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With Spring comes the chance to explore the city to your heart’s content! From parks to lakes and even to the many architectural marvels around town, you’re sure to find something to fit your fancy. Plan your own Spring walk-about and get out and enjoy the sunshine and the city!

Crosby Park

This beautiful river side nature reserve is filled with over 6 miles of paved (and not paved) walking and biking paths. Take a leisurely meander through the extensive and winding trails, and perhaps even find a sunny patch of grass to relax on with a good book. Or stroll the expansive stretch of beach along the mighty Mississip, stopping along the way to search for cool rocks and shells. Keep an eye out for old pottery shards and smooth, colored beach glass while you’re at it! Find your way to the marsh on the west side of the park, and explore the board walk and the bluffs with a pal and bring a picnic to share! If you’re feeling adventurous, seek out the dirt trails along the river; if you go far enough you’ll even discover some awesome sand caves! A great place to bike or walk, Crosby is a fantastic Spring and Summer destination.

Crosby Park, 2595 Crosby Farm Rd., St. Paul, 651-632-5111

Hidden Falls Park

Can you find the falls? We think you can. Head to Hidden Falls Regional Park this Spring and explore the expansive, woodsy trappings of this picturesque landscape. Tromp through the woods and discover the small spring-fed waterfall that gave the park its name and perhaps pause at a scenic spot to relax. Hidden Falls Park is also a happening hot spot for boating, fishing and picnicking, with a large plaza with built in tables and grills as well as a number of spread out picnic areas throughout the park. The park dates back to 1887, when it was selected by Horace Cleveland, a nationally known landscape architect and park planner, as one of four major park sites for the City of Saint Paul. There’s not much better than lazing about in the sun on a warm Spring afternoon at Hidden Falls, if you ask us!

Hidden Falls Regional Park, 1415 Mississippi Blvd. S., St. Paul. 651-632-5111

Summit Avenue Walking Tours

While these tours don’t officially kick off until May 1st, we suggest you mark your calendar. Sure, you could do an independent stroll down St. Paul’s most famed Avenue, but trust us, having a guide that knows all the deep, dark secrets of the area is simply fascinating! Hear interesting details about the people who built and owned the Gilded-Age mansions that line Summit Avenue, as well as the neighborhood’s social history and current preservation issues. The 90 minute tours happen every Saturday (11am and 2pm) and Sunday (2pm), May through September, and kick off at the James J. Hill House. The tours are $10 adults, $8 seniors and students, and $6 for children. For reservations call 651-297-2555.

For more info visit the Minnesota Historical Society’s website HERE.

Saint Paul is home to some of the most grandiose lighting displays in the state! Our fair city’s historical roots and decadent architecture offer the perfect backdrop for twinkling, colorful lights and festive displays of holiday cheer. Take an evening off from your frenzied preparations to immerse yourself in the seasonal visual delights of Saint Paul.

Summit Avenue

A wonderful driving or walking tour to do at any given time of the year, lights or no lights, Summit Avenue is the city’s most beautiful street. Lined with historic manses of many different shapes, sizes and styles, this old-timey Ave hits the mark on outdoor holiday decor like none other. Start your tour on Snelling and Summit and slowly wind your way towards Downtown St. Paul. Once you pass Lexington Avenue, the most iconic Victorian-era homes begin to appear (including the Governor’s Mansion, 1006 Summit, just off Dale) and it is here that the holiday spirit of the wealthy rears its competitive head — much to the visual delight of us common-folk. Towering pines strung with thousands of sparkling lights, glowing displays and over-the-top props dominate the grounds of many of Summit Avenue’s most note-worthy residences. Many of which, I assume cost more to power every season than I made in 2009. Tip: I certainly don’t condone walking too far in this weather without a full-on snow suit, so do the drive and perhaps pull over once you get in the thick of it for a brisk walk-about.

For more info on Summit Avenue click HERE.

Rice Park

What’s more iconic than the twinkly lights in our capital city’s own Rice Park? A glowing centerpiece to Downtown Saint Paul’s historic streets, the Rice Park display features a gigantic tree lit with thousands of energy-efficient LED lights alongside holiday decor and dozens of other glittering trees in the park – fittingly powered by Xcel Energy, of course. To make matters more dazzling, the lights are set to go into a sparkle-frenzy for five minutes each hour. Surrounded by some of the most beautiful structures in the Downtown area such as the Saint Paul Hotel and Landmark Center, this “town square” is the epitome of winter wonderland. And with the annual Wells Fargo Winterskate just adjacent, you can don your cutest/warmest holiday-wear for a romantic spin or three around the rink, complete with the glitzy park as your backdrop. Skate rental is a mere $2 per person, free if you show your Wells Fargo check or credit card.

For more info on Rice Park and Winterskate click HERE

Linder’s Garden Center

Now this is marketing at its prettiest. Family owned St. Paul staple, Linder’s Garden Center once again goes nuts with their lighting display, which is practically on the verge of being visible from outerspace. Over 150,000 lights make up this stunning display, which is run by a custom-designed computer program that controls the movement and sparkle-value of the extravaganza. And while your there being mesmerized by the fantasy of it all, you may as well pop in and buy a poinsettia or two to jazz up your own holiday display — which is guaranteed to be no where near as cool as this one.

For more info on Linder’s lighting display click HERE

Lake Phalen

In the Summer months, Lake Phalen plays host to the bikini-clad babes and muscle bound crotch-rocket riders that routinely cruise its perimeter, and on the flip side, the holiday season finds the lake ringed in glittering lights and impressively dazzling displays. A drive-through experience that costs $10 per car on Friday-Saturday and $8 Thursday-Sunday, this visual marvel donates all its proceeds to a number of charities focused on fundamental community needs such as food, shelter, education, and the environment. You’ll leisurely coast around the lake oohing and aahing over the over-the-top installations, which may be just the right recipe for a cute date night or a family outing. The best part? You needn’t leave the cozy confines of your car.

For more info on the Phalen lights click HERE

I’m a tried and true Saint Paul girl. I grew up in Highland Park, went to High School at St. Paul Central, and have worked and played in pretty much every nook and cranny of our fine capitol city. My career as an arts writer, photographer, curator, and general arts instigator has led me through the Twin Cities and beyond. However, the streets of St. Paul are the streets that I will always consider home.

From the bustling shopping mecca that is Grand Avenue to the festive and colorful borough of Saint Paul’s West Side, and from the classic, tree-lined scenery of Summit Avenue to the beautiful architecture of Downtown — Saint Paul is truly a place to live a charmed life. We revel in our gorgeous parks and the rampant bits of lovingly maintained green space that pepper the city from end to end. We are constantly encouraged to learn about and appreciate our rich history, as a city, and as people, with unparalleled cultural and educational resources. Our arts community thrives and flourishes, feeding off its own creative energy and inspiring new artists to join its ranks each day.

Last weekend I fell in love with St. Paul all over again. My evening began at the Fitzgerald Theater, with a dazzling performance by the Classical Ballet Academy and Ballet Minnesota, as part of the Minnesota Dance Festival. Dozens of darling children graced the stage with rousing theatrics and whimsical choreography, followed by a progressive lineup of pre-teens to young adults whose talents seemed to almost trump themselves with each act. Ballet Minnesota finished the night with a mesmerizing performance of La Bayadere, a production filled with glittering ballerinas and brilliant movement. The intimate theater set the backdrop perfectly; it’s no surprise that Ballet Minnesota has pegged the Fitz as its new home.

My night continued at Lowertown’s AZ Gallery, where the College of Visual Arts was holding its annual thesis show, which runs through May 31st. The impressive work by this slew of young emerging artists was inventive and eclectic. I ended up buying a piece of work from 2003 CVA grad D.C. Ice, an AZ Gallery resident artist. Next on the itinerary was a bottle of red wine and some experimental music at the cozy Black Dog Cafe, followed by a late-night burger at Mickey’s Diner.

My experience in Saint Paul last Friday was a lovely and memorable. The kind of night I know can be re-created 1000 different ways this summer — for you, and for me. I want you to use STAYcation as your personal concierge, a resource to inspire you to live that “charmed life” that I previously mentioned. Please come back often, I’m so excited to tell you all the city’s secrets!