Fake tanning is fun. But if the cancer doesn't get you, the Burnsville…read more This is an outlying suburb on the very south end of the Minneapolis metro area and I come here usually for one of my favorite bubble tea shops in the region and also for a tanning salon but not one of my favourites. Traffic can sometimes be a little bad around here depending on which Highway you're on. The suburb itself is kind of sleepy and fairly safe. Lots of industry and business Parts down here as well.

It was finally warm enough for me to join the Luminary Loppet! Loved the romantic candlelit walk…read morearound Lake of the Isles (not ON the lake per previous years). S'mores and hot cocoas are included, so don't miss out. Also, don't miss the fire dancers and the many bonfires. I really loved the headliner band too. They played some of my fav songs from 90s - 2000s. The only part that sucked was the parking. Not sure how to fix that problem though. Consider getting an Uber to avoid issues with parking.

I was able to go to and help with the Loppet this year. It was a blast. Lots of positive energy…read morefrom the people that came to walk and from all of the people helping pull it off. It was a beautiful cold night with starts in the sky and candles guiding the trail. So much positivity is what we need right now. I will be back again in 2022.

I recently visited Anoka County. I had a pickle pickup in Coon Rapids, which is a part of this…read morecounty. I learned last year that Anoka Country is known for being the Halloween capital of the world. Specifically, Anoka, the city, is the actual capital. There's the Anoka Halloween Gift Shop that is open year-round, which supports this title. The city has two Halloween parades. There's a night parade that occurs before the Grande Day parade. Folks dress up in costumes and walk down Main Street for both parades. Cool! Anoka County is the fourth-largest county in Minnesota. The largest city that makes up this county is Blaine, which I still need to visit and discover. It's fun being a tourist in counties like Anoka that are still new to me. I look forward to learning more as my journey continues. (73)

5 STAR DMV REVIEW! Should be ROTD out of sheer principle…read more Here's the thing...I've been to no less than six Department of Motor Vehicle offices around the Twin Cities metro area. It's no secret that DMV employees conduct themselves most frequently in ways that imply that they've been sentenced to serve at those counters for crimes they didn't commit. And let's be fair...working that job must be akin to being a daycare employee. Only THESE tyrannical, self-centered, irrational, short-tempered, attention deficited individuals have checkbooks. Expectations are understandably low when entering a DMV office - no one wants to be there and everyone is there longer than they anticipate. The interior is consistently what Hell must be like for Marfha Stewart and there's never enough places to sit without sharing DNA with half the city. And now, I present you with Anoka County Blaine License Center. Granted, the concerns noted in the paragraph immediately prior are not lost on this location. It's still gub'ment property. However, having required two different service types from this location on three different occassions, I can tell you that, of the factors that are within this location's control (e.g. staffing, decorations, organization, flow), this place gets every one of them right every time. Passport application: After taking my photo, the lady looks at it, looks at me, then utters, "Doesn't do you justice. Let's take another." Saint. License renewal: There have never been less than five people manning the counters, and there's usually one person dedicated to renewals alone so that menial, yet tedious process is managed expeditiously AND with a smile! Not once have I encountered a scoul, been greeted by a condescending tone or noted a dismissive demeanor to any of the staff inside. The staff are exceptionally knowledgeable, kind and fun. The location is ideal (for suburbanites) - nestled on Club West parkway near Target, Kohl's, a liquor store and several restaurants. Why 5 stars, you ask? Well, as noted before, this place gets everything within their power spot on and is light years ahead of their 'competition' in ways that makes the whole experience more than bearable. (Albeit less than anticipatory, but who really WANTS to spend time at the DMV?) All in all, this is my go-to DMV location! Check it out!

I like quirky things. It was like a match made in heaven when I moved to Minnesota years ago…read more There's a lot to discover in this state that I once called home. I remember seeing Spoonridge and Cherry, a sculptural fountain in Minneapolis that featured a gigantic silver spoon with the most cheerful cherry with a full stem. I loved it so much. I ended up getting a set of notecards featuring this fun piece of art and sharing my delight with others. I haven't changed over the years. I still like seeing cool, quirky items. Last month, I found out about the world's largest raspberry in Hopkins. I deliberately paid it a visit after work, before heading to a Minnesota Wild game several Thursdays ago. This massive raspberry wasn't difficult to find. It's on a fairly quiet street. I thought that I'd be parking on a side street, but it's right in front of a small parking lot. I backed into a spot and took my time admiring this sculpture. Hopkins takes its gigantic raspberry sculpture seriously. I crossed the street to get a good photo of this raspberry and noticed that the sewer cover had a raspberry on it. Wow! This raspberry is 22 feet tall. It's on a steel green vine. The whole sculpture weights a thousand pounds. I hope that no one decides to steal it on e dark even because it's awesome and heavy! This sculpture made its grand appearance at the Hopkins Raspberry Festival back in July 2017. There is a plaque in front of it. I love learning about the history behind sculptures. Hopkins is the raspberry capital of the USA. This massive raspberry honours John Feltl Jr, the father of the Hopkins raspberry industry. As an added bonus, there's a peace sign with lettering next to it steps away from the large raspberry. I loved seeing them. It was my first time in Hopkins. I need to return to support the raspberry industry and say hi to this fun raspberry sculpture again. (160)

I was without words when I saw this. It is indeed a large raspberry and I don't know…read more It hangs from a 22-foot-tall stylized steel vine and weighs 1000 pounds. It's 10 feet wide and12 feet tall. It was unveiled as part of the kickoff of the 83rd annual Hopkins Raspberry Festival. The nearby plaque reads, "The World's Largest Raspberry was officially unveiled on July 8th, 2017. It was made possible by the combined efforts of the businesses, community services organizations and citizens of the city of Hopkins, Minnesota. It is a symbol of the rich history of the raspberry industry in Hopkins that made it the Raspberry Capital of the United States of America. The sculpture is also in honor of John Felti Jr, the father of the raspberry industry in Hopkins." There is street parking nearby. [Review 20740 overall - 151 in Minnesota - 1722 of 2023.]

This old suspension bridge first opened in 1855, over the Mississippi River. Nowadays it's for both…read moreauto and pedestrians. The river banks remind me of Frankfurt, with even less spots for sit down. Maybe this is better, the river seems empty, wihout so many boats for hire. Grain Belt Beer sign is still up there.

I want to get a digital Pin with a Hen on it. It's called a Hen E-Pin…read more One of the most famous bridges in the Great Lakes region, this carries people in and out of downtown Minneapolis between the city and the college area. It's a wide bridge that looks old-style and gives the city an extra amount of character as if Minneapolis didn't already have enough amazing character already. It's also right in the heart of The Nightlife District so it's a bridge that you will cruise over again and again when you're looking for hot people in the summertime - when it feels like everyone else's winter time. I'm pretty sure Cali winter and Houston winter is hotter than Mini-summer. Floridian winter too. As for the cruising... Don't even try doing that in the winter. Don't even be in Minnesota in the winter. Nobody has any skin out anyway. Well not completely out. Well OK they do. Show offy girls be crazy yo. I would know. (Pouts) (Flexes)

If you want a warm welcome to St Paul, MN, (Literally) attend the welcome hat ceremony. You can…read moreexplore the history museum, obtain the warmest hat you'll ever own, learn about some great local businesses and resources for newcomers -- and meet other newbies to the Twin Cities. This is a great event -- and I encourage anyone to participate that still feels like a 'newbie,' even if you've lived here for months.

This faciity should be on every railfan's place to visit. As part of the RHMA, Railroading…read moreHeritage of Midwest America, it is here that a number of projects are currently being carried out: the restoration of the stream locomotive #261, and the maintenance of the Milwaukee Road passenger cars. Visitors are welcome as are their donations. The visitor is allowed the walk the grounds and the upper and lower level of the shop. Most of the general public would never get a closer glimpse of the the work that goes on in the background of a rail related garage.

Saint Paul. I abbreviated it for the longest time until I realized that it's officially spelled out…read morein full. So, I do just that until I get tired of the extra keystrokes. When I lived in Rochester, MN, and travelled to and from Winnipeg, I rarely cut through Saint Paul. The shortest route was highway 52, Interstates 494, 94, and 29, and kept on going until it was highway 75 past the US-Canadian border. Minneapolis got more of my attention back then. Out of curiosity, I took the longer route back to Rochester one time and stopped at a gas station in Saint Paul. It was my first introduction to the city. I knew that I needed to get a better understanding of the city than a gas station. A year after getting laid off and having moved back to Winnipeg, I returned to Saint Paul to see John Mayer at Xcel Energy Center. I got to soak in the riverfront, which is the Mississippi River. The show was fantastic, which introduced me to Guster, a band that I have followed and love to this day. I got to grab some dinner nearby before the show. I loved the casual vibe and how relaxed everyone was around me. I also visited the Minnesota State Capitol, which is in Saint Paul. Parking was crazy, but it was worth seeing for the first time. I'll need to revisit it. Saint Paul has grown on me. I am probably in Saint Paul a lot more these days than Minneapolis. I find the former charming and comfortable. For the last three years or so, I have returned to the Twin Cities to take in Minnesota Wild games. I park at RiverCentre's ramp and make my way over to Xcel Energy Center. I have parked once by the Science Museum of Minnesota, which is next to RiverCentre's parking ramp. I have probably seen more NHL games at Xcel Energy Center than any other arena in my life. There isn't a bad seat in the place. The Wild get better over time. The food is yummy. The staff are friendly. I can also get sucked into getting Wild gear at the Hockey Lodge. Normally, an airport tends to be in a suburb of the city that it's named after. Toronto Pearson International Airport, for instance, isn't in Toronto. It's in Mississauga. Many folks can't spell or know where it is, so they give up. The cool thing about Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport is that it's in Saint Paul. It's convenient to get to. The shopping there is fantastic, especially when you have a layover and have nothing better to do. Every time I return to Saint Paul, I am always discovering something new. I never grow tired of it. On my last trip in late December-early January, I found Shepard Road, which hugs the Mississippi River and, in turn, has a bunch of bridges. My quick photo that I snapped doesn't do justice to how gorgeous the bridges and views are as the sun sets. It's incredibly picturesque and enjoyable to drive along the road. I am thankful to be able to rediscover Saint Paul years after having moved back to the GTA. I enjoy returning as a tourist and honourary Minnesotan. It does feel like my home away from home whenever I visit. (87)

Minneapolis maybe more renowned around the country, but St. Paul holds down the fort. It has plenty…read moreto offer in the way of parks and eateries and should not be overlooked.