Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children. ~Alex Haley
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A Compilation of "The Best Places To Go" Have a place to add to the list? Email us and let us know about it!!

Saint Paul
1. The science museum
2. Red Balloon book store
3. Model Railroad Museum – Round House – Choo Choo Bob’s
4. Como Park
5. Riverfront trails
6. Lake Phalen
7. The capital and grounds
8. State History Museum
9. Farmers Market

Minneapolis
1. Minnehaha Park and Creek
2. Wild Rumpus
3. The bandstand at Lake Harriet
4. The sculpture Garden
5. Fort Snelling
6. Canoe the chain of lakes
7. The stone arch bridge and locks
8. Wood Lake Nature Center
9. Holly dazzle parade
10. Old Mill Museum

Lake Superior
1. Lake walk – Duluth
2. Split Rock Lighthouse
3. Depot railroad museum - Duluth
4. High Falls of the Pigeon River
5. Grand Portage National Monument
6. Two Harbors lake front
7. Oberg Mountain hike
8. Sugarloaf Point Nature Center
9. North Shore Bike Trail
10. Tofte – Grand Marais Cross Country Ski Trails

Lake Country
1. Mille Lacs Band Pow wow
2. Watch the loons on Bay Lake
3. Mille Lacs Indian Museum
4. Charles Lindbergh State Park
5. Paddle the Crow Wing River
6. Mille Lacs Kathio State Park
7. Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge
8. Father Hennepin State Park
9. Cuyuna Country State Park
10. Jacques Museum in Aitkin

Around Lake Superior
1. Depot railroad museum - Duluth
2. Split Rock Lighthouse
3. High Falls of the Pigeon River
4. Fort Williams Thunderbay
5. Locks at Sault Ste Marie
6. Tahquamegon Fall St. Park MI
7. Lighthouse Museum, Marquette, MI
8. Shipwreck Museum, Whitefish Point, MI
9. Boat rides in the Pictured Rocks, MI
10. Boat ride in Apostle Islands, WI

Combined metro area
1. Children’s Museum, St. Paul
2. Science Museum, St. Paul
3. Model Railroad Museum – Round House – Choo Choo Bob’s
4. Wild Rumpus and Red Balloon bookstores
5. Minnesota Zoo
6. Como Park
7. The sculpture Garden
8. The bandstand at Lake Harriet
9. Canoe the chain of lakes
10. Murphy’s Landing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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ONE HUNDRED AND ONETHINGS TO DO OR SEE WITH YOUR GRANDCHILDREN
By Mike Link and Kate Crowley

Send Us Your Ideas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
  1. Go visit the BWCA
  2. Visit Pipestone National Monument
  3. Go to Sculpture garden near Loring Park in Minneapolis
  4. Visit Fort Snelling
  5. Stay at the Audubon Center of the North Woods near Sandstone
  6. Attend a concert at the Lake Harriet Bandstand – Minneapolis
  7. Eat an Ice Cream Cone from the Grand Ole Creamery in St. Paul
  8. Hike the Eagle Mountain Trail to the highest Point in MN
  9. Visit the Fur Post at Pine City
  10. Visit the Forest History Center at Grand Rapids
  11. Go to Minnehaha Falls after a big rain.
  12. Explore the falls at the Cascade River on the North Shore of Lake Superior
  13. Watch the boats come in through Canal Park and under the lift bridge in Duluth
  14. Hike the lake walk in Duluth and have a malt at the Portland Malt Shoppe – Duluth
  15. Count hawks as the migrate across Hawk Ridge in Duluth in September.
  16. Hike Mount Rose above Grand Portage National Monument
  17. Learn about the Hinckley Fire at the Hinckley Fire Museum
  18. Visit Lark Toy Store in Kellogg, MN
  19. Take a ride on the Jonathan Paddleford on the Mississippi River
  20. Go to the State Capitol
  21. Visit the Childrens Museum in St. Paul
  22. Go to the Science Musuem of Minnesota in St. Paul
  23. Visit the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley
  24. Visit the Como Park Zoo in St.Paul
  25. Go to a Farmers Market
  26. Take a walk on the River Walk – both Minneapolis and St. Paul
  27. Ride on Light Rail
  28. Visit Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
  29. Go to Wood Lake Nature Center in Richfield
  30. Walk across the Stone Arch Bridge and look at St. Anthony Falls/Locks
  31. Visit the Mill Museum
  32. Bicycle the Minnehaha Parkway and around the Lakes
  33. Canoe the Chain of Lakes
  34. Visit the Baaken Museum
  35. Go to Gibbs Farm
  36. Visit Aamodts Apple Farm
  37. Visit Sponsel’s Minnesota Harvest in Jordan
  38. Take the Trolley at Lake Harriet
  39. Go to Wild Rumpus Bookstore on Upton Ave.
  40. Visit the Mille Lacs Indian Museum on Lake Mille Lacs
  41. Go to Split Rock Lighthouse
  42. Go to the State Fair
  43. Ride a bike on the Munger Trail from Carlton to Duluth
  44. Visit Itasca State Park and cross the Mississippi at the Headwaters/see the State’s largest white pine
  45. Go to the International Wolf Center in Ely
  46. Visit the Bear Center near Cook
  47. Go to the Planetarium at the new Minneapolis Library
  48. Take in a play at the Children’s Theater
  49. Go to a semi-pro baseball game
  50. Ride bikes on the Root River trail from Lanesboro to Rushford
  51. Tour the Duluth Harbor on the Tour Boat
  52. Visit the Great Lakes Aquarium
  53. Take a tour of the SS Irvin in Duluth
  54. Pick your own strawberries at
  55. Go see the eagles on the Mississippi River near Reeds Landing or the swans in November at Weaver Dunes or the warblers in May at Frontenac
  56. Go for a Hayride (Sponsel’s)
  57. Canoe a river – Taylors Falls to Osceola, or the Rum River, or the Snake River
  58. Go to a County Fair
  59. Go to the Renaissance Festival
  60. Take a train ride – Stillwater/Osceola/Duluth
  61. Go see wildlife at the Agassiz Wildlife Refuge
  62. Pick agates in Moose Lake at their Moose Lake Days
  63. Go to Art in the Park in Stillwater
  64. Go to the Uptown Art Fair in Minneapolis
  65. Eat at Betty’s Pies on the North Shore
  66. Go to an antique/classic car show
  67. Attend a Pow-Wow
  68. Go panfishing on a small lake
  69. Visit the Mystery Cave in SE Minnesota
  70. Picnic at a State park – William O’Brien/Lake Carlos/Interstate/Scenic
  71. Watch a kayak race at the Thompson Dam near Carlton
  72. Take Hikes among the fall colors on the Lake Superior Hiking Trail/Oberg Mtn/Afton State park/Maplewood State Park
  73. Take a tour of the Tower-Sudan Mine
  74. Go to Homan Field to watch planes take off or go to an Air Show
  75. Visit the Walker Art Center (kids free on 1st Sat. of the month)
  76. Go to the Aquatennial Parade
  77. Go to Taste of Minnesota
  78. Go to a Fireworks display
  79. Have an ice cream cone at Sebastian Joes
  80. Visit Lindbergh State Park and the Museum
  81. Go to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s home in Walnut Grove
  82. Go to a horse show at the Hippodrome
  83. Tour the Ice Palace in St. Paul
  84. Go ice fishing on Mille Lacs
  85. Try Fly fishing
  86. Go dog sledding
  87. Visit a CSA (community supported agriculture farm)
  88. Rent a houseboat on Rainy Lake
  89. Go to a pumpkin patch and carve the pumpkin together
  90. Visit a cemetery/do a rubbing
  91. Go to the Gammelgarden in Scandia
  92. Go to a library
  93. Go to an old-fashioned drive-in - like an A&W
  94. Visit the Minnesota Historical Museum
  95. Go to the Arboretum
  96. Visit Murphy’s Landing in Shakopee
  97. Go camping/have a campfire – Maplewood S.P/Scenic S.P/Zippo Bay S. P/Bear Island S.P.
  98. Visit Ironworld
  99. Go to a tree farm for a Xmas Tree and make the decorations
  100. Play putt putt golf at the Science Museum
  101. Go to an Intergenerational Camp

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