Minnesota Travel Guide

Minnesota is known for its breathtaking scenery with sparkling blue lakes, beautiful prairie land, and magnificent forests dotting the state. It has all kinds of wonderful things for you to see and do while you are here. Let’s get you acclimated.

We will start with the Mississippi River. This River originates from Lake Itasca in and stretches more than 2,500 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. You can walk a stone path across the Mississippi source to ensure a happy and long life, according to legend. The 240km Highway 61 is an All-American Road that offers scenic overlooks, state parks, and waterfalls.

Besides the Mississippi, Minnesota is blessed with over 10,000 lakes which provides some of the best fishing, hunting, and boating found anywhere in the world. Lake Superior forms a spectacular coastline along the northeastern part of the state and the Duluth Harbor is an international port for commercial shipping. It is a welcoming and lively place hopping with a vibrant lakefront scene as well as breweries.

Minnesota’s geography changes dramatically from north to south. The northern end is primarily a forest land and lake country which makes it a year-round destination for outdoor recreation. In the northeastern tip is the Grand Portage and in its southwestern corner is the Pipestone National Monument. These two national monuments preserve the rich fur-trapping and American heritage of the state. Outdoor recreation opportunities include the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the Voyagers National park. Additionally, 2 national forests, 58 state forests and 76 state parks provide biking, hiking, camping, and scenic driving experiences for visitors of all skills and ages.

The major industries include paper and iron ore production. Heading south, the terrain turns into fertile prairie land and Minnesota is a national leader in the production of corn, soybeans, and dairy products. The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul formed the 13th largest market in the country with over two million people living in the seven-county metro area. 16 fortune 500 companies have their headquarters in Minnesota and business is good. The metro area is also a Mecca for the Arts and ranks second to New York City in the number of live theater seats. Minnesota has one of the strongest educational systems in the country.

The people of Minnesota place a high value on their quality of life. With four distinct seasons, abundant recreational opportunities, robust business climate, extensive cultural activities, and a strong educational system it’s no wonder Minnesota has been ranked as the number one most livable state since 1997.

Surviving a Family Vacation Without Losing Your Mind

There is absolutely no doubt that family vacations are always filled with fun memories that stay in people’s heads for the rest of their lives. However, there is one major downside to family vacations that you should be aware of. What we are trying to say here is that there is always a chance that your family vacation might become boring.

While you will probably not be able to please everyone involved in your family vacation, it is very important for you to do some preparation before hitting the road. You also need to be patient and accept the fact that things may not always work out the way you want. But you still need to spend some quality time with your family. After all, it’s a family vacation that you are going on!

Prepare a Lot of Snacks
Make sure to prepare a lot of snacks and goodies. When people are restless, it is mostly because they are hungry. This is the case with both children and adults. That being said, what you need to do is prepare something that you will be able to sink your teeth in once you hit the road. This is especially important if you are going on a longer road trip. Make sure to bring healthy snacks such as fruit slices, granola bars, and carrots. You should pack a lot of water as well.

Get Some Extra Rest Before Hitting the Road
Make sure to get some extra rest right before you hit the road. Some extra rest could be just what you need if your vacation is going to involve a lot of family games and activities. With this in mind, don’t plan any major activities right before your vacation. Instead, you should get some extra sleep. And if you do end up doing something, make sure that it is nothing too intense.

Plan a Family Vacation For All Ages
Think about the interests and physical abilities of every single one of your family members that is going to be involved in your family vacation. Disagreements may occur, and you need to accept that. Make sure to treat everyone with respect.

5 Things to do in Georgia

Georgia is not really a popular tourist destination and the state in the USA with the same name is much more popular than the country. Little did people know that Georgia is a fascinating place to be from their beautiful countryside to their cute little street alleys, they have this small but unique features that will surely make you fall in love with the country just like the owners of Performance Chiropractic did. Here are 5 things to-do when you visit Georgia.

Gergeti Trinity Church
The most iconic structure of Georgia is this beautiful stone church on a hill just adjacent to the towering Mount Kazbegi. You have two options in going up to the church, either you wake up early and do an early morning steep climb that may take you at least 3 hours, or you may ride one of the tour buses or local jeeps if you’re not too keen on hiking. The peace and serenity you’ll feel the moment you’ll see this old church on a breathtaking background is something to look forward to.

Try Eating Khachapuri
Khachapuri is Georgia’s national dish and for a reason, there are many types but the most recommended is the Acharuli, where the cheese bread is shaped like a boat topped with more cheese, butter and raw egg before serving. This is a symbolization of the boats on the Black Sea and the raw egg on top is the setting sun.

Old Town Tbilisi
Old Town Tbilisi is a charming little place that would capture your heart; it was, also, dubbed as the Paris of Eurasia. This old town has a lot of cute small alleys and streets draped with colorful window frame, whimsical staircases and balconies that are all picture-worthy. There is also a puppet theatre here and is a unique and fun experience so if you want to watch a puppet performance, try booking a day early because they get sold out fast.

Alit and Nino Statue
Most people love love stories and hearing an ancient tale of star-crossed lovers will surely peak up your interest, and what more if you know there are two modern statues made just for them. Ali from Georgia and Nino from Azerbaijan suffered almost the same fate as Romeo and Juliet. The two statues are made from metal plates and are moving each on their own axis and for a short instance they meet in the center for a quick embrace before moving away again. The lights at night exaggerates this beautifully created statues.

Drink Geogian Wine
Georgian wine have a good reputation of producing top class wines and a weekend getaway in Sighnaghi would give you an overview on where this great wines are coming from. Old Georgian vino are made in underground giant clay pots and are aplenty in the small fanciful streets of Sighnaghi. This beautiful little town has many vineyards, wine cellars, bakeries, wooden balconies and good food and wine everywhere, and like cherry on top, it sits in a scenic area with a stunning view of the Alazani valley.

Wine Tasting in Northern California

California is known for their wine regions such as Napa or Sonoma. One oft overlooked and wonderful area is further north in El Dorado County. With stunning views and over 40 fantastic wineries, El Dorado County should be on every wine lover’s list. The steep hills, warm summer days, and cool nights give the wines a fruity and balanced depth that is incomparable to the valley wines. Also, being less well-known, the area is not as crowded and expensive as other wine regions.

Despite the reduced traffic my friend and I decided to visit this region for our wine tasting adventure on a Wednesday (or Wines-day) to get the full VIP treatment. Lucky for us most of the wineries are open during the week and we had no problem getting served immediately. We started our adventure in the north part of the county, Apple Hill, at the most well-known winery in town, Boeger. After driving through the gate and marveling at the gorgeous vineyard sprawling to your left you are greeted at the bottom of the hill with a barn-type building and stunning gardens. The tasting room is tastefully done and welcoming. The staff is knowledgeable and proud of their wine, with good reason. The wine is sold and shipped all over the country. We tasted the Sauvignon Blanc, Rose, Barbera, and several others. This region is acclaimed for their Baraberas and Boeger has been recognized many times. We have since gone back for their live music Fridays in the summer.

Northern California

From here we continued north to Lava Cap. The tasting room here is small and intimate and the staff makes you feel like family the moment you enter. If you’re worried the wines have received no recognition, look no further than the walls behind the tasting counter. You’ll be blown away by the amount of ribbons and medals they’ve received. We received a generous pouring and pairings of local cheeses and chocolates. We were so taken with the Rose, we decided to buy a glass to sit and enjoy the view. Like Boeger, they host live music and many other events on their dazzling patio.

Next we stopped at High Hill Ranch for some lunch. As you have likely guessed, Apple Hill is known for their apple farms and High Hill is one of the best. Luckily we were here on a weekday, had we come on a weekend in autumn we could have been waiting for a parking space all day. We were able to enjoy our BBQ and apple ciders in peace before setting off to our final destination.

Our final stop was Crystal Basin. This unexpected treasure is somewhat hidden near a large gas station right off the freeway, but a must-see winery if you are in the area. The wines are fantastic and there are more varieties than you would ever expect to taste at one winery. The tasting room is small but opens into a second larger room for busier times. While we enjoyed our tasting we were able to walk around browsing the hilarious signs and knick-knacks. This is also one of the few places in the area where we found a sparkling wine and it was fantastic.

Three Winter-Travel Tips That You Need To Know

travel

When it comes to traveling during winter, it is all about navigating the storm and knowing what options are available to you. It is also about arriving at your destination in one piece, no matter how much rain, snow, or ice you encounter along the way. This is especially true when it comes to traveling by an airplane. Flight delays due to bad weather can turn any trip into a nightmare, and you don’t want that to happen. And even if you agree to change planes, finding an available seat in another airplane can be quite hard sometimes, because airplanes are usually filled with people.

That being said, it almost seems like traveling during winter comes with its own set of rules. Roads can be very icy, which is why it is very important to pay some extra attention when hitting the road. Make sure to stay on main roads and highways as much as you possibly can, and avoid driving over hills wherever and whenever you can. With that said, here are three more winter-travel tips that you need to know. Keep in mind that these tips might save your life one day!

Avoid Driving Alone

This one pretty much speaks for itself. If possible, avoid driving alone. With this in mind, if you are traveling with your family or friends, don’t be afraid to ask them to take your seat every now and then. That way you can get some rest, which is very important when you are driving on icy roads.

Keep Your Phone Battery Charged

It is very important to always keep your phone battery charged. After all, you don’t want to run out of fuel in the middle of nowhere without having something to contact your family or friends with, do you? Your phone can come in handy in many other situations as well. For example, if you need to call an ambulance, you can use your phone to do just that.

What To Do When You Are Stranded

If you ever happen to be stranded in the middle of nowhere, make sure to run your engine for about 10 minutes every hour. This will help your car stay warm. While the engine is up and running, slightly open the window. Also, if there is a lot of snow on your car’s exhaust pipe, make sure to remove it.