Known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes (actually more like 11,842), Minnesota is a winter wonderland full of a great variety of activities you can enjoy all the way through their long, cold winter.

We flew to Minneapolis on the always safe and pleasant Southwest Airlines. From there, we rented a car and headed two hours North towards Canada. The rolling hills covered in endless snow and ice punctuated by lakes is a perfect landscape for a variety of winter sports: Cross-country Skiing, Fat Biking (ice-tire bicycles), Ice Climbing, Ice Skating, Inner Tubing, Pond Hockey, Skiing, Skijoring (cross country skiing with a dog team), Sledding, Snowshoeing and much more!

We rented our snowmobiles, checked our map, and headed off into the woods. The state boasts 22,000 miles of groomed snowmobile trails so there is no lack of options for adventure or destinations. Even though the morning temperature of -11° F is difficult to understand, the rental facilities supply the proper gear, clothing and helmets making your experience pleasant and worry free.

Our next experience pushed the limits of what one thinks is possible in the winter. With the frozen lake ice more than a foot thick, we drove our SUV directly onto the ice and one mile to our deluxe fish house. A fish house is a small cabin on the ice that is heated, with a stove and furniture, ours even had a stereo! The fish house sits directly on the ice and has holes in the floor through which you lower your fishing lures into the lake below. Fishing from a comfortable cabin, we caught countless fish while never having to step out to the frigid air outside.

Northern Minnesota proved to be a fun and adventure-filled destination to experience all the winter we never see in Southern California making it a perfect Escapadita.