OUT & ABOUT >>

• BEST BEACH
  Summer invariably finds hippies and punks rebelling without a cause at the murky, unauthorized "Hidden Beach" on pristine Cedar Lake. What they won't admit is that the best beach in Minneapolis is actually the legit one directly across Cedar in the northwestern corner. Cedar North sits way out... More >>
• BEST BIKE TRAIL (OFF-ROAD)
  The Lone Lake Park trail in Minnetonka (see above) is perfect for mountain bikers of an urban bent. But if you're the kind of gearhead who says things like "I spud-locked and corn-dogged, while you were buffing your 'roids" (translation: "My cleats got stuck in the pedals and I tipped over,... More >>
• BEST BIKE TRAIL (URBAN)
  It's hard these days to buy a bicycle that isn't either a mountain bike or a mountain-bike knockoff. So it's not surprising that there's a tremendous amount of pressure on our parks and public spaces from people who'd fancy a little off-road cranking to test just how worthy bike and biker... More >>
• BEST BOWLING ALLEY
  There are better places in town to bowl and be seen. But when you're looking to immerse yourself in the true Zen of this sport--the feel of your feet gliding like a dancer's along the lane, the echoing thunderclap of struck pins, the sweet smells of tap beer, French fries, and flop sweat... More >>
• BEST BOXER
  The St. Paul-based Montantes had his life cut short at age 28 when he was killed in a boxing match last September. A lightweight fighter with a devastating left hook, Montantes was knocked out permanently in the sixth round by James Crayton, and the impact of that punch is still being felt by... More >>
• BEST DAY TRIP
  So much lies within an hour's drive of the city, we hesitate to select one destination over another. We thought about Lake Maria State Park near Monticello, where we like to meander through the last stand of maple and basswood forest that once covered the region. Any of the Hennepin County... More >>
• BEST FISHING HOLE (RURAL)
  Picking an ideal fishing hole from one of Minnesota's 10,000 fabled lakes can be an exercise in absurdity. On the other hand, the avid angler shouldn't overlook dozens of terrific rivers, streams, brooks, and creeks. Indeed, some of the world's biggest fish have been caught in what our... More >>
• BEST FISHING HOLE (URBAN)
  The nice thing about fishing in the city is that you don't need expensive lures, a deep-bottom sonar device, or an "as seen on TV" fish locator, since most of the lakes in town are stocked by the DNR. Although sunnies and crappies occur naturally in Lake of the Isles, Cedar Lake, and Lake... More >>
• BEST GOLF COURSE
  Stonebrooke looks more like a public garden than a golf course. Flowers abound, and the perfectly manicured fairways and greens are adorned with creeks and ponds. Golfers are fond of the course because of the variety of play it offers. The par 3s, 4s, and 5s all come in different lengths and... More >>
• BEST GUN RANGE
  One name continually shoots to the top when gun-shop owners are asked to rate area gun ranges: Burnsville Pistol Range, regularly cited for its economy and customer service. Open since 1981, the range has been tended for the last seven years by owner Roger Hird--who, along with his assistant,... More >>
• BEST LOCAL SPORTS COACH
  Perhaps the best measure of a coach's skills--in any sport, at any level--is how well his teams play away from home, where even the most talented squad can easily stumble and usually nothing less than first-rate preparation and mental toughness allows the visitor to escape with a W. Under Ted... More >>
• BEST MINIATURE GOLF
  Adventure Gardens offers 18 holes of golf on a challenging, hilly course with numerous water hazards, split greens, and trick angles. In terms of golfing in general, this is the spot for those who like to play the game without all the tiring exercise that comes with a walk of 500 yards rather... More >>
• BEST PICKUP BASKETBALL GAME
  If you're a thirtysomething who's nearly a decade removed from competitive play, don't bring your sorry, nostalgic ass to this court. Ankle-breaking crossover dribbles and sweet fadeaway jumpers are the rule here, and while the "no blood, no foul" catechism is regularly violated by at least one... More >>
• BEST PICKUP HOCKEY GAME
  The heck with baby shoes; in certain neighborhoods on the East Side of St. Paul, hockey is such a family value that parents are more likely to bronze their child's first pair of skates. After the best of these kids have proven their mettle on high school or college teams and are still itching... More >>
• BEST PLACE FOR A PICNIC
  Are the concrete slabs and shimmering glass megastructures of the city beginning to suffocate you? Would you like a respite from late-20th-century cacophony, but without the commute? A quiet picnic in the park might be just the balm for your weary soul, and at Nicollet Island Park you can... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO BIRD-WATCH
  Pack your bird guide and your binocs, because you're bound to see some uncommon species here. The big guys--bald eagles, pelicans, and egrets--like to hang out in these parts, and if you're lucky, you'll glimpse some showy, smaller ones too, like warblers, indigo buntings, and ruby-crowned... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO CANOE
  One of the singular joys of canoeing in the Twin Cities is the surprising pocket of peace and solitude you can find on all of our lakes, thanks to a longstanding law against most boat motors. Even a busy day on Lake Calhoun is no noisier than the nearest sail that wants trimming. If solitude is... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO CROSS-COUNTRY SKI
  There's only one major city in the world with better cross-country skiing than the Twin Cities, and that's Oslo, the virtual birthplace and acknowledged Mecca of the sport. So anyone with a serious yen for this most graceful and noble of winter pastimes knows the only thing more common here... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO GO CAMPING
  Certainly, one of the primary appeals of camping is getting as far away from other humans as possible. But you don't have to drive all day to achieve this. Within an hour of the city, you can pitch a tent under the stars, backpack into a remote campsite, and see wildlife besides squirrels. Some... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO HIKE (URBAN)
  Crosby Regional Park beats out the chain of lakes, Theodore Wirth Parkway, and the bluffs on several counts: There's no risk of getting beaned by a beach volleyball, no chance of crashing an upscale wedding, and no danger of losing your footing off a cliff. This park is serene, sparsely... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO HIKE (WOODSY)
  Carver Park's many miles of trails traverse 3,300 acres of rolling prairie and maple- and oak-studded woodland. But the park's true treasure is 1,700 feet of boardwalk that penetrate several acres of cattail marshland near the Lowry Nature Center. Encompassing four lakes, the park is home to... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO HORSE AROUND
  Here in the Big City, the high cost of acreage coupled with the threat of lawsuits (you mean you can get hurt falling off a horse?) means renting mounts for trail rides is largely a thing of the past. But that doesn't mean you have to forgo the chance to be around horses. When you're ready to... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO ICE SKATE
  Sure, Lake of the Isles' expansive skating area suits the Lipinski-ites and the desperately seeking singles, but if you shimmy in the Michelle Kwan school of solitaire artistry, Loring Park's recently enlarged pond is hard to beat. El Niño ruled it out in '98, but the Loring's advantages... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO JOG
  This asphalt path curls up to the Mississippi River, stretches uninterrupted for miles, and boasts one of the finest views in Minneapolis. In the summer, the trees that line the boulevard form the sort of lush, green canopies that the Cities' streets used to have before Dutch elm disease... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO ROLLERBLADE (INDOOR)
  After dodging gravel, twigs, and God knows what else on city sidewalks, skating at the Dome is like gliding on glass. The concrete floors encircling the stadium are so smooth that even first-time bladers lose their fear of falling. To further calm skaters' nerves, protective gear (including... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO ROLLERBLADE (OUTDOOR)
  The beauty of this location is that it serves bladers of varying skills while dishing up some of the best people-watching in the city. Start your roll at Lake Harriet (the shadiest of the three lakes) and wend your way north. On the south end of Lake Calhoun, the populace ranges from urban hip... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO WALK YOUR DOG
  Sure, there are always the trails around the lakes--but pulling Pooch off a rollerblader's legs is only fun so many times. If your canine's well-being (or your insurance bill) demands a diversion, leave the leash at home and head out to Hennepin Parks' Elm Creek Reserve. Tucked away at the end... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO WATCH EAGLES MIGRATE
  You know the feeling, that bittersweet urge, that pull on the pit of your stomach that says: "What are you still doing here? What happened to seeing the world?" It's especially hard to escape in the fall, when the eagles circle overhead in that effortless, perfect glide that sets them on their... More >>
• BEST PUBLIC PARK
  Okay, so Minneapolis has 170 parks to St. Paul's 150; so Minneapolis's park system was recently lauded by urban-planning demigod and Yale professor Alexander Garvin as "the best located, best financed, best maintained public open space in America." But they don't have gorillas over there, do... More >>
• BEST TENNIS COURTS
  As bucolic as free tennis can get this close to the city, these half-dozen clean, well-maintained courts are located half a block south of Highway 55 and just west of Winnetka Avenue: far enough from the highway to keep car noise minimal even at rush hour and close enough to the Brookview Golf... More >>
• BEST TIMBERWOLVES PLAYER
  Will Garnett be worth $126 million over the next seven years? We'd guess that in 2005 the answer will still be yes. In the hyperathletic National Basketball Association, KG stands out as a singular talent: a 7-foot-tall player who's as quick as a mongoose, who has what coach Flip Saunders... More >>
• BEST TRADE
  With apologies to Twins pitcher Eric Milton--who looks like a future star but is one of the principals who cost us Chuck Knoblauch--the best local sports swap over the past year has to be the February deal that brought shooting guard Anthony Peeler to the Minnesota Timberwolves from Vancouver... More >>
• BEST TWINS PLAYER
  Last season, the ever-diligent Radke fine-tuned the location of his off-speed pitches with spectacular results: 20 wins (including 12 in a row), an ERA below 4, the seventh-best strikeout total in the American League, and a third-place finish in the Cy Young voting. The guy really has no... More >>
• BEST VIKINGS PLAYER
  By now everyone's heard about this defensive lineman's numbers--the league-leading 84 sacks since 1991, the five straight Pro Bowl starts, the $32.5 million over five years. But what really sets him apart is his appreciation for pro football as high theater. Randle often dons face paint before... More >>