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Because life's too short to stay home …
Favorites for Winter
Near escapes in Minnesota
Skiing or skyways? Here are 10 places for a great winter getaway.
Serious reservations
Here's a guide to the lodgings, campsites and permits you should nail down early.
Ski out the door
From cozy north-woods lodges, guests glide into a world of white.
The best in snow tubing
With their multiple lanes, conveyor lifts and snow-making, these aren't your grandma's hills.
Great places to snowshoe
In winter, the outdoors is wide open to those who walk on snow.
Cross-country skiing 101
There's no better way to enjoy the winter landscape, and anyone can do it.
Where eagles land
Near winter gathering spots, towns capitalize on the birds' popularity by throwing festivals.
Cheap winter getaways
Here are 20 places where a fun weekend away is easy on the wallet.
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.
Near escapes in Wisconsin
Here are 10 great places for a winter getaway.
When winter seems to be lasting forever, you just want to get away.
Of course, that's not so easy to do if you're buried in snow. Then you may have to get away a lot closer . . . maybe to the hotel around the corner.
Until then, here are some great winter getaways, each with lots to do and see.
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.
10 great ways to celebrate Valentine's Day
Feed romance in the forest, at an ice castle and, of course, in chocolate shops.
Valentine's Day is on the Saturday of a long weekend this year, so plan ahead to treat your swain or sweetheart to something fun.
It doesn't have to be an expensive dinner by candlelight with a fancy box of artisan chocolates . . . it could also be a hike by lantern or candlelight, with s'mores made over a fire.
Romance isn't what you buy; it's what you bring with you.
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.