This is for all of you who make fun of my accent ;)
The last week being back at college in Texas has made me realize how thankful I am to be attending college in a warmer weather state. While I don't always enjoy the blistering temperatures the first weeks of school, being able to walk to class without having to hike through snow and negative temps has been a nice perk of Texas.
This has made me consider the pros and cons of various types of weather and I've become grateful for many things about MN that may or may not be affected by the weather. Most people ask me about the weather when I first tell them I'm from MN; "isn't it super cold up there," "you must've gotten a lot of snow," "I couldn't imagine living somewhere that cold" and variations of these comments.
However, MN has many more things to offer than just cold temps and snow in the winter that many may not even think of when they consider MN. From the warm, humid summers (filled with mosquitos galore), to the icy cold winters, MN might just surprise you and maybe you'll want to take a trip up to visit sometime.
Spring
Green starting to poke out from the brown, wet landscape, dead from a long winter.
Taking a drive to a local park is sure to result in the joy of seeing trees starting to bud and the grass starting to turn back to its beautiful deep green vibrance.
Going for bike rides to explore the fresh scenery is a personal favorite of me and my family. Being able to ride on the extensive trail network that MN has is such a blessing.
Go cheer on a local high school team in all their spring sports like golf, tennis (guys tennis), lacrosse, baseball, etc.
Oh man prepare for the mosquitos (state bird haha). The mosquitos are probably my least favorite aspect of life in MN because of how many there are with the amount of standing water around, which are the perfect breeding spots for them. Just prepare to either wear long sleves and pants all the time, be okay with getting a lot of bites, or wearing a lot of bug spray. At least they aren't poisonous though ;).
Summer
The summers get nice and warm (90's) which isn't too hot, but still a nice way to relax and take a break from winter cold.
The Land of 10,000 Lakes:
The abundance of lakes and rivers in MN is truly such a blessing; they are both beautiful and functional.
Whether boating, fishing, swimming, hunting, tanning, etc. is your passion, MN lakes can serve all purposes and are sure to never disappoint (except don't go to lake Minnetonka for the 4th of July, pro tip).
Golf courses:
My favorite courses include Hazeltine National Golf Club (my place of work for the last several summers), Chaska Town Course, Dahlgren, and many more.
There is little better than a beautiful summer day in MN filled with golf with friends.
Twins games
A nostalgic activity for me is going to a Twins baseball game with my family.
Taking a trip up to the Boundary Waters is a perfect getaway from urban life.
While the Northern part of the state may not be for everyone, canoeing out into the middle of the wilderness is such a beautiful experience that can't quite be described other than just saying, "you need to go to see for yourself."
Fall
Fall doesn't feel like fall without the trees' leaves turning color and painting the landscape with vibrant reds, yellows, oranges, browns, greens, and mixes of all of the above. Going for a walk through the woods at a local nature center is a must during the fall months.
The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is a beautiful place year round, but in the fall it turns near magical with the trees turning color. I would highly recommend going at some point to walk their elaborate trail network and take in God's beautiful creation (but really, just go anywhere and you'll see the beauty of the trees).
Apples
Minnesota apples may be the best thing ever. For those of you who are interested in some apple trivia, the University of Minnesota has done a lot of research with apples, and many of the popular apple variations like Honeycrisp, First Kiss, SweeTango, Zestar, and many others originated in MN. Having some MN apples that are freshly picked are a must.
Corn mazes are also a fun activity (though we don't have as much corn as Iowa).
Winter
Where do we begin... MN winters are a whole new thing for those not from the area.
With swings in temperature from mid 30s to negative 20, it truly is exciting and requires a close relationship with a weather-person or the weather app on your phone to know how to dress for the day.
Going to a local ski/snowboard hill is our family's favorite way to spend the winter months.
Hyland, in Bloomington, is a great option with a variety of terrains and styles. However, the thing that Hyland is most known for is their terrain park with its vast assortment of rails, jumps, and other random features, all accessible by two high-speed tow ropes. For any adrenaline junkie out there, this park is a must ride.
Ice fishing is another popular thing to do.
With the abundance of lakes, anyone will be able to see the shacks, tents, and trucks that people bring to the middle of the lakes to fish through the ice.
Skating, similar to ice fishing, is a popular lake activity. While not every lake is cleared and smoothed for skating, many are and there are always random lakes/ponds around that are cleared off.
HOCKEY/PONDY
Truly a Minnesotan thing, unless we're talking about Canada, ice hockey, and specifically pondy is a cannon activity for true Minnesotans. Pondy stands for pond hockey which is just playing hockey out on the lake or the pond out back. However, what makes this so special is that there are many people in MN who play hockey and a lot of people have skates and sticks. So even if you didn't play organized hockey, it's hard to turn down a good pondy match.
Sledding/tubing
There is little more exciting to waking up and seeing a fresh coating of snow on the ground. While yes, it does mean shoveling/snow blowing the driveway, it also means an opportunity to find a hill, maybe build a jump, and go sledding or tubing.
Drifting...
Is there much else to explain? Hop in a car, drive fast on snowy, icy roads, and have a blast ;).
Food
Goulosh/hotdish
Think casserole.
Lefse
Desert-type flatbread smeared with butter and brown sugar.
Walleye
Having a fishing friend is so clutch during fishing season as walleye, and really any sort of fish, can be a delicious meal.
Sweet corn
Not sure if this is Minnesotan only, but sweet corn on the cob is such a great way to enjoy some corn and get a messy face at the same time.
Cheese curds
Ok ok ok, technically more Wisconsin than Minnesotan, but cheese curds are the real deal.
Slang/Words
"Ope"
Can be used in literally any situation; it's like the Swiss Army knife of words.
"Duck duck grey duck"
No duck, duck, goose around here; grey ducks are where it's at.
"Doncha know"
Pretty self explanatory, just "don't you know" but Minnesotan.
"Uffdah"
One of my favorites, uffdah is a great exclamation for feeling sore, stubbing a toe, or just referencing the cold weather.
"Pop"
Not soda, coke, etc.
"You betcha"
Can be paired with "doncha know."
"Oh for cute"
Similar to "adorable" but sounds cooler.
"Yeah no"
"No yeah"
Just depends on the context for these last two, if you know, you know.
Wrapping up
Starting to realize that I wrote a lot about winter haha, but need to explain why the cold is actually such a blessing and a fun opportunity that many other states, like Texas, just don't have. While this is just a extremely brief overview of some of the highlights, in my personal opinion, I hope it clears up some of the misconceptions about MN and also provides some vocabulary you can use to impress your friends ;).
All that being said, I'm loving it down here in Texas for many reasons. However, one of the main things that makes MN so special for me is because that is where my family is. And just to be clear, I think I have the coolest family out there because we all enjoy going out and doing all the activities listed above and love exploring the beautiful landscape that God has placed us in.
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