PIXIE DUSTER This…read moreGerstlauer spinning coaster is more intense than the innocuous name would have you believe. It finally happened--my son rode his very first big kid roller coaster a couple months shy of his 5th birthday!  After watching countless videos and mentally prepping him, we survived a circuit on a ride with a moderate level of thrills. I say 'survived' because only one of us fully enjoyed the experience. This marks the 3rd Gerstlauer spinner I've been on, following Pandemonium(s) @ Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags St Louis.  I'd forgotten that this model can be disorienting even for seasoned coaster veterans, despite being only 54ft tall with a 31mph top speed. As soon as the cars disengage from the lift hill, automated controls put them in a "free spin" mode until they hit the final set of station brakes (fun fact: many cars wind up with enough momentum that they're still spinning on the brake run).  If you can load up a car fully, the spinning amplifies. This ride pulls a surprising 3.2G's with major banking on the turns.  1-1/2 minutes is plenty of time to feel dizzy across a layout that weaves around existing attractions.  There's even a nice bump of airtime right before the ending helix. FOC's biggest drawback is its horrible rider throughput.  On most days, they run 1-2 cars that seat a max of 4 people.  However, most folks hop on two at a time and operators don't pair people up, so in many cases the ride only cycles through a handful of people every 5 minutes! The boarding process is slower than molasses, too.  Platform attendants were very friendly and let my kid get on despite him having a Toddler Tuesday wristband which doesn't include the major coasters at Nickelodeon Universe (they were cool and said "don't worry about it, hop in and have fun!") * TL;DR * Fairly Odd Coaster has been a great addition to the ride lineup at Nickelodeon Universe since 2004. While I would've loved to have my son's first coaster be the venerable Whizzer @ Six Flags Great America, there was an opportunity to "do a spinny ride" while at the Mall of America's indoor amusement park, so we took advantage of it.  Sort of a 2 birds / 1 stone thing. (in retrospect, I don't think my 5yo fully realized what he was in for, and having previously nixed the idea of going on Pepsi Orange Streak - a much more suitable family-friendly coaster - I got his buy-in with Fairly Odd Coaster.  While I certainly had fun, I think he needs some time to process.  The big G-forces were a bit too much for my little 'G'.) Don't be fooled by the modest ride stats, this coaster can get buck wild when you least expect it.  Be sure to include this as part of your day at Nick Universe!

LONG TRAIN RUNNIN'…read more Mall of America's original roller coaster is still chugging along 33 years later. As fate would have it, my first coaster in over 5 years (an insanely long dry spell for me) wound up being something I'd ridden before the millennium, back when Nickelodeon Universe was called Knott's Camp Snoopy. Pepsi Orange Streak is a custom coaster made by Zierer and remains the German manufacturer's longest installation at 2,680ft.  It was specially built to fit inside (and snake around) the Mall of America's indoor amusement park, which it's been doing since 1992. This ride was known as "Ripsaw" until 2007, when a Nickelodeon rebrand changed the colors and theming from a logging company to....the official soft drink of MoA.  Aesthetically speaking, this is a big step backwards, as absolutely zero thought or effort went into any new theming. One circuit lasts 2-1/2 minutes (somewhat long for a coaster), although a good chunk of this time is spent meandering along the mid-course brake run that lies within the log flume's mountain façade. It reaches a top speed of 30mph, mild overall but great for families with younger kids. Orange Streak uses two booster wheel lift hills (not a standard chain lift), the first of which is 60ft tall with a modest 40ft drop.  I rode once in the front row and once in the back, and despite neither trip being particularly thrilling I felt more dynamics in the rear.  The ride only runs a single train, but it's a whopping 15 cars long! The unusually lengthy train does two things: it cranks through capacity, and it delivers a unique ride sensation depending on where you sit.  Since the train's center of gravity lies in the middle, the further towards the front you go, the more you'll notice being "pushed" around the track, while at the same time the back row is being "pulled" through the course.  The longer the train, the more noticeable these dynamics become; conversely, in the single cars on neighboring Spongebob's Rock Bottom Plunge, there's virtually no difference at all. My biggest criticism of the coaster is that it slams on the brakes at the end much more forcefully than it needs to (though I suppose the 15 cars generate a ton of momentum).  Given that the train is probably only going 10-20mph at that point, such an abrupt/painful stop on a family ride is no bueno. * TL;DR * Although I care not for the current name, I have plenty of love for this coaster itself, one of the OG attractions inside Nickelodeon Universe. Orange Streak is a solid starter coaster with S-tier reliability comparable to a nicely maintained Volvo.  That is to say, this thing could basically run indoors forever under the glass-and-steel ceiling at the Mall of America.  I hope it's still here in another 30 years. To me, this ride has been - and always will be - RIPSAW. Shove it, Pepsi!

The streak is broken…read more After 48 years of living in the upper Midwest, I finally went snow tubing for the first time ever this winter at Green Acres. True to the song, Green Acres is the place to be. I don't have anything to compare it to, but I had a blast! (Provisionally, I'm giving it 4 stars, in case there is a 5-star tubing place out there.) It's a bit of a free-for-all: grab your own tube (of various sizes), grab the rope (wear gloves!), let go, find a clear spot (no lanes!) and fly down the hill and look back up to avoid other tubers as you head back to the tow rope. Not quite a free-for all: they separate single riders and chained riders, for safety. I appreciate this. Also, you'll need to pick a predetermined two-hour block of time before you go. Two hours of tubing was more than enough, by the way, even with a warming break and a bathroom break, you'll go up and down the hill many times and be wet and tired by the time you're done. "Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside!" Well played, Oliver Wendell Douglas!

If you're looking to go snow tubing please DO NOT go to Green Acres in lake Elmo. My family had fun…read morebut I had to force myself to have fun so I don't ruin everyone else's mood. We initially reserved for 20 people, 12 ended up showing up because of other circumstances. I inquired to only pay for 12 but they said we have to pay for all 20 because that was their policy. I inquired if they can just resell the 8 tickets because it's going to waste. They even called me at 11:08am saying that if I don't confirm their text then they're going to resell ALL our tickets...why couldn't they resell those 8? The manager says it's in the policy. I could not find the policy anywhere and asked if they could show me and I'll close my mouth and walk away. They had a waiver which says nothing about it. I again inquired as to where I can find the policy that says I have to pay the remainder. The supervisor responded with " the policy is the text I sent you and I'm not going to argue with you about this, you can either leave or go out there and have fun." Supervisor couldn't even confirm to me that it was an actual policy and got defensive when I kept inquiring about it. I simply crumpled a piece of paper and walked away. What was supposed to be only $80 for me my wife and two kids stacked up to $240. Not professional and left very bad first impressions that they only care about your money. Clerks were younger and good sports. Not wasting another cent on Green Acres. First and last time.

Another park to check off the list. We love finding different parks to go to and to try all the…read moredifferent playground equipment. And it was another one we found by accident. Nice to find this one with a little wading pool on this hot sunny day. The wading pol is about 1.3 deep. Just the right depth for our little one. Two playgrounds. One for tots and one for the older kids. Of course our tot always wants to wander over to the bigger equipment. There are cute little smaller ones for the tots. A ship, a teeter thingy, sand crain etc. There are bathrooms. One stall and not those wretched port a johns, so this is a plus.

I love to take my son to this park, especially because we live in Linden Hills and it's very…read moreconvenient to walk to. The playground equipment could use some updating but with the wading pool in the summer and the ice skating in the winter there is always something to do.

Excalibur reminds me of a mine train ride only with more balls. Like Corkscrew, it's an old school…read moreArrow Dynamics creation so it's not modern precision smooth but I found it less clunky than that garish looper. It has a decent first hill and lots of fun twistiness after. It was a cool, slightly rainy day when my friends and I visited Valleyfair and we really got a nice breeze as Excalibur whipped us around. Excalibur has handsome trains with a nice logo and a cozy spot at the back of the park. (Maybe a bit too cozy. Rumor has it ol' Ex might get the axe so VF can expand Soak City and give the water park it's own entrance plaza and parking lot.) The ride ops on Excalibur were great on the day we visited. Maybe it's because it was opening weekend and the season was new and fresh, but they were doing a great job trying to not send trains out with empty seats and joking around to boot. One dude gave one rider a hard time for being a Cowboys fan and it was priceless. "Enjoy your ride on Excalibur everybody! Everybody except YOU, Cowboys fan! " (Do not reprimand this worker, Cedar Fair corporate types. That sh*t was hilarious!) I liked Excalibur but truth be told wouldn't be too upset if Valleyfair took it down. Well, maybe if it made lines for Renegade significantly longer. Cause Valleyfair has another coaster built atop wood that is exhilarating in a way Excalibur only hints at. We almost rode Excalibur a second time, mostly to enjoy the ride ops schtick but opted instead to to strap into the awesomeness that is Renegade. Get your Last Call on here at Excalibur but it's not marathon worthy like Renegade or Wild Thing.

There are some nearly hidden trails off the paved path in this quiet park. A few picnic benches…read moreand play area, the rest is multi-purpose trials. The paved trail seems to lead into private property. The hiked over trails through the woods can lead to various streams. The area has some thick forest golf course green lawns with new trees planted. There is no central building but there is a portable potty on the grounds.

FUN for all ages! I've always loved this historic carousel. It's beautiful, fun and has such a…read morerich history. AFFORDABLE at just $4 for ~ 5 minute ride. A true gem in our community with 68 beautiful horses and 18 scenic paintings to enjoy as you ride. Open 11am- 4pm on days they're operating. May1-Labor Day, open Thurs-Mon. Sept 7-Oct 27, open Sat and Sun only. Free on these dates 5/27, 6/24, 7/29, 8/26, 9/30 But beware they will close if temps go below 45 of above 95 F. Accessible to wheelchair riders who can sit in chariot seats. Convenient location right next to Como Zoo, Marjorie McNeely Conservatory and Como Visitor Center. Parking can be so difficult on the weekends, but luckily they have a free shuttle service from farther parking lots on Saturdays and Sundays from May 24 through August 17. Free shuttle service runs from 9:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and are wheelchair and stroller accessible too.

Beautifully restored carousel with charming music! Went faster than I thought so was fun even for…read morean adult. Great staff (senior citizens)!

I like this ride. I do. I finally even made it past Lake Calhoun and then suddenly realized I was…read morenear Steel Toe Brewing. Woo!! Weeeee!!! Set 'em up and I'll knock em down. Well at least one since I had to ride back. But anyway, that made the trip out west even better. Many people were using it when it was light but yowza! That was was a wicked headwind on my way home and it was getting dark. Just some additional safety observations during my ride: it seems like the homeless population are starting to grow. Some of the lights are out. Saw one person using the blue police responder to assist someone passed out in the weeds and at night, I didn't feel as safe on my ride home as I did on my ride in due to the waning light. I decided to follow some yahoo who was in far better shape then I am but I managed and by the time I made it back to Hwy 55, I was thoroughly knackered. None-the-less, I had a quick and enjoyable 15 mile ride and will go again. Anyway, it inspired a haiku: It is a nice ride Exits to good food and drink Sketchy in the night

The Greenway is part of the reason that Minneapolis was honored as Bicycling Magazine's Best Bike…read moreCity in America in 2010. Yay us! Things I love about this spectacular local bike highway: -The Greenway feels better under my tires. It's smooth, like buttah. -Bikers and other Greenway users are protected from cars and buses, which scare the bejeezus out of me when I'm biking on busy streets like Franklin (aka the worst bike road in the best bike city... that's another tale though). -The bike path is flat, so I don't get tuckered out. -That bridge over Hiawatha is cRaZy cool. -Midtown Global Market has an entrance right on the Greenway for easy ethnic food access and pastries from the Salty Tart (cyclist fuel). -There's a bike shop mid-Greenway if I want to trick out my ride on the go. -Said bike shop is also a cafe for more cyclist fuel. -At night, the Greenway is the best place to roam with my bike gang.