Double decker carousel inside Maplewood Mall in White Bear Lake. We decided to ride on the top…read morefloor which I think will give a grander experience. They had your usual horses and also had 2-4 people swings depending on how big everyone is on sharing the swing. I will confess I did get kinda dizzy being up there. Not sure if it's cuz I'm older or what but it was also at a typical speed as well. Children 2 and older need a ticket. All adults need a ticket as well. I think it was $3 each.

Como Park Everything…read morehappens here. Location of Hmong July 4 tournament every year. Only Como could contain the July Hmong tournament. 2nd largest in USA next to Fresno. For one location, this is pretty big. Hmong can do better. Hmong have money, they should buy and build a location like NC did. Highly recommended

Ah such a lovely park in the heart of the city…read more A walking and biking trail around the entire lake, a zoo, golf course and a historic trolley station nearby are all available. The Pavilion, in it's current format is a wonderful space where musicians and more perform. I've even gone to a yoga class at one point that was a perfect stretching exercise. Both the Pavilion and the golf course offer food and drink. The golf course being off of everyone's radar because people think golf. But here too is a great balcony, overlooking the 9th hole. Super relaxing.

I have visited Maplewood a handful of times within the last few years. Whenever I visit the Twin…read moreCities, there's always something new for me to discover. Maplewood is no different. My first visit was over a year ago. It was a frigid January day. I hibernated in Maplewood Mall for a few hours and had the best time. I was originally there for FYE, but loved seeing a huge carousel smack in the middle of the mall, along with shopping at Kohl's and Macy's. I returned recently to shop and continue being a tourist. Both activities are enjoyable. Maplewood is known for being the headquarters of 3M. I love 3M products, from tape, to Command strips for hanging practically everything on walls. You can only get tours inside the 3M Innovation Center if you either work there or are an invited visitor. I did a exterior self-tour on Sunday. The campus is massive, as is the main headquarters. Maplewood has a lot of trees and parks. When it's warmer, I'd love to check them out. I'll be back! (55)

I thought Minne was a mouse, but what do I know. Apparently it's a lakemonster. Oooooh…read more What could be better than a Loch Ness type sea monster right here in Minneapolis, in the FREAKING LAKES? And it's really adorable as well. Of course it's fake - or at least I think it's fake. I'm not going to come out and say it's fake when I can't be sure that it's fake. It may be fake but let's not assume that it's fake because one day you could be swimming in the lake and this so called fake monster could fake eat you and you'd be fake dead or fake in hospital for a long time and HOW FAKE WOULD IT BE THEN. Yet another case where Fake is the best possible outcome.

A legend in American folklore, Minnie is the Loch Ness of America. Keep an eye out for her dopey…read moreface as you enjoy the lakes this summer.

I've enjoyed all seasons at this state park: in the winter, I've snow showed, in the spring/fall…read moreI've hiked, and in the summer I've enjoyed the beach. I've been to all 69 state parks in MN, and this one is my favorite near the metro area. There is something for everyone, although the hike to the beach includes a steep incline which can be a bother if you are carrying lots of gear (chairs, umbrella, water toys, etc).

Always amazed by the beauty MN has to offer and my friend took me on a scenic trail walk around…read moreAfton State Park. Everything was beautiful and the grounds are vast with summer flowers everywhere you look. Love the view of the St. Croix River as well. There are camping grounds here as well, which looks like a lovely getaway.

Saint Paul or St. Paul? For the longest time, I used the latter. The former is actually the formal…read morename of the city, but abbreviating it with the latter is good, too. Here's a tidbit that I find interesting. When I lived in Rochester, I often cut through Minneapolis to drive up to Winnipeg. Coming back, if I felt like it, I'd cut through Saint Paul to head home. During my two years living in Minnesota, I hung out more in Minneapolis than its twin. Fast-forward to the last five years or so, when I became a Minnesota Wild ten-pack-of-tickets holder. The team plays at Xcel Energy Centre. I often stay in Eagan when I'm in town, which is a part of Saint Paul. I have probably balanced out visiting both Minneapolis and Saint Paul by now. Xcel Energy Centre is in downtown Saint Paul. I enjoy watching Wild hockey games here. I've also seen a handful of concerts. It is the perfect venue with the best food that I have ever had at any arena. From the variety of wing flavours at the Taphouse, to getting pulled pork poutine (it's decent with real cheese curds, which is saying a lot from this Canadian), I like coming here to eat before or during the game. I especially like the happy hour deals before a game or concert. The downtown area is cool. You can find a bunch of eateries. I like Rice Park, where you can escape life by looking at Peanuts statues and a beautiful green setting. It's a nice nod to the creator, Charles M. Schulz, who was born in Minneapolis and spent many years living in the Twin Cities. There's a lot to see in Saint Paul, whether you are a local or a visitor. The Minnesota History Center enticed me to visit it for the Peanuts exhibit last fall. The Weather Permitting exhibit was a lot of fun, too. The Science Museum of Minnesota is cool for adults and kids alike. I was never the best science student, likely because textbook theory wasn't enticing to me. However, give me numbers and applications in the real world, and I love it. The extreme climates exhibits was amazing. I like that there are simulations and fun activities that make learning fun. If my science classes had more of these types of activities, I may have enjoyed these classes more! Shopping is great. I tend to hit the Twin Cities Premium Outlet. Great deals are there. There are plenty of decent shops that I frequent, from Converse and Nike, to GAP and Fossil. I tend to hit the Lindt and Auntie Anne's stores to get my chocolate and mini pretzel dog fixes, respectively. While heading over to a Japanese eatery last year, I passed by the Cathedral of Saint Paul. It was stunning to admire its exterior up close for the first time that I cycled back to it, parked my car, and took photos of it. This Roman Catholic cathedral is well over a century old. I like seeing it from the Rivercentre skywalk with downtown Saint Paul as the backdrop, but it's more impressive when you are in front of the cathedral to admire its design and architecture. Saint Paul is the capital of Minnesota. I've visited the State Capital once as a resident of Minnesota. It's a stunning building with a lot of marble and statues. I did a self-guided tour. You can also get a guided tour if you plan ahead and book ahead. It's a bit tricky finding parking nearby to do a tour. One of these days, I'll return. I find that I always learn something new when I'm in Saint Paul. It has grown on me and there's more for me to check out whenever I'm in the city. (226)

St. Paul has a lot to offer being one of the Twin Cities along with Minneapolis. Besides the…read moreobvious places like the Xcel Energy Center and State capital there are an untold amount of restaurants and other hidden gyms to explore. Grand Avenue is an obvious place to visit for different bars and restaurants, and don't count out Selby Ave which has one of my new favorite restaurants, the Handsome Hog. And of course St. Paul is home to Minnesota State fair, which is one of United sates largest fairs. If you're visiting MN hop on the light rail train which head's down University Ave and check out this unique town.

This cute little park was actually our first stop on our recent trip to the Twin Cities. Tucked…read moreaway in a residential area not far from where we were staying, Mattocks Park was the ideal spot for us to kill a little time before checking in. It seems like a popular spot for a Thursday afternoon as there were several families enjoying the playground while a handful of individual patrons relaxed and played on the lawn. The trees were blossoming pink on one side of the park and were absolutely beautiful as a backdrop for a few quick laps. Would recommend for your next picnic or hammock day!

This tiny but mighty neighborhood park has a good amount of open green space. Behind the tree line…read morelives the playground. Even with these attributes it's lacking a dog park or walking path/trail, but don't let that stop you.