fusion pizza, Minneapolis
Sebastian Joe’s
Candyland | Try their ChicagoMix Popcorn at one of their Stillwater or St. Paul branches
Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store | Minneapolis
Wild Rice Soup | typical Minnesotan dish
Seven-Layer-Salad | typical Minnesotan dish
Hotdish | typical Minnesotan dish
Historic Northeast Food Tour | Minneapolis
Riverwalk Food Tour | Minneapolis
Indoor Skyway Food Tour | Minneapolis
Pizza Bus Tour | Minneapolis
Twin Cities Marathon | every August, Minneapolis & St. Paul
City Of Lakes Loppet | Ski Festival every February, Minneapolis
Water Ski Days | Three-day waterskiing festival, Lake City
X Games | Four-day extreme sports event, Minneapolis
New London Water Days | every July, New London
Hmong New Year | Three-Day celebration of the Hmong culture, St. Paul
International Eelpout Festival | Minnesotan fish festival every February, Leech Lake
Preston Trout Days | trout-themed festival every May, Preston
Homegrown Music Festival | music, art, poetry and sports festival every May, Duluth
The Wizard of Oz Festival | Judy Garland appreciation festival every June, Grand Rapids
Nisswa-Stamman Scandinavian Folk Music Festival | Scandinavian folk music festival every June, Nisswa
Defeat Of Jesse James Days | Bank raid reenactment every September, Northfield
Sinclair Lewis Days | Five-days celebration every July, Sauk Centre
Wilder Pageant | three weekends in July, Walnut Grove
Blueberry Art Festival | every July, Ely
Art Along The Lake | every September, Tofte to Hovland
Grumpy Old Men Festival | ice fishing festival every February, all over Minnesota
Celtic Festival | every March, Moorhead
Spring Carnival & Slush Cup | every March, Biwabik
World Festival | every April, Rochester
Cinco de Mayo | every May, St. Paul
Twin Cities Pride Festival | every June, Minneapolis & St. Paul
Paul Bunyan Days | every June, Akeley
Antique Car Run | every August, New London to New Brighton (120 miles)
Heritage Days | history festival every August, East Grand Forks
Renaissance Festival | Seven-week festival every August, Shakopee
Minnesota State Fair | every August, St. Paul
Steam Threshers Reunion | every Labor day weekend, Rolltag
Taste Of The Root River Trail | three Saturdays in September, Root River Trail
Oktoberfest | every October, New Ulm
John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon | sled dog race every January, Duluth
International Owl Festival | every March, Houston
Farm Babies | family farm & Zoo event every April, Apple Valley
Detroit Lakes Festival of Birds | spring migration event every May, Detroit Mountain
Perham Turtle Fest | every June, Perham
Nevis Pig Races | every July, Nevis
Saint Paul Winter Carnival | every January, St. Paul
Winterfest on Lake Bemidji | family-friendly sports festival on the ice every February, Lake Bemidji
Bentleyville Tour Of Lights | Tree-lighting ceremony every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, Duluth
Night We Light | Tree-lighting ceremony the day after Thanksgiving, Bemidji
Frost Fest | the day after Thanksgiving, Bemidji
Winterfest| first weekend in December, Luverne
Winter Walk | every December, Northfield
Ice Candle Celebration | Finish tradition every December, Embarrass
More events over on: www.exploreminnesota.com/index.aspx
Mall of America | Bloomington
Canoeing / Kayaking
Boating / Sailing
Cycling
Skiiing / Snowboarding
Ice Skating
Ice Fishing
Running
Hiking
Stand-Up Paddling
Minnehaha Falls | Minneapolis
Leif Erikson Park | Duluth
Bde Maka Ska Park | Minneapolis
Voyageurs National Park |
Split Rock Lighthouse State Park |
Tettegouche State Park |
Mississippi National River & recreation Area |
Pipestone National Monument |
Grand Portage National Monument |
North Country National Scenic Trail |
Mississippi River
The state Minnesota has a reputation for being called ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes’ (though technically, they have even more than that – 11,842 to be precise!). Here’s just a selection of a few of the most popular ones amongst Minnesotans:
Lake Superior
Boundary Waters Caboe Area | one of the world’s premier paddling regions
Lake Mille Lacs
Lake Vermilion
Lake Nokomis
Lake of the Woods
Lake Winnibigoshis
Deer Lake
Lakes of the Isles
Northern Lights | up North, e.g. Duluth
Bob Dylan’s birthplace | Duluth
Prince’s birthplace | Paisley Park, Chanhassen
F Scott Fitzgerald’s birthplace | St. Paul
Tree Color Changes in Fall | “My favorite thing ever, which I can’t wait for, are all the fall colors. They are the best I’ve ever seen and I love walking through the woods during fall. ” – South African au pair Olyvia
Community festivals & State Fairs | “We have carnivals and festivals all through the summer in every town which at first I thought was crazy, but quickly fell in love with. Duluth by Lake Superior also has a really cool hot air balloon festival each year in September, which I think everybody should see at least once in their life!”
Bitterly cold winters | “In the winter we have a lot of snow. And I mean a lot. We go ice-skating. Or play in the snow. Or visit the ice castles in Stillwater which are amazing.”
“Minnesota Nice” | “Minnesotans are so friendly! When my host dad came to pick me up from the aiport, I instinctively reached out to shake his hand, as I had been told that Americans don’t hug or kiss to greet one another. But he came towards me with his arms wide open and a big smile on his face. That’s when I knew that I was in good hands. When we arrived at home, my host mom also welcomed me with a big hug and an even bigger smile. Which, in my opinion, is what you wish for the most when you find yourself alone in a new country, thousands of miles away from home.”