Minnesota is known for its 10,000 lakes, but when those lakes freeze over, it can be tempting to just move inside to enjoy indoor activities until the warm weather hits again. Luckily, Minnesota is full of many activities, for both indoors and outdoors, for you to check out to make the most of your winter break. For the Twin Cities and beyond, here is a Minnesota girl's recommended list:
1. Stillwater Ice Castles.
Exploring the Ice Castles is must do for any Minnesotan, winter lover or not. Enjoy a crisp January night under the stars and fully embrace the snowy season. It's a beautiful setting and absolutely picturesque. The ice castles this year will be located in Stillwater.
2. Ice skating.
Indoors or outdoors, ice skating is the perfect pastime. Enjoy a game of hockey or broomball on one of Minnesota's many lakes. Or, if being outdoors during the winter isn't your thing, there are many places indoors to ice skate. My favorite is The Depot in Minneapolis.
3. Snow tubing.
Take a summer favorite and mix it with snow, what could possibly go wrong? If you haven't gone snow tubing, you must. It's a rush of excitement and pure adrenaline as you speed down a hill with the cold breeze in your face. One of my favorite places for winter recreation is Wild Mountain in Taylors Falls. They have snow tubing and other activities like skiing and snowboarding.
4. Christmas lights tour.
One of my favorite things about Christmas, aside from the meaning of the holiday, is all the lights and decorations. Every year I look forward to seeing what kind of lights people put on display. From the simple to the extremely festive and obnoxious, nothing puts me more in the Christmas mood than hopping in the car and going for a light tour. Get some friends or family together, grab some hot chocolate, play some Christmas music and go for a drive.
5. Hit up a winter carnival.
There are so many carnivals in the Twin Cities to explore. For outdoor fun, visit the St. Paul Winter Carnival or Holidazzle in Loring Park. Some of these events feature fireworks, light shows, carriage rides and more.
6. Bentleyville "Tour of Lights."
