Lisa Meyers McClintick

Top attractions for a Rapid City, S.D., getaway

Ronald Reagan stands among the 40 life-sized presidential statues on Rapid City street corners. A presidential getaway: More than Mount Rushmore Photos & feature by Lisa Meyers McClintick In honor of President’s Day, here’s a look at Rapid City, S.D., the longtime gateway to Mount Rushmore and newly dubbed City of Presidents. You can admire …

Lisa Meyers McClintick

Minnesota’s trumpeter swan season

Swans dancing and prancing at Park Rapids. Photo by Marianne Diericks.  Winter’s the best time to watch trumpeter swans By Lisa Meyers McClintick Photo by Marianne Diericks February ranks as one of the best months for viewing trumpeter swans, one of Minnesota’s most graceful and beautiful creatures. They’ve gathered by the thousands along Mississippi River …

Lisa Meyers McClintick

“Narnia” wonderland on Minnesota sleigh ride

Mark Patten with Duke and Captain at Okontoe’s sleigh rides. Photos by Lisa Meyers McClintick. Take a winter ride through lantern-lit forest By Lisa Meyers McClintick Remember the magic of “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” movie as Lucy steps into the hushed winter wonderland of Narnia? We’ve found it here in Minnesota, where …

Lisa Meyers McClintick

Minnesota’s North Shore: A winter wonderland

Photos by Lisa Meyers McClintick Lake Superior’s daily ice show  Winter visitors to Minnesota’s North Shore come for endless cross-country skiing, the state’s most challenging and extensive downhill runs at Lutsen Mountains, snowshoeing at state parks, snowmobiling through Superior National Forest, and the many laid-back evening concerts. It’s all fun and easily fills a long …

Lisa Meyers McClintick

Minnesota’s German Christmas traditions

Christmas Market at Germany’s Annaberg-Buchholz in the Erzgebirge. Longing for Light: Ore Mountain miners influence the worldChristmas traditions throughout Minnesota, the U.S. and even the world can be traced back to the woodcarving of miners in need of more income near the border of Germany and Czechoslovakia in the 1800s. They, in particular, craved and …

Lisa Meyers McClintick

Shop Minnesota museums for the most unique holiday gifts

If you crave gifts that are unexpected and go up a notch on the cool factor, skip the big retailers. Head to your local museums instead. Museum gift shops celebrate regional artists, authors and local flavor in a ways you won’t get at most stores. By shopping at museums, you’re supporting Minnesota’s cultural scene as …