1. Be with Friends and Family
This should go without saying, and hopefully it involves a barbecue. Leave your electronics in the car or house, and just be in the moment with people you care about.
2. Go Camping or Hiking
Hyland Park, Lebanon Hills, and Afton Alps are great for camping, hiking, and getting in touch with nature. Get back into the elements and explore the outdoors with your friends or family. Eat s’mores. Discover weird bugs.
3. Take your kids fishing
Yeah, they have short attention spans, but they do love worms and getting wet. You don’t even have to take them on a boat, just stay on the dock so they can go play if nothing’s biting. They’ll appreciate it when they’re older.
4. Check out the Blue Angels in Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Get revved up for something different and exciting, and watch the Blue Angels at the Chippewa Valley Air Show on July 4th and 5th. It’s not something you get to see just anywhere.
5. Go for a motorcycle or bike ride
The weather is supposed to be perfect for the Holiday. We literally could not ask for better, so get on the hog and cruise some back roads, breathe that fresh summer air and take in the scenery.
6. Get on the lake for water-skiing or tubing
Find a pal with a speedboat and get really whipped around on the water. It’s good exercise, so you’ll be exhausted by evening and you’ll get plenty of sunshine.
7. Go to Lake Calhoun and rent a canoe
Not everybody has a boat, but there are still plenty of ways to be on the water in the city. Lake Calhoun has a great location, parking, and plenty of space, and there’s a lot of other fun things to do there.
8. Red, White, and Boom!
Minneapolis holds an annual celebration along the downtown river front with music, movies, and family events. Red, White, and Boom! is totally free to the public, unless you want to register for the Half Marathon or a 5k.
9. Go to the Sea Salt Eatery at Minnehaha Falls
We may not be near the ocean, but we can pretend. Stop here for some fresh seafood and afternoon drinks, and check out the Falls.
10. Go strawberry picking at Afton Alps
Strawberries are so delicious, they should really charge by weighing me before and after I go picking. Then calculate the difference. It’s hard not to eat so many, and it’s a peaceful outdoor experience.
11. Check out some fireworks
Okay, so there’s 11, but this one is kind of “duh.” Everyone will be hitting up fireworks shows across the States to remember why we celebrate the Fourth. You can watch them from building rooftops, the Stone Arch Bridge, Lake Calhoun, and pretty much anywhere in the Twin Cities. It’s only going to be the Summer of 2015 once, so make the best of it.
