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Because life's too short to stay home …
Favorites for Winter
Ski out the door
From cozy north-woods lodges, guests glide into a world of white.
Staying warm in winter
If you know what to wear, dealing with cold weather is a breeze.
Near escapes in Minnesota
Skiing or skyways? Here are 10 places for a great winter getaway.
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.
10 great ways to celebrate Valentine's Day
Feed romance in the forest, at an ice castle and, of course, in chocolate shops.
Serious reservations
Here's a guide to the lodgings, campsites and permits you should nail down early.
In the Upper Midwest, travel can be competitive.
Many festivals are so big and so fun that everyone wants to go. If you do, too, you'll have to act fast to stay ahead of the crowds.
And sometimes, you also need to know when not to visit a certain area, so you can avoid sold-out hotels or sky-high rates.
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.
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.
Cheap winter getaways
Here are 20 places where a fun weekend is easy on the wallet.
In the Upper Midwest, finding a good deal is a sport second only to football.
Some of us need a bargain. Some of us just like them. But we all need to get away occasionally, especially when cabin fever strikes in winter.
The easiest way to save is to round up a group of friends and rent a guesthouse in a state park. After that, most of the fun — skiing, snowshoeing, bird-watching, festival-attending — is free.