Minnesota’s Twin Cities Gateway (TCG) communities are a vibrant suburban oasis offering visitors ample green spaces and places of outdoor refuge. Countless parks, the Mississippi and Rum Rivers, and a whole lot of freshwater lakes form the backdrop of this area, making it the ideal spot for outdoor adventure enthusiasts and nature lovers. This itinerary is for couples who like to keep things active, crave fresh air, and like to move together.
Bonus! Everything but drinks at the end of this date are 100% FREE.
Sneak Peak for Those Short on Time
Start the date by escaping to the Wargo Nature Center and hiking the Blue Heron Trail in Lino Lakes. Next, enjoy a round of disc golf at Riverfront Regional Park. Next, spend time cool off lakeside at Crooked Lake Park in Coon Rapids before cooling off with brews and board games at 10K Brewing in Anoka.
Wargo Nature Center
Start the day by celebrating the great outdoors at the Wargo Nature Center, part of the Anoka County Park system. At the nature center, explore several environmental and educational exhibits, including a library resource room. We spent most of our time exploring the impressive book collections – flipping through wildflower field guides, reading about living greener, and learning about camping and wilderness survival. Local wildlife like the Grey Treefrog and Blue Heron are on full display at the center, and you can also see how the local Minnesota landscape has changed over time in an interactive exhibit. If you’ve got questions, feel free to ask the on-site naturalist. After spending time indoors, it’s time to head out to enjoy the Minnesota sunshine and explore the short but scenic hiking trails around Wargo. Our favorite is the Blue Heron trail, which takes you around the entire peninsula and through three different types of landscapes: maple and basswood forest, native prairie, and wetlands. On this easy, 0.5-mile trail, you’ll also pass the observation platform and have a chance to walk out on the dock for vast views of George Watch Lake. This lake is also popular among feathery friends who come to the freshwater cattail wetland to rest, which makes the dock prime for birdwatching. If you’re feeling up to it, you can rent a kayak or canoe and access part of the Rice Creek Water Trail from George Watch Lake. Be sure to reserve a kayak or canoe in advance at the Wargo Nature Center.
Play Disc Golf at Riverfront Regional Park
Some call it FROLF, some Frisbee Golf, but in TCG, it’s called disc golf. Get your disc golf game on at an incredibly scenic and well-maintained course: Riverfront 13 Disc Golf Course in Fridley. This course features 13 different fairways, each with three basket locations (A, B, C), which makes the course combos endless! You’ll also find a bike path that runs along one side of the course, parallel to the Mighty Mississippi. This is one of the best disc golf courses we’ve played in a long time, and it is free to park and play.
Swim at Crooked Lake Park & Beach
Next, get ready to swim, play, and float together out on the water in the land of 10,000 lakes! After hitting the trails, slather on the SPF 30+ and cool down at Crooked Lake Park, which features a lovely, sandy, public beach. This freshwater beach is the perfect temperature on a hot summer day and so clear you can see small fish swimming around. While the beach is swim at your own risk (there are no lifeguards on duty), the swim area is roped off and marked. Also, at the park, you’ll find bathroom facilities to change into your swimsuit and a water pump to clean off those sandy toes before you leave. There are also two fishing piers, two sand volleyball courts, a playground, a shelter, and a tennis court at the park. If you plan your visit right, you could easily spend a whole day here if you’d like!
Cooldown at 10K Brewing
After a full day of summer fun lakeside, unwind with ice-cold beers and board games at 10K Brewing, the first taproom in Anoka. Raise a pint to one another and local, Minnesota-made brews! They also serve craft sodas if that’s more your speed. In the back, you’ll find a stacked board and card game selection, so grab a seat, a game, and stay awhile. You can also enjoy live music most nights at the brewery. In the summer, when the weather is nice, enjoy the musical entertainment of the evening on the open-air patio out front.
Final Thoughts
There are so many ways for you and your special someone to have fun in TCG this summer. But, for the nature-loving, outdoorsy types – this one’s for you!
Be sure to let us know what you think about these date ideas in the comments below.
– Justin + Alyssa
Disclaimer: Parks and Planes LLC has taken great care to ensure accuracy of this post as much as possible. However, over time, things like hours of operations, prices, even names of places may change. As always, all photos, content and opinions are our own. We only recommend places, products and experiences we love!
