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Because life's too short to stay home …
Favorites for Winter
Snow heaven on the Gunflint Trail
On the edge of the Boundary Waters, Nordic skiers find snow that sparkles into April.
Serious reservations
Here's a guide to the lodgings, campsites and permits you should nail down early.
Owls, owls, everywhere
Influxes of magnificent birds have birders hurrying up north.
Snowshoeing river canyons of the North Shore
In winter, ice creates scenic new routes for hikers.
Best brew fests
Quaff craft beer to your heart's content at these sampling parties.
Ski out the door
From cozy north-woods lodges, guests glide into a world of white.
15 great escapes in March
Winter's not over till it's over. Meanwhile, here's where to go for fun.
March can be a cruel month. We're tired of the cold, and it's tempting to sit tight and wait for spring.
But don't do it. This is the best time of the year for a lot of things, including eagle-watching, expos, ice-exploring and, of course, St. Patrick's Day parties.
We offer you three options for March getaways: outdoors, indoors and outdoors/indoors. Enjoy!
Wildlife reality show
Web cams open a window into the lives of bald eagles.
In the northeast Iowa town of Decorah, two pairs of nesting bald eagles have become an international phenomenon.
Not only do they have a constant stream of live video, but avid watchers are snatching the best episodes — capturing the many dramas that go on in and around the nest — and posting them on Youtube for everyone to enjoy.
The Raptor Resource Project has dubbed them Nestflix and posts links to the highlights on its Facebook page, along with regular and often entertaining updates and explanations.
12 months of girlfriend getaways
Here are the best places to go for a good time in all four seasons.
In travel these days, girlfriends rule.
They shop, they sip, they splurge. No wonder every resort, spa and tourism bureau is touting "girlfriend getaways," trying to reel in the roving groups of women who are out spending quality time with each other.
Galena advertises pajama parties, makeovers and massages. Chicago plugs "shoes, shoes, shoes."
Toasting St. Pat
The Irish saint and his fans are back for a weekend packed with festivities.
Why do we love St. Patrick? Because when the landscape still is icy and white, he makes everything else turn green — clothes, beer, even rivers.
For that, the legendary Irish priest deserves sainthood.
Here are some good ways to celebrate his day in 2026.
A roof in the woods
In state and county parks and forests around the Upper Midwest, visitors love their camper cabins.
For people who love the outdoors, luxury is in the eye of the beholder.
Is it a Jacuzzi or a latrine? A four-course breakfast or a fire ring?
The answer is not so obvious. If the choice also includes starry skies, silence and snow-laden pines, many folks would take a camper cabin over a fancy inn, even if they have to use vault toilets and cook over a fire.
The best in snow tubing
With their multiple lanes, conveyor lifts and snow-making, these aren't your grandma's tubing hills.
On a 13-lane tubing superhighway, it's easy to feel 8 years old again.
When my daughter begged me to take her tubing at Elm Creek Park Reserve near Minneapolis, I wondered if I was too old to rocket down an icy hill.
But a professionally run tubing hill is nothing like a neighborhood sledding hill. Each lane is groomed, graded and separated by snow berms, so you don't have to worry about careening into a tree or someone's knees.