At least, it's time that I want it TO BE summer.
So every year around this time, I start thinking about all of the things I want to do and places I want to go during the upcoming summer. Gotta plan ahead!
In an ever-growing, no particular order list:
I know that the zoo is open year round, but at $16 per/person, you can't go everyday (to be fair, their household membership is a very fair $95), so might as well go when it is nice out!
We will probably actually hit this in April, to see the Farm Baby exhibit. Other favorites: touching the anenomes, riding the monorail, sitting in front of the aquarium in the tropical exhibit.
MINNESOTA STATE FAIR
This one just goes without saying. This year it runs from August 25-Labor Day.
My favorite part of the fair: CORNDOGS. Cannot get enough. Other favorites: Heritage Square, International Bazaar, music at all of the stages, cheese curds, people watching, Miracle of Birth barn, eating other weird things on sticks.
And giant turkey legs.
This one is a little harder since we live in an apartment building. There is green space around the building, however, so I can try digging out a little spot.
Last year we planted a couple of herbs and marigolds in pots. This might be the easier way to go, especially since I want to plant a lot of herbs again.
We also applied to get a reduced rate for a garden in a box (left). The Minnesota State Horticultural Society offers low income families free or reduced rates on their Garden-in-a-Box. I think the waiting list is pretty long though, so we'll see if we get one this year.
Minneapolis also has a ton of free/ low cost community gardens. Have to get out there when the weather warms up a bit to figure out which is the closest to us and how much it might cost.
GET UP NORTH
Those of you who are not from Minnesota are probably wondering what this means. Here in the land of Paul Bunyan's 10,000 lakes, summer is the time to get out of the city and into a boat at a cabin on the lake. This lake 99% of the time exists "up north", which is any wooded, lake-y area north of the Twin Cities.
We have so much "up north" to choose from in Minnesota- state parks, camping grounds, million dollar "cabins" or roughin' it trailers. After living through these horrendous 9 month Minnesota winters, we deserve a little time in the sun. Everybody does it- so leave early, or get stuck in the Friday afternoon traffic jam that hits every highway out of the city on those nice July weekends.
I don't care where we go up north, I just want to get those babies up there and into the sun. Unfortunately, we claim no family cabin, so... invite, anyone? We'll bring the brats.
