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Because life's too short to stay home …
Favorites for Winter
Great places to snowshoe
In winter, the outdoors is wide open to those who walk on snow.
Fun in the fast lane
Need speed? Here's where to ski or snowboard in the Upper Midwest.
Relishing winter in Duluth
In this sporty town, you can ski and then see a ballet or Broadway show, all within city limits.
Owls, owls, everywhere
Influxes of magnificent birds have birders hurrying up north.
White gold in the Porkies
In the Upper Peninsula, a wilderness park rewards those who love snow.
Adventure on the Gunflint Trail
For outdoorsy folks, this Minnesota wilderness is a year-round playground.
Wildlife reality show
Web cams open a window into the lives of bald eagles.
Ironwood the reliable
When most of the Upper Midwest is brown, cross-country skiers know where to find snow.
10 great ways to celebrate New Year's
Here are 10 fun ways to welcome the new year.
If you want a good way to greet the new year, plan a great getaway.
The traditional plan is to look around for a party or show. Pretty much any big hotel will have a New Year's celebration with party hats, loud music and cocktails.
But you also can hike by candlelight, ride an indoor Ferris wheel or watch a torchlight parade on a ski slope.
Staying warm in winter
If you know what to wear, getting through winter is a breeze.
In this chilly region, smart men are on to Victoria's Secret.
Shopping at the mall, they breeze right by the silk nighties, the gold bracelets, the dainty perfumes. Because what Victoria secretly wants for Christmas are merino-wool undies, a goose-down parka and moosehide mukluks.
When I was a newcomer to Minnesota, my boyfriend was a smart man. Our first Christmas, he gave me a bulky down parka that made me look like the Michelin man.
Cross-country skiing 101
There's no better way to enjoy the winter scenery, and anyone can do it.
The snow is back — a lot of it.
You can whine about it and hide indoors, or you can go out and have fun. Ever thought about cross-country skiing? That's fun.
If you haven't tried the sport, here's how to get started.
Ski, snowshoe or hike by candlelight
In the winter, follow twinkling lights through snowy forests in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois.
If you do only one thing outdoors in winter, do it by candlelight.
Nothing is more magical than a forest full of flickering lights. I got hooked when I skied in Minnesota's Mille Lacs Kathio State Park.
The coolest days of winter
Ditch the indoors for one of these great festivals in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois.
There's no use hiding from winter — it lasts too long, and eventually, that living room gets old.
Many of the tourist spots we love to visit in summer work hard to lure us back when it's cold, offering festivals with lots of fun in the snow, plus bonfires and chili feeds to warm us up afterward.
If you've always wanted to see the Winter Olympics, see the next best thing at ski-jumping competitions in Westby, Wis., or Iron Mountain, Mich.
Best of winter
Here are dozens of ways to savor the chilly season.
There's a reason why winter is the favorite season of many photographers — it's gorgeous.
You've seen this region's icicle-draped sea caves, volcanic Great Lakes waves and dancing northern lights on social media. Now get out there and enjoy the scenery yourselves.
Snowshoe up frozen river canyons, barrel through the woods behind a team of huskies and go to bock festivals at breweries. Learn to ice fish, track wolves and look for bald eagles.