February can be a slog. The holidays are over. You've forgotten the taste of that first snowflake, Christmas is a distant memory, and the roadside slush is black as a bog. The season’s novelty has worn off. Let's face it: you've got at least another month and a half of cold, bitter, snowy, sleety, miserable winter potential ahead of you, and you need a little help getting through it. Fear not! We've got the cure for cabin fever: part pep talk, part primer, here are eleven reasons to put the 'wonderland' back in winter.
No Mosquitoes
Sometimes it's not about what's there—it's about what ain't. February may not be much fun for entomologists and lepidopterists, but everybody else is happy not encountering insects on a daily basis. Strap on a pair of snowshoes and go for a walk in the woods without worrying about sporting a constellation of bug bites.
Pinstripes
Eighteen bowling lanes and indoor bocce ball courts make this delightful Italian bistro and bar the perfect place to blow off some steam when winter's icy hand lies heavy on the land. While away a frigid evening in front of the fireplace on the heated outdoor patio, or start a bowling or bocce ball club with your friends or coworkers. Add two levels of sophisticated bars and live music Friday and Saturday nights, and you have a sure-fire recipe for fun. 3849 Gallagher Dr.; 952.835.6440; pinstripes.com
Hands-on Heaven
Cooped-up kids driving you crazy? Too cold to play outside? Check out the Works, an interactive learning museum that engages the body as well as the mind, making learning about science and engineering a blast for young and old alike. Push, pull, spin, crank and build your way out of the winter doldrums. Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday. $5 admission. Suite 303, 5701 Normandale Rd.; 952.848.4848; theworks.org
Hub Hobby
If you've got cabin fever, Hub Hobby is the prescription. The sprawling Richfield store is a tinkerer's wonderland, with everything from model trains and planes to board games, puzzles, science experiments and art supplies—and with a friendly and knowledgeable staff that can't be beat. Come explore the great indoors! 6410 Penn Ave. S., Richfield; 612.866.9575; hubhobby.com
Southdale Center
Sure, it may be a mall, but it also plays host to concerts, craft lessons, charity walks and more—and when the temperature dips below zero, treading the center's 1.3 million square feet is the most pleasant and comfortable exercise around. Designed by famed architect and planner Victor Gruen, the mall's open corridors and passageways were modeled after the covered pedestrian gallerias of Milan and Naples. Check Southdale's website for upcoming events and information. 6901 France Ave. S.; simon.com
Elmwood House Bed and Breakfast
You don't have to migrate south to enjoy a warm vacation. When the snow lies thick and crisp and even, nothing beats the knowledge that no, you don't have to get out of your toasty, snuggly bed tomorrow—someone will be bringing you breakfast. Built in 1887, just ten years after the city of Minneapolis was founded, this Normandy-style chateau, with its sun-drenched rooms and enormous fireplace, is the perfect place to wait out winter's siege. 1 E. Elmwood Pl., Mpls.; 612.822.4558; elmwoodhouse.us
Ice Skating and Pond Hockey
The city of Edina maintains 13 immaculately-groomed outdoor ice skating rinks, from the romantic, tree-shrouded Centennial Lakes to the cozy rinks at Arden, Cornelia School, Countryside, Creek Valley, Highlands, Lewis, Normandale, Pamela, Strachauer, Todd, Walnut Ridge and Weber parks. Nothing beats a crisp, smooth glide on a chilly day or a quick pickup game of broomball or four-on-four, no-goalie pond hockey. edinaparks.com
Edina Cinema
Bears hibernate during winter. People go to a lot of movies. And sure, you can see 'em anywhere, but it's hard to top the flamboyant art deco beauty of the Edina Cinema. Designed by the firm of Liebenberg & Kaplan, this 1,300-seat gem was the largest theatre in suburban Minneapolis when it opened in 1934. It still shines today, whatever happens to be on the screen. 3911 W. 50th St.; 651.649.4416; landmarktheatres.com
Smug Superiority
What doesn't kill us only makes us stronger—and admit it, there's just something fishy about any place without four solid, respectable seasons. Warm and sunny every day is for lizards, not people. Cold builds character. It's February. It should be cold.
Nature Watching
Wild foxes, deer, non-migratory birds and even the occasional moose call Edina home in February—and amid the still, majestic snowscape, a sudden encounter with a wild animal is a breathtaking experience. Start at the Wood Lake Nature Center, with its miles of hiking and cross-country skiing trails—and check out the Department of Natural Resources' Website for info on winter nature walks. 6710 Lake Shore Dr.; 612.861.9365; woodlakenaturecenter.org, dnr.state.mn.us
Concerts at Edinborough Park
If you're starved for greenery, check out the Edinborough Park Amphitheatre where free concerts and events sparkle under a lush and verdant canopy of leaves. Musicians, magicians, comedians and more entertain twice a week: a kid-oriented performance each Thursday at noon and a show geared toward adults every Sunday evening at 7 p.m. 7700 York Ave. S.; 952.833.9540; edinboroughpark.com
