Lifestyle

The trail less traveled: Where to find Minnesota parks that are off the beaten path
If you've ever tried to book a campsite in the summer at one of Minnesota's popular parks like Gooseberry Falls or Tettegouche you likely encountered limited availability if anything. Here are a few state parks around Minnesota that tend to have fewer visitors and more availability largey due to their distance from population centers.
Diversifying the outdoors
For communities of color, lack of accessibility and historical trauma can be barriers to enjoying the thrills of nature. MPR News host Kerri Miller explored how to diversify the outdoors.
On the North Shore, many hands work to help a dying forest
Insects, invasives and hotter temps are laying waste to Minnesota’s northeastern forests. People are working now to rebuild the North Woods, making them more resilient to climate change without losing the grandeur Minnesotans know and love.
Rattlesnake squad comes to the rescue — of the snakes
When temperatures soar in southeastern Minnesota, homeowners tend to have more run-ins with the typically shy, and threatened, timber rattlesnake. When that happens, the rattlesnake responders are called in.
'Lager Queen' author was tired of caricatures of Midwestern women
J. Ryan Stradal wasn't seeing the strong, Midwestern women who raised him reflected well in contemporary fiction. So he decided to write those characters himself in “The Lager Queen of Minnesota.”
Broadening the circle of competitive swimming
Against a backdrop of drowning disparities, swimmers of color are embracing the sport while making it more inclusive.
Riverboat performance lets audience navigate a murder mystery
A story set just before the Civil War plays out on the Jonathan Padelford, where actors and audience members plumb the depths of criminal behavior.
Study: Sugar ruins teeth, rules the world
The authors of a new study say dental health is especially bad in low- and middle-income countries — and that Big Sugar works to make sure soda and candy aren't targeted as cavity culprits.
YMCA camp teaches kids to appreciate, protect state's waters
In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, 40 percent of the state's waters are polluted. The YMCA has developed a summer camp designed to prevent kids from taking Minnesota's water resources for granted.