Hats Off, America!
America's Good Stories
Hats off to the Hopkins Police Department! Twenty-three Hopkins kids spent a June day fishing on Lake Minnetonka with their officers — then rain sent everyone bowling instead.
Hats off to the graduates of the St. Croix Chippewa Tribe! Family, tribal leaders, and community gathered at Zhashagiins to honor this year’s academic achievements.
Hats off to Josh Montgomery, Shannon Draper, and artist Tara Aiken! Their Hopkins neighborhood pitched in to paint a giant ladybug intersection mural.
Hats off to Amtrak and the romance of rail travel! We rode the Empire Builder from St. Paul to Seattle in a roomette and picked up plenty of hacks along the way.
Hats off to Tom Bliese and the GSR Fine Art Festival! Dozens of artists, authors, and musicians showcased their finest work in Mankato this fall.
Hats off to the Saint Croix Band of Chippewa’s tribal council! An 800-acre property purchase paves the way for a future substance abuse recovery center.
Hats off to Lakes Area PD and Northwoods Roasterie! We joined officers and neighbors for coffee and conversation on National Coffee with a Cop Day.
Hats off to kidney organ donors! Seventeen people die every day waiting for a kidney — meet a few of the generous donors changing that.
Hats off to Doobie and Jerry MacNeil! The Hopkins Royal Triathlon at Shady Oak Lake is built from the ground up to be accessible to every athlete.
Hats off to the Saint Croix Band of Chippewa! Singing, dancing, and a 101-year-old honored elder made the 48th Wild Rice Powwow one to remember.
Hats off to Tracy Fix and the Braham Pie Day Committee! Minnesota’s Homemade Pie Capital serves up over 1,100 pies at this small-town summer tradition.
Hats off to the volunteers of the Hopkins Raspberry Festival! Running since 1935, it’s still the highlight of summer on Hopkins’ Mainstreet.
Hats off to the Wright Carver Breakfast on the Farm crew! Minnesota farmers opened their gates for a morning celebrating agriculture and community.
Hats off to the Ukrainian Church of Minneapolis! Their perogie-and-kabob fundraiser drew thousands to support Ukraine during wartime.
Hats off to the Hopkins Historical Society and Mayor Patrick Hanlon! Hopkins’ Mainstreet is now officially on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hats off to author Chris Norbury! We caught up with him at the GSR Fine Art Festival to talk about his latest mystery-thriller, Dangerous Straits.
Hats off to the Tonto National Forest! See the ancient Sears-Kay Indian ruins near Phoenix, plus before-and-after photos of its recovery from a 2020 fire.
Hats off to firefighter Doug Foote! He walked 200 miles across Minnesota to raise awareness for firefighter health.
Hats off to Chief Brent Johnson and the Hopkins Police Department! Every Thanksgiving, they deliver groceries to families in need across Hopkins.
Hats off to Tom Bliese and the GSR Fine Art Festival! This juried show brings the finest artists, musicians, and authors to southern Minnesota every fall.
Hats off to Sandy Lundquist! Her Party for a Lifetime at the Sundown Saloon in Lewis, Wisconsin raises money for neighbors facing cancer.
Hats off to the family and friends of Cynthia Wahlen! Her memorial golf tournament supports victims of domestic violence in her memory.
Hats off to the memory of Tucker Helstrom! His VIP Program at PlayLaughLove.org still brings friends to the bedsides of sick kids today.
Hats off to Cape Cod and the Islands! Join us on a summer road trip from Woods Hole’s ferries out to Martha’s Vineyard and up to Provincetown.
Hats off to Dan Narr and the ICA Food Shelf! Fifty years of feeding the Hopkins and Minnetonka community, one grocery box at a time.
Hats off to the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots! Hike the Prescott, Arizona memorial trail built to honor their sacrifice in the 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire.
Hats off to the Terry Bison Ranch Resort! A bargain train ride near Cheyenne, Wyoming lets kids feed buffalo right from the car window.
Hats off to Jennifer Bearheart! Her weekly food giveaway for the Saint Croix Band of Chippewa fed hundreds of cars’ worth of families during the pandemic.
Hats off to photographer Dick Kettlewell! His wildlife photography of the Black Hills is on display (and for sale) at a Custer, South Dakota cafe.
Hats off to author Kevin Kunkel! His book, The World We Choose, helps kids make sense of scary news headlines.
Hats off to our hiking buddy Steve from Eden Prairie! Our March hike at Pinnacle Peak turned into an up-close rattlesnake encounter.
Hats off to the park rangers and trail crews of Maricopa County! Here are our favorite winter hikes for active retirees around Phoenix.
Hats off to the Coconino National Forest! Follow our road trip through Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon, and out to Meteor Crater.
Hats off to the Barringer family! Meteor Crater near Winslow is bigger, deeper, and more remarkable than any photo can capture.
Hats off to the Coconino National Forest! Catch the Chimney Rock Trail near sunset, when Sedona’s red rocks glow their brightest.
Hats off to the International Owl Center! Enthusiastic staff and gorgeous owls make this Root River Valley stop worth the drive.
Hats off to the Minnesota DNR! Minneopa State Park’s purebred bison herd and scenic waterfall make it an easy day trip from the Twin Cities.
Hats off to the Namekagon River, a National Wild and Scenic River! Join Bob Metoxen for a day of fishing its historic sturgeon waters in Northern Wisconsin.
Hats off to Michael Lanning! A spinal cord injury didn’t stop him — he builds unique furniture by hand in his home workshop.
Hats off to Reach and Restore! This Hopkins, Minnesota nonprofit gives families in crisis the resources and hope to get back on their feet.
Hats off to the wheelchair athletes of the Twin Cities Marathon! Their determination proves there’s no limit to what’s possible.
A solemn tribute to those we lost on September 11th, filmed at the Lake Harriet Bandshell with military marching and flags of remembrance.
Hats off to Apostle Islands National Lakeshore! Park Ranger Tam Hofman guided us through the sea caves and lighthouses of Lake Superior.
Hats off to Frank Eisenbraun and the town of Cameron, Missouri! They welcomed eclipse watchers from around the country for the 2017 total solar eclipse.
Hats off to Indiana Dunes National Park! Just an hour from Chicago, this Lake Michigan gem remains a favorite school field trip destination.
Hats off to America on the 4th of July! Enjoy this short video tribute featuring the Bloomington, Minnesota Summer Fete.
A tribute to the veterans laid to rest at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, filmed during the 2017 Memorial Day service honoring their sacrifice.
A photo gallery of our favorite animal encounters — wildlife, birds, and creatures great and small, captured on the road across America.
Hats off to the historic Vermeer Windmill in Pella, Iowa! This Dutch heritage town has celebrated Tulip Time every spring since 1847.
Hats off to the Bureau of Reclamation! Glen Canyon Dam is a 710-foot engineering marvel and the gateway to Lake Powell.
Hats off to the Town of Gilbert! The Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch turns treated wastewater into a birding paradise of over 300 species.
Hats off to Casa Grande Ruins! Built by the Hohokam around 1350 AD, it became the nation’s very first protected archaeological site.
Hats off to the Wisconsin DOT! Rest Area 54 on westbound I-94 hides a scenic boardwalk trail up Belle Mound worth the detour.
Hats off to Sedona, Arizona! Dramatic red rock buttes, hiking trails, and art galleries make it an easy day trip up I-17 from Phoenix.
Hats off to Pipestone National Monument! Native nations have carved ceremonial pipes from this sacred Minnesota quarry’s catlinite for 3,000 years.
Hats off to Minnesota’s wetland conservation efforts! American white pelicans, absent for 90 years, now thrive again in Hutchinson and Marshall.
Hats off to Badlands National Park! Dramatic eroded formations, roaming bison, and a Dark Sky Park make this a must-see South Dakota stop.
Hats off to Custer State Park! Home to one of the world’s largest publicly owned bison herds and the annual Buffalo Roundup since 1965.
Hats off to the Bridges of Madison County! Six historic covered bridges near Winterset, Iowa, made famous by the beloved novel and film.
Hats off to Joshua Tree National Park! Drive south to north to watch Colorado Desert cacti give way to Mojave Joshua trees and iconic rock piles.
Hats off to the elephant seals of San Simeon! Every winter, massive seals haul out along California’s Highway 1 to breed and raise their pups.
Hats off to the Salt River Project! Herons, egrets, and more urban wildlife line the Salt River walkway near Tempe Marketplace.
Hats off to California Highway 1! Hairpin turns, towering cliffs, and endless Pacific views make it one of the world’s great coastal drives.
Hats off to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve! At 180 miles of trails, it’s the largest city park in the U.S. — the Gateway Loop is a Scottsdale favorite.
Hats off to Papago Park! Hike the buttes on the west side, then visit Hole in the Rock, Hunt’s Tomb, and the zoo fence line to the east.
Hats off to the Waterfall Trail at White Tank Mountains! An easy, stroller-friendly path west of Phoenix passes ancient petroglyphs along the way.
Hats off to Lost Dutchman State Park! Choose the easy Treasure Loop, the strenuous hike to the Basin, or watch BASE jumpers atop the Flatiron.
Hats off to Phoenix and Tempe Parks! Watch the sunset frame perfectly through Hole in the Rock at Papago Park, then explore Hunt’s Tomb nearby.
Hats off to Larimer County Parks! Horsetooth Reservoir near Fort Collins offers mountain vistas, sandy beaches, and its namesake rock legend.