States
Hopkins Cops N Kids 2026!
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.
Read MoreSt. Croix Chippewa Graduates 2026!
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.
Read MoreStarting with a Vision – Ending with a Giant Ladybug
Hats off to Josh Montgomery, Shannon Draper, and artist Tara Aiken! Their Hopkins neighborhood pitched in to paint a giant ladybug intersection mural.
Read MoreAmtrak Roomette Hacks
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.
Read MoreGSR Fine Art Festival Mankato 2022
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.
Read MoreThe Saint Croix Chippewa Tribe of Wisconsin: New Recovery Center
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.
Read MoreNational Coffee with A Cop Day, Lindstrom, MN
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.
Read MoreKidney Organ Donors!
Hats off to kidney organ donors! Seventeen people die every day waiting for a kidney — meet a few of the generous donors changing that.
Read MoreThe Hopkins Royal Triathlon
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.
Read MoreWild Rice Powwow in Danbury, Wisconsin
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.
Read MoreBraham Pie Day
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.
Read MoreThe Hopkins Raspberry Festival!
Hats off to the volunteers of the Hopkins Raspberry Festival! Running since 1935, it’s still the highlight of summer on Hopkins’ Mainstreet.
Read MoreBreakfast on the Farm
Hats off to the Wright Carver Breakfast on the Farm crew! Minnesota farmers opened their gates for a morning celebrating agriculture and community.
Read MoreMinnesota Ukrainians Help Their Homeland
Hats off to the Ukrainian Church of Minneapolis! Their perogie-and-kabob fundraiser drew thousands to support Ukraine during wartime.
Read MoreHistoric Hopkins, Minnesota!
Hats off to the Hopkins Historical Society and Mayor Patrick Hanlon! Hopkins’ Mainstreet is now officially on the National Register of Historic Places.
Read MoreAuthor Chris Norbury
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.
Read MoreSears-Kay Ruins
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.
Read More200 Miles on Foote
Hats off to firefighter Doug Foote! He walked 200 miles across Minnesota to raise awareness for firefighter health.
Read MoreHopkins Police Department Delivers Thanksgiving Groceries
Hats off to Chief Brent Johnson and the Hopkins Police Department! Every Thanksgiving, they deliver groceries to families in need across Hopkins.
Read MoreGSR Fine Art Festival in Mankato
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.
Read MoreParty for a Lifetime
Hats off to Sandy Lundquist! Her Party for a Lifetime at the Sundown Saloon in Lewis, Wisconsin raises money for neighbors facing cancer.
Read MoreThe Cynthia Wahlen Memorial Golf Tournament
Hats off to the family and friends of Cynthia Wahlen! Her memorial golf tournament supports victims of domestic violence in her memory.
Read MoreTeam Tucker!
Hats off to the memory of Tucker Helstrom! His VIP Program at PlayLaughLove.org still brings friends to the bedsides of sick kids today.
Read MoreCape Cod
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.
Read More50 Years of the ICA Food Shelf!
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.
Read MoreGranite Mountain Hotshots Memorial Trail
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.
Read MoreThe Terry Bison Ranch Resort
Hats off to the Terry Bison Ranch Resort! A bargain train ride near Cheyenne, Wyoming lets kids feed buffalo right from the car window.
Read MoreThe Saint Croix Band of Chippewa for their Food Giveaway
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.
Read MorePhotographer Dick Kettlewell!
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.
Read MoreMaking the World Less Scary for Kids
Hats off to author Kevin Kunkel! His book, The World We Choose, helps kids make sense of scary news headlines.
Read MoreAn Encounter with a Rattlesnake While Hiking near Phoenix
Hats off to our hiking buddy Steve from Eden Prairie! Our March hike at Pinnacle Peak turned into an up-close rattlesnake encounter.
Read MoreBest Hikes in Phoenix for Active Geezers
Hats off to the park rangers and trail crews of Maricopa County! Here are our favorite winter hikes for active retirees around Phoenix.
Read MoreSedona, Oak Creek Canyon, and Meteor Crater
Hats off to the Coconino National Forest! Follow our road trip through Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon, and out to Meteor Crater.
Read MoreMeteor Crater in Arizona
Hats off to the Barringer family! Meteor Crater near Winslow is bigger, deeper, and more remarkable than any photo can capture.
Read MoreSedona Chimney Rock Trail
Hats off to the Coconino National Forest! Catch the Chimney Rock Trail near sunset, when Sedona’s red rocks glow their brightest.
Read MoreInternational Owl Center in Houston, Minnesota
Hats off to the International Owl Center! Enthusiastic staff and gorgeous owls make this Root River Valley stop worth the drive.
Read MoreMinneopa State Park in Minnesota
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.
Read MoreFishing on the Namekagon River
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.
Read MoreMichael Lanning
Hats off to Michael Lanning! A spinal cord injury didn’t stop him — he builds unique furniture by hand in his home workshop.
Read MoreReach and Restore
Hats off to Reach and Restore! This Hopkins, Minnesota nonprofit gives families in crisis the resources and hope to get back on their feet.
Read MoreThe Twin Cities Marathon Wheelers
Hats off to the wheelchair athletes of the Twin Cities Marathon! Their determination proves there’s no limit to what’s possible.
Read MoreSeptember 11 Tribute at Lake Harriet
A solemn tribute to those we lost on September 11th, filmed at the Lake Harriet Bandshell with military marching and flags of remembrance.
Read MoreApostle Islands National Lakeshore
Hats off to Apostle Islands National Lakeshore! Park Ranger Tam Hofman guided us through the sea caves and lighthouses of Lake Superior.
Read MoreEclipse 2017 in Cameron, Missouri
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.
Read MoreIndiana Dunes National Park!
Hats off to Indiana Dunes National Park! Just an hour from Chicago, this Lake Michigan gem remains a favorite school field trip destination.
Read MoreHappy 4th of July!
Hats off to America on the 4th of July! Enjoy this short video tribute featuring the Bloomington, Minnesota Summer Fete.
Read MorePella, Iowa
Hats off to the historic Vermeer Windmill in Pella, Iowa! This Dutch heritage town has celebrated Tulip Time every spring since 1847.
Read MoreGlen Canyon Dam
Hats off to the Bureau of Reclamation! Glen Canyon Dam is a 710-foot engineering marvel and the gateway to Lake Powell.
Read MoreRiparian Preserve at Water Ranch
Hats off to the Town of Gilbert! The Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch turns treated wastewater into a birding paradise of over 300 species.
Read MoreCasa Grande Ruins
Hats off to Casa Grande Ruins! Built by the Hohokam around 1350 AD, it became the nation’s very first protected archaeological site.
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