OUT & ABOUT >>

• BEST BATTING CAGE
  This out-of-the-way blast from the past is tailor-made for the kitsch-loving St. Paul Saints fan. Weathering mechanical modernization and Atari-influenced computerization for the last 25 years, this family-owned amusement park offers buzzing go-carts, a wonderfully cheesy miniature golf... More >>
• BEST BEACH
  Take your air-conditioned SUVs up to your cool cabins and your crystal clear lakes. Relax on your swaying docks with your cooperative kids. Grill your lake fish and frolic by your campfires. We'll take the gravelly shore and the half-nude punk rockers. The teens smoking ditchweed beneath that... More >>
• BEST BIKE TRAIL
  After so many April showers, the system of paved paths and mountain bike trails known in some guidebooks as the "Three Bridges Bikeway" may be a big mud pie. Nevertheless, when the sun comes out, this is the perfect network of paths for first-time mountain bikers and veterans alike, with dirt... More >>
• BEST BOWLING ALLEY
  Stardust Lanes has more madhouse ambiance for curious voyeurs who consider bowling an intriguing "experience." And the bohemian-friendly haven of Bryant-Lake Bowl is certainly a more opportune spot in which to see and be seen. But Elsie's is the place folks go simply to bowl. Amid an assortment... More >>
• BEST BOXER
  When the 106-pound Grigsby captured the vacant IBF junior flyweight title in December, the St. Paul native also became the first Minnesotan to win an internationally recognized belt since World War I, when St. Paul's Mike "The Harp" O'Dowd held the middleweight crown. That alone would certainly... More >>
• BEST COACH
  On the eve of the Timberwolves' best game of the shortened '99 season, a "we've arrived" buzzer beater against the Sonics, thin-skinned superstar Stephon Marbury announced he'd be leaving for the New Jersey Nets. The New Jersey Nets! Days later the pups became a national story after losing to... More >>
• BEST COLLEGE ATHLETE
  Dubbed "instant offense" during his first two years as a sixth man for the University of Minnesota's men's basketball team, senior forward Quincy Lewis used to take a lot of heat, some of it public, from coach Clem Haskins, for his spotty defensive play and itchy trigger finger. But by the end... More >>
• BEST FANTASY
  Swish. Swish. Thunk. Swish. You've been going all night, and sunrise is very far away. But you keep going, going, because they expect you on the other side, because your mission cannot be delayed. Swish. Swish. Thunk. Thunk. The woods are dark and silent, but you are not afraid. This... More >>
• BEST FISHING HOLE (RURAL)
  For any angler who enjoys a measure of solitude, the dizzying proliferation of Jet Skis and high-tech watercraft on Minnesota's 12,304 lakes presents an especially ugly dilemma: Fish amid the nightmare on prime waters or risk an empty stringer in less productive spots. Fortunately, there are... More >>
• BEST FISHING HOLE (URBAN)
  Sadly, besides providing another way for rich, drunken adolescents to become paraplegics, Jet Ski contraptions have also ruined countless formerly fruitful Minnesota fishing holes. Luckily, the Skis haven't yet completely taken over Lake Minnetonka, still the best urban spot to catch a panoply... More >>
• BEST GARDEN TOUR
  Right as the wilting dog days of summer kick in, this annual excursion takes place over two weekends in some 35 private gardens around the Cities and beyond. Sure, you could space out your sightseeing with a series of more limited tours in hopes of catching different plants in bloom, but this... More >>
• BEST GOLF COURSE
  In a metro area that boasts some of the best and most varied golfing in the country (more than 90 courses within easy driving range), it's damn near impossible to pick a favorite. Still, taking into account the key factors of convenience and comparatively cheap greens fees ($23 for 18 holes... More >>
• BEST GOLF COURSE ON WHICH TO HAVE A DADAESQUE EXPERIENCE
  Cannon Falls has something even funkier than Pachyderm Recording Studios; there is also the public, nine-hole Elmdale Hills golf course, located about ten miles south of Hastings. Every Monday and Tuesday, for real, llamas are available as caddies ($25 per animal, $10 extra for each player; a... More >>
• BEST GOOD SPORT
  "If it weren't for bad luck," the old saying goes, "I'd have no luck at all." Surely, former Viking quarterback Brad Johnson had reason to contemplate that sour perspective a few times during these past few years. After dutifully toting the clipboard for the first four seasons of his... More >>
• BEST ICE-FISHING HOLE
  As in summer, Lake Minnetonka is by the far the best nearby locale to catch pan and/or larger fish. Prime time to hit the ice is between 4:00 and 5:00 in the morning, when the fish bite best and the dark bays loom like vast lunar landscapes. Sorel boots, five layers of wool, and a flask of... More >>
• BEST INDOOR PARK
  Chances are by about Groundhog Day, you (or more to the point, your kids, if you've got 'em) have seen pretty much everything Must-See TV has to offer--twice. If you play one more round of Nintendo, the neural pathways in your brain will come unknit. You've made a single obligatory foray (in... More >>
• BEST MINIATURE GOLF
  The winner by a long putt, Adventure Gardens offers 18 holes of mini-golf on a highly challenging course that's replete with split greens, tricky angles, and water and sand hazards--and for a reasonable cost, too. Adults pay $5 ($2.75 before 6:00 p.m.) for the privilege of teeing off here... More >>
• BEST PLACE FOR A PICNIC
  We're talking picnic here--no wimpy, lunch-hour sandwich affair, no romantic twosome with goat cheese on pumpernickel. We're talking extended family/clique/cluster; blankets, coolers, and ants. Meat, or at least some hefty eggplants, on the grill. Five salads, at least one of which must contain... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO BE AWED
  The warm air over the rocks and the cool breeze from the big lake create perfect aerial elevators; the thermals carry you up, up, until you reach cruising altitude, point your head south, and glide the rest of the way. If you're a bird, that is. If you're not, you may have to content yourself... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO BIRD-WATCH
  A fair number of the beautiful birds painted by John Audubon doubled as handy meals. Some days, the nineteenth-century wildlife artist would down dozens of birds with his gun, and his notebook features lively asides about particularly tasty portrait subjects. This fact seems especially germane... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO CANOE
  It's right in the middle of everything, but most folks don't know it exists. Here's a flawless first-date option for summer: Rent a canoe from the Lake Calhoun beach house. (Rates are roughly five dollars an hour; plan on a couple.) Then saddle up and hightail it straight under the bridges to... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO CATCH AN AMERICAN EEL
  The American eel is a beautiful thing to behold, according to Tom Dickson, author of Fishing for Buffalo, which has been called America's only comprehensive book on angling for rough fish. Dickson, who lives in St. Paul, is one of the few, true experts when it comes to the gar, the carp, and... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO CROSS-COUNTRY SKI (RURAL)
  In the heart of the Chequamegon National Forest hides a four-season recreational region known as the Cable Area of Northwest Wisconsin--home of the world-renowned Birkebeiner Trail. This is the only spot in the U.S. designated as an official world-class tour site for cross-country skiing... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO CROSS-COUNTRY SKI (URBAN)
  While there's nothing particularly surprising about the 26 kilometers of track that wends its way through this historic site, there is a lot to be said for the serenity to be found so near two bustling downtowns and an international airport. A perfect place for novice skiers and fans of... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO GO CAMPING
  Need to get away from the cube, the cash register, or the highway's tether? Want to escape without bringing it all with you in the full-metal experience of the RV? To feel the rustle of prairie grass against your calf and the call of the whippoorwill without having to drive over the border?... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO GO ROCK CLIMBING
  This is where avid rock climbers go between mountain climbs. The granite feels like the rock out West, the cliffs are marbled with good climbing cracks, and it's the only place within quick-drive distance (about 45 minutes from the Cities) where you can engage in traditional climbing with full... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO GO WINTER CAMPING
  Cruise ships setting sail empty. Miami hotels deserted. Southbound planes taxiing around Minneapolis/St. Paul International, waiting for just one paying customer....It could happen, if more people knew how much fun it is to shovel out a camping spot after eight hours on skis; to shake the... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO HIKE (URBAN)
  The St. Anthony Falls Heritage Trail offers something for everyone: scenic views of the Minneapolis skyline, the industrial past's remnants, and the Mississippi River; a smattering of local history; groomed areas and benches to rest in and on; and some unruly flora--everything except the chance... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO HIKE (WOODSY)
  Some 2,500 acres criss-crossed with 45 miles of hiking, biking, and horse-riding trails, the Elm Creek Park Reserve protects happily diverse lands. Near the Eastman Nature Center, you can stroll boardwalks around a pond, stretch out through prairie grasslands, and wander Big Woods--and that's... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO ICE-SKATE
  After midnight. Stars by the hundreds. A hush over the frozen terrain, and ice like glass. The junior-league hockey tots cleared out hours ago, the warming hut closed at nine, and it's just you, your silver blades, and a gaggle of stray skaters looping the lake. All 33 Minneapolis rinks have... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO JOG
  The Lake of the Isles path, with its hills and twists, follows a route that's more of a double-helix than a boring old oval. It's an enchanted place: The lake's native grasses and flowers are left to grow naturally, which is nice on the eye (unless the gnats are out and shielded by all that... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO LOSE YOUR SHIRT
  Casino gambling is a fool's game (aside from blackjack, which is boring). The lottery is for weenies. And we wouldn't buy a pull-tab if you paid for it. For those of us who like our betting with a dose of actual skill, there's the local bookie or there's the ponies. We'll take the ponies--the... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO MULL OVER WHAT'S GONE WRONG WITH YOUR LIFE
  The prime perch for existential wallowing is the park bench located up the hill in Kenwood Park, a couple of hundred yards from the north end of the lake. Offering prime views from on high of the seemingly happy Kenwood hordes below playing tennis and gavotting around the lake, the wooden bench... More >>
• BEST PLACE TO SEE A SANDHILL CRANE
  Carlos Avery is only a 45-minute jump from the Cities, making it the nearest state wildlife area owned by the Department of Natural Resources. The drive is, without a doubt, worth it: Carlos Avery, which has been owned and managed by the state since the 1930s, is a paradise of wetlands and... More >>
• BEST PROOF THAT "WILD" IS A LOUSY NAME FOR A HOCKEY TEAM
  Who didn't cringe when the NHL's newest franchise declared that it would be known simply as the "Wild"? Horrid franchise tags have become a dismaying trend in professional sport of late, as such dubious choices as the Rage, the Raptors, and the Mighty Ducks all attest. But the Wild is, without... More >>
• BEST PUBLIC PARK
  The Cities are stocked with great parks, and the best recreation area is often the one nearest your door. Still, if you're up for a real outing, the marvelous scenery where the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers meet has the rest of them beat by a mile. Fort Snelling offers lots of amenities that... More >>
• BEST SENSORY-SURROUND
  By high summer the gardens are in full bloom and exploding with color--purple and sky-blue asters, orange butterfly flowers, and purple coneflowers. Just a stone's throw from downtown Minneapolis flourishes the nation's oldest public wildflower garden. Established in 1907 by transplanted... More >>
• BEST SHOOTING RANGE
  With reasonable prices (seven dollars for one person with one gun, three dollars for each additional person or gun) and accessible hours (10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sunday) Burnsville Pistol Range is no private enclave. Call it the people's shooting... More >>
• BEST SIGN OF SPRING
  Every year, just when you've become convinced that winter will never end, the fine folks at the Conservatory put on their spring flower show. Park staff says it's the most popular of their seasonal unveilings (they almost always have one going), and with good reason: It's like taking a trip... More >>
• BEST SPORTS TRADE
  In a glorious season stained only by that hideous loss in the NFC Championship Game, the Minnesota Vikings seldom lacked for heroes. The reborn Randall Cunningham and the redeemed Randy Moss made most of the headlines, as the Vikes scorched opposing defenses for a record-setting 556 points. But... More >>
• BEST STATE FAIR RIDE
  I fell into this burning Ring of Fire. It goes down, down, down, then the cars go higher. And it turns, turns, turns--the Ring of Fire. The Ring of Fire. More >>
• BEST TENNIS COURTS
  The faint hum of cars speeding down Hwy. 55 is a welcome reminder that we're not serving into a suburban void. Otherwise, the conditions for tennis here are as blissful as one could imagine this close to the city. Located a half-block south of the highway and just west of Winnetka Avenue, these... More >>
• BEST TIMBERWOLVES PLAYER
  What a difference a year can make. Since 1998, the Wolves have devolved from the most dynamic young team in the NBA to a squad of aging role players who will most likely be nipping at the heels of the pack all season. Ironic that the Wolves set off the salary controversy and subsequent players'... More >>
• BEST TWINS PLAYER
  Why does Twins manager Tom Kelly look like he's about to break into tears every time someone asks him about the team's prospects in 1999? Perhaps he knows that vague descriptions like "talented," "young," and "exciting" really mean that most of the team's lineup should be playing softball in... More >>
• BEST VIKINGS PLAYER
  Rookie Vikings receiver Randy Moss may have stolen the show last season, but Randall Cunningham was the man who put it on in the first place. While Moss's talent seemed to derive from some alien biotechnology, Cunningham made things happen with veteran savvy and a cool head, proving that even... More >>