7 Things Minnesotans Should Do Before Winter

I know, I know. Fall has just arrived, and nobody wants to hear that snow will be flying in just a couple of months.

While we are just starting to enjoy the beautiful fall colors, football games, crisp mornings, and those perfect afternoons when you don't need the air conditioning or the heat turned on, there are a few things every Minnesotan should do, and believe it or not, you ARE running out of time, so let's get to it.

1. Take One More Fall Drive

Before all those colorful leaves disappear, take a drive just to enjoy them. I was driving back from Danbury, Wisconsin, Sunday afternoon, and wow...what a beautiful drive it was. If you travel Hwy 95 or Hwy 23 right now, the colors are absolutely perfect, but perfect will only last a few days before it's all over.

You don't need to plan an elaborate road trip. Just get in your car with your bestie, grab your camera, pick a road you've never taken before, and see where it goes.

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2. Have One More Bonfire

There is something about sitting around a fire in the fall that just feels like Minnesota.

Grab some friends, make some s'mores, bring out the lawn chairs, and stay outside until you start getting cold. Then grab a blanket and stay a little while longer. There really is something magical about a fall bonfire.

Pretty soon, sitting around a fire will require snow boots, three blankets, and a winter coat, so take advantage of those cool fall evenings while you can.

3. Visit a Minnesota Apple Orchard

If you haven't made it to an apple orchard yet, this is your reminder. I'm spoiled with apples every fall as my Dad has some wonderful apple trees. I've been making delicious apple crisps and cakes for a good month now. If you don't have that opportunity, it is time to grab a bag of apples, get some cider, find a caramel apple, and enjoy an afternoon that feels like fall.

It's also a great excuse to get the family together. If I say 'Caramel Apples', I think my boys will be all in. No one really needs an excuse to enjoy a delicious caramel apple.

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4. Get Outside One More Time

Minnesota winters can keep us inside for months, so take advantage of the weather while you still can. I don't hate winter, but there are some things I dread, and being stuck inside is one of those things.

Go for a hike. Walk around a lake. Take the dog somewhere new. Go fishing. Ride your bike. Take the kids to a park. Just DO it, before you're sitting there saying to yourself, "Why didn't I do that?!

5. Eat Something Outside

I know it sounds simple, but you'll miss it when it's gone.

Right now is still a great time to find a restaurant with an outdoor patio, grab a cup of coffee and sit outside, or have one last backyard meal with your family.

6. Get Your House Ready for Winter

Okay, this one isn't nearly as fun, but you'll thank yourself later.

Check your furnace and replace the furnace filter. Put away the garden hose. Bring in outdoor furniture that shouldn't spend the winter outside. Make sure your snowblower is ready to go. Find the snow shovel. Check your winter boots and gloves, and if you have kids, make sure they still have winter clothes that fit.

There's nothing quite like the first big snowfall to discover that your child's boots from last winter suddenly look like toddler shoes. Getting these things done now means you won't be scrambling when the first real blast of winter arrives.

7. Do One Thing You've Been Putting Off All Summer

This might be the most important one.

What did you keep saying you'd do this summer?

Maybe you wanted to visit a town you've never been to. Maybe you wanted to go fishing. Maybe you wanted to take the kids somewhere. Maybe you wanted to have friends over for dinner.

Whatever it is, do it. Minnesota gives us some pretty spectacular fall days, but they don't last forever. Soon enough, we'll be complaining about the cold, scraping ice off our windshields and wondering why we live here.