This summer, many events we enjoy have been canceled and places we love are closed. This provides a great opportunity to explore something new! Here are a few destinations that are open for you to consider.
- Franconia Sculpture Park – Shafer, Minnesota
For a great day trip, Franconia is a 43-acre park northeast of the Twin Cities. It features more than 100 sculptures in a physically and intellectually wide-open spaces that inspire new ways of thinking through access to contemporary sculpture, installation and land art. The park has an active artist residency program. Admission is free.
https://www.franconia.org/
- Storybook Land – Aberdeen, South Dakota
At Storybook Land, families enjoy a world of imagination inspired by familiar nursery rhymes such as Humpty Dumpty and Hickory Dickory Dock. You can slide down Jack and Jill’s Hill or visit Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Chickens and turkeys roam wild around Old MacDonald’s Barn. Food concessions and amusement rides are open through Labor Day. Storybook Land is located within the 210-acre Wylie Park, which features camping, swimming, hiking, miniature golf and more. Aberdeen is located about 300 miles west of Minneapolis.
http://aberdeen.sd.us/242/Wylie-Park-Storybook-Land
- Quarry Park and Nature Preserve – Waite Park, Minnesota
Quarry Park and Nature Preserve contains nearly 700 acres and has much to offer for those who love the outdoors. Natural features include scenic woodlands, open prairie, wetlands, and unquarried bedrock areas. Plant life includes everything from oaks and aspens to yellow ladyslippers, Indian paintbrush, and prickly pear cactus. There are several miles of wooded trails and two swimming quarries.
https://co.stearns.mn.us/Recreation/CountyParks/QuarryParkandNaturePreserve
- Ramsey Park – Redwood Falls, Minnesota
At 219 acres in size, Ramsey Park is the largest municipal park in the State of Minnesota. It is enhanced by 1930′s Civilian Conservation Corps shelters and bridges and easy-to access Ramsey Falls. The park features campground facilities, shelter houses, four miles of paved hiking trails, a DNR trout stream, scenic overlooks, and a zoo featuring buffalo, elk deer, prairie dogs and more. The park is open, but call or check their website for current campground restrictions.
https://redwoodareacommunitycenter.com/area-parks/ramsey-park/
- Bayfield and the Apostle Islands – Bayfield, Wisconsin
Located on the shores of Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin, Bayfield is the gateway to the Apostle Islands. Surrounded by berry farms and orchards of the Fruit Loop, Bayfield features a historic downtown with art galleries and retail shops including a candy store with handmade chocolates and treats. Visitors can also take a trip to view the lighthouses of the Apostle Islands – a group of 21 islands including famous sea caves. Hiking, camping and boating are popular pastimes with sailboat and powerboat charters to the islands available. Bayfield is located about 230 miles northeast of Minneapolis.
https://bayfield.org/
While you’re away from home, you can be confident your home is secure by checking in on your property with interactive services and our mobile app, which allows you to lock doors and adjust the thermostat from anywhere with internet. For more information, call us at 763.477.3664.