Summertime in the Twin Cities

Before we know it, school vacations will be over and it’s back to work. Before the bell rings, try to get outside your comfort zone and explore all the Twin Cities has to offer. Here are a few popular favorites.

Experience the Twin Cities

Experience the Twin Cities has been guiding people around the area for more than six years with tours that are a perfect combination of culinary insight and rich background on the history, culture and architecture of our beautiful cities. Food and sightseeing tours are often associated with out-of-towners, but many Experience the Twin Cities tour attendees are locals who end up learning something new and rediscovering their hometowns.

There are four main tour categories to choose from: food, brewery and, coming soon, sightseeing and distillery. The company began with food tours, so while that currently has the most options, other categories are rapidly expanding. Some favorite food tours include the Minneapolis Riverwalk Tour, the Minneapolis Skyway Food Tour and the Slice of Minneapolis tour, where participants learn the history and taste test five of Minneapolis’ most popular pizza places to decide once and for all which one is their favorite.

Brewery tours have a few options, including Behind the Brew, where attendees are able to go behind the scenes with the brewery team at three local breweries to learn more about the brewing process. Details on upcoming sightseeing and distillery tours should be available soon.

Tours are perfect for a special birthday party, corporate event or bachelor/bachelorette party. You can join a public tour or create your own customized tour. They can be done on foot, aboard the open-air fun bus (in the summer months) or on a luxury coach, depending on the tour. So, soak up the Twin Cities while you can.

St. Paul Saints

What says summer more than baseball? Most Twin Cities locals have heard of the Saints and have been meaning to get to a game for years, especially since the team moved to its new home, CHS Field, in 2015. The Saints are known for a fun game atmosphere, but add in the world-class ballpark and the bustling Lowertown neighborhood surrounding it, and there’s a recipe for a perfect summer evening.

CHS Field has been getting global recognition for its design and has won multiple awards, including the 2015 Best New Ballpark of the Year by Ballpark Digest (Target Field won in 2010) and 2016 Green GOOD DESIGN Award. It prides itself on being the Greenest Ballpark in America for many features, including a rainwater-capturing system and solar array installation.

But back to the “fun” stuff. The Saints are known for bringing a lighter side to baseball, thanks in part to co-owner, comedian Bill Murray but especially to local owner and funny man Mike Veeck. This is the type of baseball game even non-baseball lovers can get into. The cast of “ushertainers” on the Entertainment Team roams the stands, each portraying a particular character. Some of the favorites include The Coach, Gert the Flirt, Mudonna the pig mascot and Little Red Porquette, the live pig. If you just can’t make it to a game (or can’t get enough of it) and are dying to check out CHS Field, Behind the Scenes Tours are offered.

Minnesota Zoo

The Minnesota Zoo was created by the state of Minnesota in 1978, and its 485 acres are currently home to more than 4,880 animals (515 species, 64 threatened/endangered) and welcome approximately 1.35 million guests annually. It is celebrating its 40th anniversary all year, so now is a good time to go back (or for the first time).

In addition to seeing all the animals, check out the Conservation Carousel, a splash pad and the Wells Fargo Family Farm, which features a garden whose produce is harvested for several of the dining venues. There are also two large play spaces available for children: Woodland Adventure, which features a giant eagle’s nest, a large rope spider web and a replica of the Split Rock Lighthouse, and the newer, 30,000-square-foot Hanifl Family Wild Woods, with natural play elements such as mazes, log piles and treetop towers.

Don’t have kids? The zoo offers Adult Nights Out events to explore after hours. There’s also Music in the Zoo, in its 26th summer, offering more than 20 concerts with nationally acclaimed music acts in genres from blues and country to rock and jazz. There’s something for everyone. Performances are staged in the Weesner Family Amphitheater, and your ticket includes zoo entrance beginning at 4 p.m. Lastly, don’t forget the attached IMAX theater showing the most current blockbuster hits on Minnesota’s biggest screen.

Minnesota United FC

It seems all anyone in the Twin Cities can talk about in relation to soccer these days is the new Minnesota United Football Club stadium, Allianz Field, which is slated to open for the 2019 season. It will seat 19,400 fans and is projected to cost nearly $150 million to build (privately financed).

Many Minnesotans are familiar with the Minnesota Thunder soccer team, which played from 1994 through 2009. After playing a few years as the Stars, Minnesota United FC was revealed in 2013. With a new stadium in the works, the team was granted an expansion spot in Major League Soccer. Its inaugural year of MLS play was the 2017 season.

The MN United FC crest was carefully designed and represents many different aspects of Minnesota, including a blue stripe for the Mississippi River dividing the Twin Cities, a loon representing the state bird (also the team’s mascot) and a six-pointed star representing the North Star.

This year, for its last season before moving into Allianz Field, MN United FC will be playing home games at TCF Bank Stadium through the end of October. This family-friendly venue makes soccer even more fun with songs and chants, plus a rousing communal rendition of Wonderwall following a team win. Kids will definitely want to line up for autographs and fan interaction, too.

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska is a bit of a hidden gem in the Twin Cities. Home to more than 5,000 plant species and varieties and more than 1,200 acres of trails, woods, prairies, trees and gardens, the arboretum was established in 1958 by the University of Minnesota. Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, it was voted #1 Botanical Garden in the Country by USA Today’s 10Best.com Reader’s Choice 2017 Awards.

So what is there to do at the arboretum? When you first visit, it can be a little overwhelming, which is why there are free guided walking tours (no reservation needed) and guided tours via the Trumpet Creeper Tram. For art lovers, the Reedy Gallery features local Minnesota artists, and sculptures can be found throughout, including (of course) in the new sculpture garden, boasting a 23-piece collection. The gift store features items from local vendors and artists, including jewelry, decor, books and artwork. And don’t forget to check out the 65 acres of dedicated on-leash dog trails with your favorite pup.

There are programs and courses available for children, families and adults. For kids, there are day camps throughout the summer, arts and crafts, story time and a children’s garden. For adults, hundreds of classes are offered, including planting window-box herbs, making goat’s-milk soap and learning the history of Japanese teas. Master gardeners are also available for yard and garden advice year-round.

Check out the arboretum’s AppleHouse this fall to get your year-end apples, and be the first to try the new varieties, including First Kiss and the yet-to-be-named test apples.

velofix

Sometimes, summertime fun involves traveling by bike, and sometimes, there’s a bump in the road. That’s when velofix’s mobile bike shop is the answer. So what exactly is a mobile bike shop? It’s a van-based bike shop that comes to you, wherever you may be, to fix your bike. All you need to do to book online (or over the phone) is enter your ZIP code and when/where you want velofix to meet you. That’s it. Each mobile bike shop is stocked with bikes, as well as parts for road, mountain, commuter, tri and electric bikes.

Competitive prices are quoted on the website, so there are never any surprise costs after repairs are done. As an added bonus, all velofix mobile bike shops have coffee machines and free Wi-Fi, so you can fuel up and work while your bike is being fixed. Service times vary depending on what work is being done, but they typically average between 60 and 120 minutes.

Outside of basic repairs, velofix can also perform a basic or extensive tune-up or a bike fitting, box a bike for shipping or travel, and more. If assembly isn’t your thing, you can also purchase a bike from more than 20 approved partners, and velofix will build, check and deliver it directly to the location of your choosing. A complimentary service checkup within 30 days of receiving the bike to ensure everything is running smoothly is offered.