Cool Things About Minnesota!

I got the neat opportunity to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2013-2015. I served in Eagan, Virginia, and Apple Valley in Minnesota. When you are a missionary, you get to visit a lot of homes and meet a lot of people. I was able to learn so many things from others. I picked up a few traditions and Minnesota things that I have incorporated into my life now from my time there. 

Here is a list of things I learned about Minnesota, traditions from the people I served, and all the cool places we went while living in Minnesota. 

Butterbeer: One year for Halloween we went to a families home from our church for the night. They made Butterbeer and treats to celebrate. I fell in love with the Butterbeer, when I got home I made it a tradition for my family and I. We now make it every year and love the tradition.

St. Paul Minnesota Temple: This is such a little temple, but beautiful. We only got to go a few times while we were on our missions, so every time was always so special. Even just driving by to see it is worth it too!

Pasties: Pasties are a Minnesota staple for dinner. It is a pastry dough with potatoes and meat in the middle. We only had them when we were up North in the state, so I'm not sure if its all over. I was not a big fan of them, but glad I got to try them to experience the food they are known for. 

The Freeze 32Degrees: (Virginia, MN) This is a super cute ice cream and food spot in Virginia. We just went for a treat, but I'm sure the food is good too. We both got the Cookie Monster ice cream, which was ice cream covered in cookie dough bites, whipped cream, caramel, chocolate sauce and sprinkles. I remember being so stuffed, but the experience was the best. They just have outside seating since it is a walk up window. 

Uff-Da: The accents in Minnesota are so prominent especially in the northern part of the state. Now being home, I have had people comment saying I sound like I'm from Minnesota. So, I guess you can pick it up in a year and a half. They say bag with an "A" sound like in Bagel. Uff-Da is a saying when you are trying to say wow, that's crazy. "You Betcha," is another popular saying. If you go to the north the accents are really strong, less in the city areas. 

Twins Baseball Game @ the Target Field: This was a fun outing. We got to ride the tracks to the Target field to see the Twins play. The game did get rained out so they did end up stopping, but we enjoyed it while we could! The stadium is really big and well taken care of.

Wild Rice Soup: Soup is very popular in Minnesota. We ate at other peoples homes almost every night for a year and a half and we would have soup the most out of all. A popular soup is the Wild Rice Soup. I had never had it until I lived there. Wild Rice is grown in Minnesota so it makes sense why they would be know for their soups with it. 

Feed the Starving Children: (Eagan, MN)  This was a really neat service we got to be apart of. They have a few locations in MN. You can go and volunteer by packing the bags of food for the kids. The process is very easy and set up well. It is the coolest experience when you are there, the vibe is so upbeat and it's amazing to think of all the little kids that need this food.  

Caribou Coffee: (Various Locations, MN) There is a Caribou Coffee on every corner in MN. Surprisingly, I only went there once the whole time I lived there. We don't drink coffee, but I am definitely all about the hot chocolate. Their little shops are decorated really cute. 

Rita's: (Eagan & Apple Valley, MN) The grand opening happened while I was serving in Eagan, MN. We had a member of our church who loved it, so we went with her a few times. The ice is the perfect consistency and I really like the custard mixed with it. There are a lot of locations now throughout the states, so definitely give it a try if you are near one.

Mall of America: (Bloomington, MN) As missionaries we were only allowed to go to the mall the last week we were out in the mission field. I was lucky and got to go! The mall is very large. There are multiple floors, a little amusement kid park, Lego stores, restaurants and tons of department stores. We tried Johnny Rockets for our food. I made little Lego men for my brothers and we walked every floor. It did have a lot of repeated stores on each floor though. It is worth going just to see all the cool things there. 

Minnesota Zoo: (Apple Valley, MN) We were able to go to the Zoo twice while I lived in Apple Valley. They have a lot of cool spots to walk around to see the exhibits. They have a really cool bird show that we enjoyed. There is a Tropics trail where you feel like you are walking through the forest and the climate changes. Each trail is very unique.

Cathedral of St. Paul: (St. Paul, MN) We got to go see the Cathedral in St. Paul. It a beautiful building! It is very grand and open to the public. It is definitely worth going to see. We headed over the history museum afterwards so there is a fun day trip for ya. 

Minnesota Historical Society: (St. Paul, MN) This was a really fun museum even for us adults. They have a lot of information about the state that was neat to learn. I loved the giant post card sign for a picture. There are a lot of different rooms to explore. I think kids would love it too! 

Minneapolis Sculpture Gardens: (Minneapolis, MN) This is known for the Stonebridge and Cherry sculpture, it is a spoon with a cherry that is massive. The gardens were beautiful. They have a greenhouse full of plants that felt good going in for a break from the cold. 

Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge: (Minneapolis, MN) This is a bridge near the Sculpture Gardens where you can walk across. It shows the skyline of downtown Minneapolis. We got to walk across it and take pictures while we were there. 

Frogs: There are frogs hopping around everywhere! I was in Virginia during the summer, so I don't know if it is just that area or all of Minnesota. You can hear them ribbit during the evening hours. We would try to catch them, but they do pee on you when you hold them. Kind of gross, but cool to see them up close. 

Winter: I spent two winters in Minnesota. It is true what they say about the winters, it is very cold. The windchill is the worst. Some days it would be so many degrees and the windchill would make it feel like it was in the negatives quite often. We still would be out a lot in the cold and snowy days. They get tons of snow and hail storms. If you are visiting, go in the warmer months if possible. 

Great Lake Aquarium: (Duluth, MN) We went to the aquarium on our day off. It was actually really interactive and had neat exhibits. The location is perfect in Duluth, it is right on the waterfront. You can see the bridge on Lake Superior and there are lots of areas to walk. 

Daisy's Juice Bar: (Apple Valley, MN) A lady from our church opened this juice bar while I lived there. We gave it a try before I moved and loved it! She is very knowledgeable about healthy foods and makes really good smoothies. It is located inside a gym, but I'm sure you are able to go in to grab one since that is what we did.  The little shop is super cute too. 

Panera Bread: This is was my favorite place to go eat at. We went with a member from our church quite often. She always would get a orange flavored scone and share it with us. I love their cinnamon bagels, BBQ chicken salad and their bread. 

I love Duluth Store: (Duluth, MN) This is a really fun shop for souvenirs in the Duluth area. They have a cute moose out front for a picture. You can find anything you are looking for in that store. We walked along the streets to the shops in the area which was a cute spot. 

Duluth Harbor South Breakwater Inner Lighthouse: (Duluth, MN) This light house can be seen by driving on the Duluth Aerial bridge or being over by it. We didn't get out to get close to it but we did drive by it. Such a neat little area. 

Lake Superior: (Duluth, MN) We got to visit Lake Superior when I served up North in MN. We stayed in Duluth so anytime you'd drive you could see the lake. We went to the beach one day to play sand volleyball and enjoy the downtown area of Duluth. There is a cool bridge across Lake Superior called the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge. The area is beautiful. I'm sure it gets cold during the winter but I only visited in the summer. 

Rochleau Mine: (Virginia, MN) This is an old mine that allows you to see from up above the whole mining area. They have large tractors, a gift shop, and lookout areas for you to see the mines. It's a fun place to go walk around. It wasn't busy at all when we went. 

Hull Rust Mahoning Mine: (Hibbing, MN) There is also a spot to go see a mine in Hibbing, MN. This mine has more walking area to see the mines. There are spots with gates and some spots without. It was a fun family walk we took around the area. 

Land of Ten-Thousand Lakes: Every where you turn there is a lake. Minnesota is known for being the state with "Ten-Thousand Lakes," since there are really that many lakes. Some lakes have Lillie pads in the summer and a sheet of ice during the winter. There are lakes that are in neighborhoods that they used for hockey practice. The lakes in the summer are gorgeous, especially during sunset! 

I fell in love with Minnesota while living there. The people are so kind and the culture of the state is the best. You get a lot of diversity, good food, beautiful sceneries, and anywhere in the state you will find unique Minnesota things.  

What are your favorite things about Minnesota?