About.com Minneapolis / St. Paul

A Behind The Scenes Tour: See Hidden Twin Cities For Free

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:43:01 +0000

There's plenty of landmarks and institutions that we drive by or walk past often, but have you ever been inside? Here's some famous Minneapolis and St. Paul buildings which offer free guided or self guided tours.

The Minnesota State Capitol has daily free tours, beginning on the hour every hour until one hour before closing. See the art collections, and weather permitting, go outside on the roof for a close-up view of the four golden horses that adorn the front of the Capitol.

Interested in local television? TPT, Twin Cities Public Television, offers tours once a month from November through April on the first Saturday of the month. Tours start at 10, 10.30, 11 and 11.30 a.m.

Downtown Minneapolis' most beautiful building, the Minneapolis Central Library, has several innovative design features, and an art collection, which are usually off-limits to the public. Register online or by phone for a tour of the Minneapolis Central Library. Would you have thought that above the silver wing, that the building has a green, grass covered roof? No, me either. Tours begin on December 1 until February 25, and reservations are required.

Museums and art galleries traditionally offer tours, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts has some of the best. Tours are offered daily at the MIA, no reservations are required, and you can choose between a tour of the museums' highlights, or one of the tours that focus on just one part of the vast collections.

The Guthrie Theater offers several tours, which are not free, but the best value is the free audio tour - download the Guthrie Theater's tour podcast for free from their website, put it on your iPod and explore at your own pace.

If your only experience with City Hall is paying parking tickets, you might not be aware of the history of Minneapolis' and St. Paul's city halls. St. Paul Court House, an art deco extravaganza dating from St. Paul's gangster days, with a 60 feet tall onyx statue of Native Americans with peace pipes offers a free self-guided tour, and guided tours can be requested via the city website. Minneapolis' City Hall and Court House is less dramatic inside, but the history of the building is just as interesting. Guided tours of Minneapolis' courthouse start at noon on the third Wednesday of every month.

_{Minneapolis Central Library. You'll need to go on a tour to see the top of that silver wing. Photo Clara James}

A Behind The Scenes Tour: See Hidden Twin Cities For Free originally appeared on About.com Minneapolis / St. Paul on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 00:43:01.

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When Does Winter Start in Minneapolis/St. Paul?

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:26:49 +0000

Where: Interstate State Park, just by the town of Taylors Falls When: Sunday, November 15. The weather: so warm in the beautiful sunshine that coats were left in cars, hikers were walking in t-shirts and some intrepid rock climbers were - gasp! - shirtless. Sorry, isn't it November? In Minnesota?

The high temperature on Sunday was 49 degrees but it certainly felt warmer in the sun. And there's been several glorious days so far this November, a rarity when the average maximum temperature for the middle of November is only 40 degrees, and November averages 7.9 inches of snow fall. We've barely had an inch or two so far this month.

But, on the other side of town to the shirtless mountaineers, Wild Mountain Ski and Snowboard area opened on Sunday. It's been cold enough overnight for Wild Mountain to make snow, and they opened with one run and one lift operating, with appropriately discounted lift tickets for the day. Wild Mountain says that they will continue to make snow every time the weather is cold enough and hope to have more runs open soon.

So when does winter begin in Minneapolis and St. Paul? When does it start to snow in Minneapolis? That's the real kind, not make by the snow guns at ski resorts. It does seem like it's late this year, and so far the forecast for the coming week does indicate more higher-than-average temperatures, and doesn't contain any snow. But the unseasonal weather can't last much longer... can it? Surely we'll be due snow and ice and all the traditional cold weather in another next week? Or will we be celebrating Thanksgiving in our shirtsleeves? What do you think?

When Does Winter Start in Minneapolis/St. Paul? originally appeared on About.com Minneapolis / St. Paul on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 00:26:49.

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Haley Bonar at Wild Rumpus Bookstore: November 16

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:34:09 +0000

Yesterday I blogged about toy store Creative Kidstuff enticing adults with mimosas, and today I heard of an event at Wild Rumpus childrens' bookstore in Minneapolis that's even more tempting for grown ups than kids.

One-time St. Paul resident, indie/folk musician Haley Bonar will be in store on Monday, November 16 for a special musical performance for the release of her children's EP, Sing With Me. Haley's music is regularly played on the Current so hip mamas and papas will likely enjoy this show as much as the kids will. The event is during Wild Rumpus' weekly Tail Time story time at 10.30 a.m., and it's free. Tail Time is very popular even without music stars, so get there early.

Haley Bonar at Wild Rumpus Bookstore: November 16 originally appeared on About.com Minneapolis / St. Paul on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 23:34:09.

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Holiday Shopping: Creative Kidstuff's New Store, St. Louis Park

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:05:36 +0000

This Friday, November 13, local toy store Creative Kidstuff will be opening their newest location in St. Louis Park. The store, in the new Shops at West End development, is Creative Kidstuff's seventh store in the Twin Cities, and their largest.

Creative Kidstuff has been a favorite destination for holiday toy shopping and birthday gifts for over twenty years. The local-grown chain has six other locations, in Edina, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, St. Paul, and Woodbury, and the original store in Minneapolis' Linden Hills.

Tots are bound to love the giant cat that welcomes shoppers into the St. Louis Park store, but the store knows how to temp the grown ups too.

On November 21, early birds or night owls can shop kid-free at each of Creative Kidstuff's seven stores, enjoy mimosas in the morning or wine and dessert in the evening, and revive free gift wrap on every purchase. Reservations are required by calling the store you'd like to shop at, and it's for adult only, before and after the stores's regular opening hours.

Holiday Shopping: Creative Kidstuff's New Store, St. Louis Park originally appeared on About.com Minneapolis / St. Paul on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 01:05:36.

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Time to Order Your Turkey - Finding An Organic, Free Range Turkey in Minneapolis/St. Paul

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:55:49 +0000

While the stores are going to be full of turkeys until Thanksgiving, if you want to be sure of the perfect turkey, you'll need to order it now. And that's especially true if the perfect turkey is a Minnesota-raised turkey, a free range turkey and an organic turkey.

Stores and co-ops and butchers are taking orders for Thanksgiving turkeys from now until mid-November. Here's where to get organic, free range Minnesota turkeys in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Time to Order Your Turkey - Finding An Organic, Free Range Turkey in Minneapolis/St. Paul originally appeared on About.com Minneapolis / St. Paul on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 01:55:49.

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Venison Donation Program: Hunters Donating Deer to Food Shelves in Minnesota

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:31:29 +0000

About half a million Minnesotans will be going deer hunting this weekend for the season opener, and between them shoot 200,000 deer during the season. In recent years, hunting restrictions have been liberalized in parts of Minnesota to lower deer populations, but when hunters shoot more deer than they will consume, what can be done with the surplus carcasses?

Since 2007, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Minnesota Department of Health has been running a program for hunters to donate deer carcasses to food shelves.

Participating meat processors take the carcasses, cut and wrap the meat which is then sent to a nearby food shelf to be distributed to needy families. Venison is considered to be a healthy source of protein, having a low fat and cholesterol content, and can be used in much the same way as beef - how about venison chilli?

Over 30 meat processors in Minnesota are participating in the program. To donate a deer, it must be a whole carcass, field dressed, with the hide intact. It must have been hunted legally and have a Minnesota DNR registration tag. There is no cost to the hunter - they have to sign a donation form, and then the venison can go to feed hungry families.

Venison Donation Program: Hunters Donating Deer to Food Shelves in Minnesota originally appeared on About.com Minneapolis / St. Paul on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 01:31:29.

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Design Collective and W7 Collective - Minnesota Fashion and Art Design

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:29:23 +0000

Design Collective in Minneapolis has been representing local fashion designers and artists for several years now at their Uptown Store. Among the Minnesota designers who have work for sale at Design Collective are Project Runway alumni Katherine Gerdes, screenprint fashionista darlings Calpunia Peach and rock band poster designers Burlesque North America. Much of what Design Collective carries is from Minneapolis designers and locally made, the goods on offer range from homespun crafty accessories to very professional clothing and handbags.

This month, St. Paul gets an equivalent establishment in the up-and-coming West Seventh neighborhood. The West Seventh area of St. Paul, currently home to the abandoned Schmidt Brewery and dilapidated Victorian homes, has potential to be the next hot area of the Twin Cities. West Seventh is lined with a wide variety of independent businesses, many of which have been in operation for a generation or two. And mixed in are the recent arrivals in the neighborhood like the Mississippi Market co-op, just opened on West Seventh, and independent community coffee shops like Mad Hatters and Rudies Coffee Shop.

W7 Collective is at 1032 West Seventh Street, in the triangular Pilney Building. The store will be selling work by independent fashion designers, artists and photographers. W7 Collective is only open on the second weekend of the month, which in perfect time for you to check it out, is Thursday through Saturday, November 12, 13 and 14. W7 Collective promises live music on Friday evening, and cupcakes, the perfect compliment to rocking and yummy local and national designers' wares. The designers represented will change every month, so keep an eye on W7 Collective's Facebook page to see who's work you can shop for.

Design Collective and W7 Collective - Minnesota Fashion and Art Design originally appeared on About.com Minneapolis / St. Paul on Saturday, November 7th, 2009 at 01:29:23.

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Macy's Holiday Show in Minneapolis 2009

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:28:54 +0000

Now it's November, the Holiday season is well and truly apon us. I saw more than one home taking down Halloween decorations and putting up Christmas lights today. This year, I moved to a new home much nearer to downtown Minneapolis and I'm excited to take my family to two of the best -and free - holiday attractions in the Twin Cities.

Dayton's Holiday Show.... yes, it's been Macy's for a good while now, but you or someone you know probably still calls it that. Macy's Holiday Show, the animatronic puppet display is entitled "A Day in the Life of an Elf". Does that sound familiar? It's the same as last year, back by popular demand, with a few extra additions, like a classroom for the elves. The Annual Macy's Holiday show is open daily from Saturday November 21 until December 30, except Christmas Day. Admission is free, so long as you resist the cookies and the toy store and the opportunity to have your kiddies photo taken with Santa...

The Holidazzle Parade As long as the wind isn't howling, then this is a beautiful event. The annual Holidazzle Parade, actually Parades, fill Nicollet Mall on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday with a fairytale of music and lights. The first Holidazzle Parade is Friday November 27, and the last one is Sunday December 20. Annual attendance for the 15 Holidazzle parades totals around 300,000 people so expect parking to be a pain and take public transit if possible.

Macy's Holiday Show in Minneapolis 2009 originally appeared on About.com Minneapolis / St. Paul on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 00:28:54.

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Leaf Raking and Leaf Hauling in Minneapolis/St. Paul

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:48:24 +0000

We did our back yard this week, and with all the rain and wind the tree in our front yard will soon be bare and it'll be time to rake the grass there too.

For newcomers to the area, there are no metro-wide rules for getting leaves removed, except that it's illegal everywhere to dump your leaves into the street. Rules regarding leaves and yard waste vary from city to city. Whether your city collects your trash or if you have hired one of the several trash companies that serve the Twin Cities to do it, all collect yard waste. Some cities and companies include yard waste collection in the standard charge, others charge extra. Some come by with scheduled yard waste collection times, others you'll have to call to arrange collection. Most haulers stop yard waste collection in mid to late November.

If you have more than your trash collector will haul, or if you don't want to pay your trash collector to take it, you can take your leaves and yard waste to a yard waste or leaf recycling site. There are several across the Twin Cities run by cities, counties and trash haulers. Check your city and county website for the nearest one to you - http://www.yourcity.mn.us - is the format for all Minnesota city websites.

Another option, and one that's kinder to the environment, is to keep them for your garden. Pile the leaves up and then leave them for a year, letting them turn into leaf mold, which is full of nutrients for your garden. Or with a little more work, you can make leaf mulch, or add them to compost. No hauling fees and save on a couple of bags of compost next year.

If you are planning on bagging and hauling, or have someone else haul, your leaves, this is the last year you'll be able to use black plastic bags to do it. Next year, all yard waste must be bagged in compostable bags or trash collectors won't collect it. The idea is to make the process of composting yard waste more efficient and environmentally friendly. Everyone in the Twin Cities, that is, except people living in the city of Minneapolis who get an extra three years for the city to work the new regulations into their already complex trash hauling system.

Leaf Raking and Leaf Hauling in Minneapolis/St. Paul originally appeared on About.com Minneapolis / St. Paul on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 23:48:24.

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Do You Need Help Getting a Winter Coat?

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:25:06 +0000

For most of us, it's unthinkable to imagine we'd survive winter without a nice warm coat. But many people in Minnesota don't have a winter coat, and the expense of keeping growing children in coats means that thousands of kids in the Metro area don't have a winter coat or jacket.

If you or your children need a winter coat, but can't afford to buy one, here's a list of local organizations who can help.

Sharing And Caring Hands - Minneapolis - 612-338-4640
Ronald McDonald House - Minneapolis - 612-331-5752
Catholic Charities - Minneapolis - 612-664-8500
Lutheran Social Services - St. Paul - 651-969-2334
St. Louis Park Emergency Program, STEP - St. Louis Park - 952-925-4899
CEAP - Brooklyn Park - 763-566-9600
Hope for the City - Minnetonka - 952-897-7799
Sabathani Community Center - Minneapolis - 612-821-2347
Joseph's Coat - St. Paul - 651-291-2472
The Salvation Army - Metrowide, coats will be available from October 29 -651-746-3412
People Serving People - Minneapolis - 612-332-4500
Neighbors, Inc - South St. Paul - 651-455-1508
CHAP Ministries - Burnsville - 952-890-8222

These organizations can only help those in need with the assistance of donations. If you have a spare winter coat in good condition, or just found out that your kids grew out of last year's coats during the summer, or your teenagers can't possibly be seen in last year's coat - donating them to one of the organizations above can make the difference between a miserable, cold winter, and a warm one to whoever receives it. Donating clothing to a non-profit organization is tax deductible. Check the website of the organizations closest to you for donation information.

While coats and warm jackets are needed the most, other seasonal wear like winter boots, hats, warm gloves, and other seasonally appropriate clothing are also needed.

Another way to donate a coat and get something in return is to take it to Midwest Mountaineering, the outdoor outfitters in Minneapolis, between now and October 31. If you bring a new or gently used coat or winter jacket to the store, they'll give you 10% off the purchase of a new winter coat from the store. Last time I was in Midwest Mountaineering, their rails were packed with new arrival coats, for urban wear and for outdoor adventures.

Do You Need Help Getting a Winter Coat? originally appeared on About.com Minneapolis / St. Paul on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 15:25:06.

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