FREE Admission to MN State Parks on June 11th for National Get Outdoors Day

Every year Minnesota State Parks offers a FREE vehicle admission day to any of their state parks on National Get Outdoors Day. This year that day is on June 11th, THIS SATURDAY!

Normally, a vehicle admission is $5 for a daily rate or $25 for a yearly pass. We always get a pass.

If you don't have a pass, this is a great way to go check out one of our wonderful MN State Parks. If you want a preview, check back tomorrow when I share pictures of Mille Lacs State Park.

Here are some other Minnesota State Parks I have included in this blog, we have been to others, but this is what I have shared with you so far:

• Flandrau State Park
• Forestville State Park (Mystery Cave)
• Mille Lacs Kathio State Park
• Minneopa State Park (Waterfall)
• Minneopa State Park (Cabin Camping)
• Nerstrand Big Woods State Park
• Rice Lake State Park
• Sakatah State Park (Hiking)
• Sakatah State Park (Canoeing)
• Savana Portage State Park

Also, don't forget to log your miles while you are there towards the 125 Miles Challenge.

Thrifty Thursday: FREE Admission to MN State Parks THIS SATURDAY

This Saturday, June 14th, you can get in FREE Admission to ANY Minnesota State Park for National Get Outdoors Day. This is a $5 value if you do not have a yearly permit.

Check out the the State Parks Events List and see what is going on at a state park near you. Many of the parks have free events and classes going on.

We already have a yearly state park sticker so we will be there and are excited to go to Mille Lacs Kathio State Park for the day for their Kids Day in the Park include archery, kids fish casting range, Minnesota fish I.D., camping, compass skills, Minnesota Rocks, A Visit with Smokey Bear, wildlife face-painting and more. Remarkable Reptiles, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., includes live turtles, lizards and snakes.

If you live near me and want to be more local with your state park visit, then try out Archery in the Park at Rice Lake State Park or at Minneopa State Park there are 2 options that are: Wantowan River Paddle and Owls of Minnesota.

How will you get outdoors this weekend?

FREE MN State Park Admission THIS SATURDAY!!!!

This Saturday for National Get Outdoors Day, you can get in free to all of the Minnesota State Parks. No vehicle admission sticker is required (normally it is $5).

PLUS........many of the state parks have events planned to help you enjoy your time there this weekend! Check out the list of events HERE , as well as a list of state parks that loan our equipment for FREE including birding kids, GPS kits, and Kids Discovery kits and find your a state park to go to on this MN State Park Map.

For those that live near me - consider these events at these state parks within an hour drive:

• Minneopa State Park (Mankato) - MN Zoomobile
• Fort Snelling State Park (St. Paul) - Naturalist Led Nature Hike
• Afton State Park (Hastings) - 2 EVENTS!! Archery in the Park AND Cook! (learn to build a fire and cook in cast iron)
• ALSO, check out these FREE Paddle the Minnesota River locations (half have canoes you can use!) This is also on Saturday!

FREE Fishing in MN State Parks for the Fishing Opener

Did you know that you are allowed to fish for free in most of the Minnesota State Parks at any time, not just our fishing opener weekend. Here is the information taken directly from the MN Dept of Natural Resources:

A Minnesota resident may fish in a state park without a fishing license when:

1. the body of water does not require a trout stamp
2. fishing from shore or wading in water within the state park
3. fishing through the ice, from a boat or a float on a designated lake that is completely encompassed within a Minnesota state park

Plus, what is even more awesome is that many of the state parks have fishing kits that you can also check out for free. 

So, if you have always wanted to get out for fishing opener but don't have a license or the supplies, then just find a state park that you can fish in and has a kit and you are all set to go.

125 Miles Challenge from the Minnesota DNR

I just love the idea of this and am participating!!! In honor of the 125th Anniversary of Minnesota State Parks and Trails, they are hosting a 125 Miles By Bike, Boot or Boat Challenge.

It's a challenge, not a race. The goal is to finish 125 miles during 2016. The catch is that you are supposed to log these miles at a state park, state recreation area, state forest, state trail or state water trail. This is totally do-able!!!!

When you finish and turn in your log sheets you will get your free finishers sticker. Each person does this. Wouldn't this be an awesome goal to finish with your family this summer and each of you can get a sticker!

I have already done some hiking this year with my family on the trails at the Cuyuna Country State Recreation area and we plan to bike it this summer and fall, so we should rack up some good miles there. Also, I sometimes will bike and run on the Sakatah State trails with friends and family. I probably won't rack up a ton of miles by boat, but I usually get my kayak out a couple times at a state park and the kids like to go paddle boarding every summer to at a state park (state parks have the best rental price for paddle boards!)

Print Off Your Logs Today!

125 Miles By Bike, Boot or Boat Challenge

Wordless Wednesday: Flandrau State Park

Flandrau State Park

Get your state park sticker and gain admission to all the state park in Minnesota and start exploring!

Thrifty Thursday: Make a Leaf People/Animal Craft

 This was such a fun activity! We invited some friends with us to go hiking around and have lunch at Sakatah State Park and do a craft.

We let each of the boys pick whatever they wanted to for leaves & acorns as we were hiking through the woods, then we came back to our picnic table and got our the supplies I had brought (glue, a piece of paper & re-used supplies - aka googly eyes,)

Then we let them pick out what they wanted to glue on & where and decide what they were going to be. My son's is above and he made "Mommy (the big oak leaf), Henry (the smaller maple leaf), Lucy (the smaller one of our cats is the smaller leaf) and Larry (the larger of our cats is the larger leaf at the bottom.)

Notice how we also used leaves as legs and a mouth.

My son's friend made mice with his leaves and acorns.

Just wanted to share a couple more pictures of the boys frolicking at Sakatah State Park.

In MN, you can buy a state park admission pass for $25, which we had not bought in several years. So, now that we have one we are going to make sure we use it.

Where Did We Go Wednesday? Devil's Lake State Park

Isn't the view from near the top amazing?

I'm not going to kid you this was no easy hiking to get to this spot. There was an easier route, which we took down, but it went through the woods and I really wanted to be overlooking Devil's Lake as much as the road took us.

Devil's Lake state park is in Baraboo Wisconsin which is near Wisconsin Dells. We met some family in Wisconsin Dells for the weekend but we left earlier so that we could do additional things besides water parks.

Hiking on this was a bit much for some of us and we should have brought along a lot more water than we did. Actually, it was the adults who remember to grab water bottles and the kids did not. We had severely underestimated the intensity of the hiking.

And is definitely worth checking out the state park if you are in the Wisconsin Dells area and want to get away from all the hubbub of water parks and shopping and tourist attractions.

$5 Friday - Kayaking & Canoeing

Ok, technically I didn't pay anything to kayak, except maybe $5 in gas money to get me there if we want to get technical. I own my kayak and paddle & life jacket, so I had it to bring along. We went kayaking at Sakatah State Park in Waterville, MN. State Parks in MN do have an admission free of $5 a daily or a yearly pass for $25. So, if you had your own kayak & supplies you would only pay $5 to enter. We have a yearly state park pass, which we have used many times over now so that our cost per use is probably around $3 right now.

My friend who I went kayaking with did not own one, but she could rent one from the park office (pictured above) and the cost of that came out to less than $5 for 2 hours. It was $10 for up to 4 hours (so, you can't really pay for 2 hours) or $20 for 4 - 8 hours. It is the same price for a canoe that you can have up to 4 people in, so in that case you would end up paying $2.50 a person for 4 hours. Good deal! All paddles & life jackets are included.

Of course there are other places you can rent kayaks and canoes from, but I am giving you an idea on a place to do it that helps you save some green in your pocketbook.

FREEBIES: Admission at MN State Parks TODAY & Prisma App

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving with your family. I know I did. And on this Black Friday I wanted to tell you about two different things.

The first is that today, on Black Friday there is free admission at all of the Minnesota state parks. This picture I actually took when I was on the Sakatah State trail. That trail is free to use any time, but if you wanted to go to the Sakatah state park you could get in free today, or any other MN State Park you wanted to go check out and explore.

The second thing I wanted to tell you about is the app that I used to transform this image into three different looks by using the filters in the Prisma app. It is a free app to download on your phone. It is available for both Android and iPhone. I first learned about this app when I started doing Instagram Yoga challenges and one of the most often used this app to transform their pictures. I think it is pretty fun to use.

100 Places that Adults Want to Go in the Twin Cities

Whether it be a date night or meeting up with a friend, I hope you find this list as a good resource for ideas of places that adults will want to checkout. Yes, I do have kids and we have plenty of places we like to go with them (guess maybe I should make another list for that). I started making this list when a friend moved and I wanted to find fun and interesting things to meet up to do. She had suggested several times I should make up this list and finally I decided it would be nice for me to share my ideas, as I looked at so many other lists for ideas but ended up coming up with many of my own ideas that you may not have seen on other lists. I generally try to keep costs down, so many of these things are free or lost cost.

FYI - These are in no particular order, just in the order I thought of them, did them or learned about them.

100 Places To Go in the Twin Cities Area

1. Try out the NEW Adult Nights Out at the Minnesota Zoo (FREE for members!!)
2. Or try out a Social Science Night at the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM and MPR members get a discount)
3. Have a 3-course dinner for two at Kafe 421  for only $25 (salad, pasta and dessert to share)
4. Play bocce ball or go bowling at Pinstripes in Edina and have dinner (go on Monday night for $10 Bottomless Spaghetti and Meatball and Chopped Salad)
5. Knock over some pins at Memory Lanes Bowling for as little $1.99/game.
6. Walk the 4 mile trail around at Cleary Lake at Cleary Lake Regional Park (also, add in the other 3 miles of trails), then.....
7. Grab some fresh pastries or soup and sandwich from Edelwiess Bakery and Cafe in Prior Lake
8. Take a guided tour of the St. Paul Cathedral and/or 
9. Tour the Basilica of St. Mary
10. Visit the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul (FREE admission on Tu evenings)
11. Do some hiking and exploring around Fort Snelling State Park and while you are there, 
12. Visit Historic Fort Snelling
13. Discover 19th-Century Minnesota at The Landing in Shakopee
14. Play Disc Golf or use the cross country ski trails or lay out at Wirth Lake beach at Theordore Wirth Park and while you are there,
15. Meander through the Quaking Bog as well as take a 
16. Stroll through the  Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary
17. If you want to see more flowers still, check out the Lyndale Rose Garden
18. Take in all the sights and sounds at the Longfellow Gardens in Minnehaha Regional Park
19. Learn a little at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (free admission)
20. Take in even more art with a tour of the Weisman Art Museu
21. Browse and appreciate at the Walker Art Center on Target Free Thursday Nights or Free First Saturdays (this one also has family activities) 
22. Have a picnic and explore the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
23. Take a cooking class at Mississippi Market
24. Watch a free performance of the St. Paul Ballet on Ballet Tuesdays at the Landmark Center and while you are there, why not check out
25. The Landmark Center Museums and Exhibits, as well as
26. Have lunch at Anita's Cafe an Lunch
27. Don a pair of skates or blades and go skating at Skateville in Burnsville (they have times for 18+ and Active Older Adults)
28. Have dinner and ride the bull at Cadillac Ranch at the Mall of America
29. Be a thrill seeker and complete the course at Dutchman's Deck Adventure Course  and when you are ready to be back on land, 
30. Try out your skills on Moose Mountain Adventure Golf
31. Go tubing or skiing at Elm Creek Recreation Area
32. Take a beginner lesson in skiing or snowboarding at Buck Hill 
33. Take a class at their Outdoor School or try out the climbing wall at REI in Bloomington
34. Take in some nature at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (FREE admission on Thursdays Nov-Mar, and 12-6pm Apr-Oct)
35. Go to the opposite side of the Cities and check out the Muriel Sahlin Arboretum in Roseville
36. Enjoy a cruise on Lake Minnetonka with Al and Alma's  (this is the one I did, but there are others and often there is a Groupon Deal for this kind of cruise) 
37. Ride on a working steamboat on the Steamboat Minnehaha
38. Stroll around Caponi Art Park and Sculpture Garden
39. Hike Around Minnehaha Falls and grab a fish taco at the Sea Salt Eatery.
40. Spend some time shopping and eat on Grand Ave.  
41. Enjoy some ice cream at the Grand Ole Creamery and Pizzeria
42. Stop in at ArtScraps Reuse Store and see what you can find to inspire a new project
43. Watch a show at the upgraded Omni Theater and Explore the Science Museum of Minnesota (get a membership and it pays for itself very quickly)
44. Or consider going to a monthly Behind the Scenes at the Science Museum of Minnesota, it's on Monday afternoons which is not a day they are typically open.
45. Spend an afternoon at Como Park Zoo and Conservatory
46. Dine and Shop at Midtown Global Market, check out their events calendar to find free events and discount days with vendors
47. Attend free events at the Mall of America, events are always changing and may include live performances, book signings, meet and greets, fashion shows and much more!!!
48. Catch a free performance, concert or movie at Centennial Lake Park and Edinborough Park Ampitheater
49. Take a leisurely paddleboat ride around the Centennial Lakes waterways 
50. Take your pick of the many hiking trails that make up over 15 miles of trails around the many lakes at Lebanon Hills Regional Park
51. Do some outdoor ice skating at Wells Fargo Winter Skate at Landmark Plaza (free to skate and show your Wells Fargo check or credit card for free skate rental!)
52. Take your ice skating indoors at The Depot Ice Rink (check the website for specials and discounts)
53. Take in a film or two or three at the  Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival (pretty much is ongoing most days in April)
54. See any movie for $5 on Tuesdays at Marcus Theaters (plus rewards members get free popcorn too!!)
55. See 3 movies for the price of 1 at Vali-Hi Drive In Theater (Plus $1 hot dogs!)
56. Another cheap movie option is $2 matinee or $3 evening tickets at the Riverview Theatre
57. Learn more about raptor at the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota
58. Learn more about the Swedish Heritage at the American Swedish Institute
59. Take a guided tour of the James J. Hill House
60. Get up close with nature at the Richardson Nature Center in Bloomington
61. Go canoeing at the Rice Creek Chain of Lake Campground and Park Reserve
62. Enjoy the Macy's Flower Show in Minneapolis in the Spring
63. Try out a SUP or paddleboat for free with Midwest Moutaineering  (check their schedule for dates)
64. Learn more about the history of St. Paul and trains at the Minnesota Transportation Museum at the historic Jackson Street Roundhouse
65. Go watch the ponies at Canterbury Park (be sure to look at the website for deals and specials as they usually have them)
66. Tour the Wabasha Street Caves (year round, but there is a Ghosts and Graves tour in October!)
67. Or if you have already done the cave tour, try out the St. Paul Gangster Tour
68. Try to find your way out of the Riddle Room.
69. FREE Schubert Club Courtroom Concerts: Thursdays, October through April
70. Sundays at the Landmark FREE Events
71. Attend a Preview Performance at the Guthrie Theater, most preview show tickets start at $15
72. Have a meal ANYTIME of the day, ANY DAY of the year at Mickey's Diner. It's on the National Register of Historic Places, been featured on Food Network, in national magazines and in several Hollywood movies.
73. Tour a MN Brewery. Some of the tours are free and often give a free tasting and others may cost about $5
74. Get in the Holiday Spirit and tour the Holidazzle Village (late Nov thru Dec)
75. Enjoy the many events of St. Paul Winter Carnival (the majority of the events take place one week in Jan/Feb, but there are several events leading up to it for a couple weeks as well as a couple afterwards)
76. Target Practice at Gander Mountain in Lakeville (others may have it but this is the one I have been to)
77. Get your paint on at Simply Jane Studio either with a scheduled class or Drop-In paint time
78. Check out the comedy at ComedySportz on Thursday for $10 Thursdays
79. Or get some FREE laughs at Open Mic Night at Acme Comedy Club on Mondays
80. Enjoy 2 for 1s (beer) and participate/watch some Karaoke (M & Tu) or Stand Up Comedy (W) at Dulonos Pizza, they have no cover live music but no 2 for 1s during live music
81. Find your way through the Amazing Mirror Maze (you can go through as many times as you want during one session, be sure to check Groupon as there is often a discount there for it)
82. Attend a Signature Event at the Alexander Ramsey House, including the Victorian Christmas, History Happy Hour, Ramsey After Dark, History Chef and more!
83. Go Cross Country Skiing at Hyland Park Reserve (they have a 5k route with manufactured snow, so skiing conditions in the winter on that route are often good)
84. Attend a FREE Music Under Glass Concert (8 week series in Jan/Feb) at Como Park Zoo and Conservatory
85. Or listen to the Minnesota Sinfonia at one of their FREE concerts or educational programs
86. During the summer, attend one of the Minneapolis Parks Music and Movies in the Parks 
87. Reserve your tickets for a FREE Taping and Performance of Lowertown Line on PBS
88. Go for a bike ride. No bike? No problem. Get a 24 hour pass for $6 for a bike through Nice Ride Minnesota.
89. Savor a Juicy Lucy with Jojo's at the original 5-8 Club, or try out one of their other 3 locations
90. Be amazed at a Shakopee Prior Lake Water Ski Association Show FREE water ski show
91. Or depending upon where you are in the Cities, watch a performance on water by the Twin Cities River Rats
92. Watch the Minnesota Twins play for as little as $6 a ticket. To get a price this good you have to plan ahead buy tickets early and bring some binoculars for better viewing.
93. Or watch the St. Paul Saints from the Berm ($5) or Bleachers ($6) at many of their games
94. For only $2 (one ride) ride the Lake Harriet Street Car or ride all day for $5
95. Get a group of 6+ ladies together for a Thursday night out for a show at Old Log Theatre and get $5 off each ticket and a free glass of wine each
96. Put your way through 9 Holes of Mini Golf at Putter There for only $3
97. Check out an event at the Gay 90's, No Cover M-W for 21+ and drink specials
98. Try out lawn bowling, watch some rugby on TV or test your trivia abilities while enjoying some fish and chips at Brit's Pub.
99. Attend a monthly FREE tasting event at Sweet Science Ice Cream.
100. People watch and listen to free concerts at the Minnesota State Fair, be sure to buy gate tickets in advance to save a few bucks.

Wordless Wednesday: Minneopa State Park

Minneopa State Park

Get your MN State PaPark sticker. I am going to show you some pretty cool places inside MN State Parks that you are going to want to go see!

Wordless Wednesday: Forestville State Park Mystery Cave

Mystery Cave at Forestville State Park in Preston, MN

Note - we did see 2 bats flying around in one part of the cave, right after the park ranger said we probably wouldn't see any. LOL!

Wordless Wednesday: Weeki Wachee State Park

Weeki Wachee State Park in Florida

The water park portion will be opening soon and wish we could have been there to experience it. This is really a fun place with lots to do and well worth the minimal admission cost and will be even more of a bargain if you can go when the waterpark area there is open!

Thrifty Thursday: FREE Admission to MN State Parks on SATURDAY!

This Saturday is FREE ADMISSION to all MN State Parks for National Get Outdoors Day. Normally you would have to pay a $5 vehicle admission fee. So, go check out what they are all about. GO FISHING! Did you know everyone can fish for free in MN State Parks, which means you won't have to pay for a fishing license. And what's more is those State Parks with a Fishing Pier (like Sakatah Park which is nearby me) has fishing kits to loan out for families that have poles and tackle for you to use.  FYI - Sakatah Park is also celebrating their 50th Anniversary on Saturday and will be giving out cake & ice cream from 1-3pm.

Just go to the State Parks website and check out where your nearest one is and check on events on the parks page, there may be other things going on at the park you are going to go to.

In addition to the fishing kits, many state parks have free loaner kits for GPS, birding, and Kids' Discovery!

Wordless Wednesday: Mille Lacs Katio State Park

We are huge fans of state parks; if you have been a reader for some time you will have noticed we have visited quite a few and in several states too! This time I am going to share with you some fun we had at the Mille Lacs Kathio State Park in Minnesota. This was all fun during one afternoon! Imagine all the fun you would have if you were there camping for a weekend.

Wordless Wednesday: Minneopa State Park

MN State Parks : Minneopa State Park