Tag: outdoors

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Franconia Sculpture Garden

Franconia Sculpture Garden

Entrance sign
Welcome to Franconia!

If you are a fan of art and nature, then I have the perfect place for you! Franconia Sculpture Garden is a fifty-acre outdoor museum located in the Saint Croix River Valley. Their main focus of art revolves around unique sculptures and outdoor exhibitions. Their mission is to help people create and contemplate contemporary art inspired by nature and our evolving world. Franconia offers more than the sculpture garden. They also offer spaces to rent for all types of events.

Gathering space
Franconia Commons

Franconia Commons offers a cafe as well as three rentable locations. Those locations include the Driscoll Education center, the back patio, and upper balcony, and the outdoor garden space.

Rocco Sculpture
“Rocco” -Amy Toscani

This robotic/astronaut-looking sculpture is one of my favorites. It was sculpted by Amy Toscani. In the description of this art piece, she describes it as “Dwarfing the viewer while still being approachable.”

"Parade" -Mike Rathbun
“Parade” -Mike Rathbun

This is Parade, made by Mike Rathbun. While it looks simple, it was not as simple to sculpt due to its massive size! With this picture, in particular, the sun really showed off Parade’s beauty.

The doghouse -Jeffery Kalstrom
“The Doghouse” -Jeffery Kalstrom

Jeffery Kalstrom says that this sculpture was his vision of the perfect tiny house for an artist who is obsessed with dogs. He included the tiny house because he believes that people use too much energy and we should resort back to simpler, less energy wasteful living.

Got the Power: Minnesota -Bayete Ross.
“Got the Power: Minnesota”-Bayete Ross.

This is my all-time favorite sculpture. Two of my biggest passions are music and art. This sculpture merges the two into something beautiful. Art and music go hand in hand.

Lorrain Motel sign -Chris Laron.
“Lorrain Motel sign” -Chris Larson.

This sculpture is a replica of the Lorrain Motel sign that was located in Memphis TN. That motel in Memphis was replaced with the National Civil Rights Museum. “The Lorrain Motel sign continues a conversation of growth” -Chris Larson.

"Skallagram" -Peter Lundberg
“Skallagram” -Peter Lundberg

This massive sculpture is visible throughout the entire grounds. With its height, it is impossible to miss no matter where you are walking!

alternate view of Skallagrim
An up-close look at the massive Skallagrim!

Franconia Sculpture Garden is the perfect mix between nature and art! I found myself at peace as I walked through. I was able to simply stroll through while taking everything in, both visibly and audibly. The fact that the museum is outdoors adds an entirely new aspect. Hearing the birds and the trees and grass blowing in the wind was quite magical. I highly recommend making the trip!

If you would like to learn more about the sculptures and the venue in general, follow the link below!

https://www.franconia.org/current-exhibition/

A note from the Author.
A note from the Author.

I have been to Franconia Sculpture Garden twice now and I plan on visiting many times again. The first time was right when the COVID-19 pandemic started to really hit the world hard. I went with my family and we enjoyed a beautiful night out. My second trip was a solo trip. I was happy to experience the garden on my own. It was peaceful and felt like the definition of tranquility. The fact that I had decided to go mid-day on a weekday afternoon made it feel special as I was one of the only people throughout the entire fifty acres. There is something eerie yet comforting being alone in such a beautiful place.

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Casey Lake Park

Casey Lake Park

 

A sign to know you have arrived.
Casey Lake Park

A simple park can be the best park. Casey Lake Park is a 33-acre  park located in North Saint Paul Minnesota, right off of Mcknight on 17th Ave E. It offers a beautiful walking trail, four baseball fields, 3 separate playgrounds, a great in-door gathering space, an ice hockey rink, a volleyball court, as well as a breathtaking dock view of the lake. (A perfect place to fish.)

Showing the walking path
Take a stroll on the walking path.

Walking the path at Casey Lake Park is refreshing. Each step brings something new. You will see nature, you may see a baseball game or four, people barbequing, kids playing at the playground, the possibilities are endless as there is so much to do at this park!

Showing how the fall weather has enhanced the park.
Casey Lake is beautiful in the fall!

The fall weather really brings out the best in nature, Casey Lake is a perfect example of that, with the change of color on the fallen leaves.

showing the beautiful dock
The dock.

This is one of the popular spots at Casey Lake Park. When you walk out into the center of the dock, you feel as though you are standing on the water. There is beauty in all directions when you stand in the center of this octagon-shaped dock.

the bridge that connects upper and lower Casey.
Cross the bridge.

This bridge allows you access to the older half of Casey Lake Park. Across this bridge are the old wooden playground and two of the baseball fields.

this playground emphasizes the age of the park.
Old wooden Jungle Gym

This was the first playground that was at Casey Lake Park. It looks quite simple now compared to the usual playground in this day and time. It seems more of an obstacle course rather than a playground.

Showing another activity that can be done at the park.
Enjoy a game of volleyball or badminton!

Another great addition to the many things to do at Casey Lake Park!

Casey Lake Park is a wonderful destination. There is so much to do at this park. There is something for everyone from sports fans to nature walkers and everything in between, this park offers everything! If you get the chance to visit, do not hesitate to do so!

If you would like to know more about Casey Lake Park, follow the link below! https://www.northstpaul.org/557/Casey-Lake

A note from the Author.

Growing up only a block away from Casey Lake Park has been a blessing. I spent much of my childhood there, playing baseball and having football practice. My mother also used to run a daycare and living so close gave her the opportunity to get all of those kids outside. Casey Lake Park will always have a very special place in my heart and the memories will live there forever.

For more beautiful Minnesota outdoors, feel free to check out our social media listed below!

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Wildlife Management Areas of Minnesota

Photo

Wildlife Management Area (WMA) are pieces of land that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) maintains. Since the WMA programs inception in 1951, nearly 1,5000 WMAs have been named spanning approximately 1.3 million acres. 

These precious pieces of land are home to a wide variety of wildlife. Instead of the sounds of the city, you can hear different birds. The preservation of certain specifies of native Minnesota birds can be credited to the conservation efforts put forth by the Wildlife Management Area program. Some of the fowl preserved be these efforts are Sandhill cranes, Peregrine falcon, and the Trumpeter swan. 

The WMAs of Minnesota are a welcoming place for hunters, trappers, and nature enthusiasts to go and enjoy. People can enjoy bird watching, canoeing, hiking and more of the things we all love about living in Minnesota. The preservation efforts have allowed for hunting of certain birds to resume, such as the prairie chicken. 

Funding for Wildlife Management Areas comes from a variety of sources. We can help support these conservation efforts by purchasing hunting licenses, critical habitat license plates or giving money directly to them. They also have an “Adopt a WMA” program which is a more hands on commitment. Beyond individuals most of the funding comes from groups created after the Clean Water and Legacy amendment was passed in 2008. 

My favorite thing about living in Minnesota is the sound of the birds singing on a spring morning. I love to sit on a lake and hear a loon say hello. There is a powerful sense of peace and unity when you are outside, now more than ever we should be visiting and supporting our Wildlife Management Areas. We can each do our parts as individuals be it cleaning up the garbage on our walk, purchasing a license, or just sharing the legacy with your children.

Melissa