Such a neat nature preserve! It feels like a hidden gem! I wouldn't have know about this place, but…read moreluckily a friend brought me here a couple of months ago! Then just recently, I brought a friend here. There are trails and plenty of picnic spots! I like getting local takeout or coffee, eating and catching up with a friend, then walking the trails. (While eating we enjoyed seeing plenty of cute dogs)! It's also a cool place to get creative with portrait photography! I'll definitely be back

This is a great place to walk around and enjoy the sights and sounds of Minnesota nature and not…read morehave to go too far from the city. It's also a free park with plenty of amenities so you can't beat that. Trails are very easy to traverse and the loops available you could do a very short or moderately long walk (or run, bike, whatever). There is a small lake you can walk over if water is your thing and lots of birds and deer. The Discovery Center does have events every so often, so check the website for a calendar of what's happening.

Not a large hiking area, but you can venture off onto other trails...or go down to the river to…read morecool off. There is a nice vista near the Railroad bridge, but the tracks are still being used SO STAY OFF.

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 recently visited Oakdale for the first time. I was there to visit a food truck at Cub Foods. I…read morethen spent some time checking out the water tower and Target. Oakdale is on the eastern end of Saint Paul. You can technically drive eastbound through Oakdale to head over the Wisconsin border. I didn't get that far with my visit, but it's cool to know that you can. This city has a suburban feel. I dig it. It has everything you need, minus the traffic jams. Oakdale is known for being the headquarters of Glassbridge (formerly Imation). It's an investment and asset management company these days. When it was Imation decades ago, it was a spinoff of 3M. Back then, its focus was more on traditional data storage (magnetic tape and optical products), and secure storage for data backups and more. 3M isn't all that far away from Oakdale. I'm sure that many employees commute from Oakdale. My visit was brief, but I enjoyed being here. It was nice discovering a new part of Saint Paul. (89)

I frequent here a lot for building permits for work. I also have worked with the City of Oakdale…read morefor a long time as a director of baseball regarding fields and play softball at the fields by the city. The police department is attached and they protect Oakdale well.

I have lived in both Manitoba and Minnesota. Both places have a West St. Paul…read more This review is for West St. Paul in Minnesota. West St. Paul is a suburb of Saint Paul. It's located south of Saint Paul and west of South St. Paul. I probably spend more time in Saint Paul as a visitor these days for a few reasons. When I lived in Rochester and drove up to the Twin Cities, I spent a good chunk of my time in Minneapolis. These days, as a Minnesota Wild fan, I take in games at Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul. It's nice that I've been able to discover Saint Paul and its suburbs. I enjoy getting healthy shakes and teas whenever I'm in Saint Paul. A few years ago, I found a nutrition club in West St. Paul. It was okay, but it didn't wow me. A few years later, The Bar Nutrition would take over that nutrition club's location. I love getting shakes and teas that have little to no sugar. Staff are super friendly. West St. Paul has a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. The public schools in West St. Paul are highly rated. Shopping is great in this city. Burlington comes to mind. A couple of weeks ago, I was briefly in this city just after I had arrived at the airport. I needed to get some cash and visited a Bank of America. I like a suburban, casual city. West St. Paul is such a city. It's cool. (140)

Not to be confused with that one raincloud that always hangs over the twin cities, manages to skip…read moreMPLS, and inevitably, always, Wets Saint Paul. Weirdly enough it doesn't really seem to be west of St Paul but more kind of South and kind of a little bit West. It's not a bad little suburb and it can have kind of bad traffic sometimes or be hard to get around but at the same time there's some good stuff here in the ways of food and it's a nice little area to live in for sure.

Viking Lakes Markets is a super cute weekly pop-up! Don't be fooled by the event name - these are…read morehappening right now in Summer (June-July)! Each week has a theme (rock garden, ladies night & puppy night have been my favs so far). I love seeing all the small vendors that range from clothing to Swedish dishcloths to makeup to beverages! Coco's Heart Rescue is there with adoptable dogs, too! Everyone is so friendly. The campus is well kept and nice to walk around; there's even a museum inside (separate hours though). Restrooms available on premise as well as refillable water bottle stations. I wish there were more food trucks & food vendors available. I noticed that vendors rotate somewhat each week, so maybe more food vendors will rotate in, too! So far I've purchased: Switchel from Hobby Farmer Canning Co. Kettle Corn from Mabel's Funny cards from Made Well Done Mocktail/Cocktail Mixes from Summer Lakes Beverages {23}

Second time visiting a college friend here this weekend over the 4th of July weekend. Last time was…read morelast year in April. Love the seasons here-- a bit humid for me the past few days but soooo green! Enjoyed seeing the Mississippi River multiple times as we spent time here as well as in Minneapolis. Appreciated the bike lanes and green spaces and parks. Every major city needs those ways to invite people into quiet spaces of nature to rejuvenate and refresh sometimes. Ate some good food, explored some illuminating history, did some people watching, enjoyed time with my friend. I plan to come back someday in the fall season!

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)

There isn't much here as a town, but the parks here, like Eagles Landing, are great. Just take the…read moreBridge over the River from Hudson proper.

North Hudson, such a great place! What a joy it was to come across your description of MY childhood…read morefavorite places. I lived on Helen St. 1960-67 and lived in all those places with my 2 sisters. There were so many kids around in those days. Especially Solsvig's Store with screen door and candy bags. Nearly every day through summer it seems. Also the winter skating rink with warming shack. Also, down the steep hill where a tornado ripped out a ski jump we scurried down the dusty path to fish off the docks on Lake Malilieu. By age 10 we were allowed to ride bicycles around NH.After my 7th grade we had to move out west leaving so many good friends and places forever but always in my memory. Thanks for writing such a great article to remember those times..