Family Fun on the Farm

       A great place to take the family--especially kids is the A Maze 'n Farmyard near Eden Valley, MN. There is so much to do and something for all ages. 

       Of course there is a barn filled with animals that you can feed and some that can be held.

                           Some will eat right from your hand.

     There is a cool bird house filled with parakeets. You can buy sticks with bird seed on them. The birds will flock to your sticks!

    

    Outside you will find more animals. Some you can feed, some just to look at. There is also a bridge that spans a huge pond of koi.

     

      Besides all of the farm animals the Farmyard also has some pretty cool slides.

     Pony rides and a corn pit are always a hit with the younger ones too!

    A challenging activity for the bigger ones is the maze. You wind your way through the maze to find the four corners and the middle tower. There is also a little kiddie maze.

              Try your golfing skills on the mini golf course.

     The Farmyard has a playground and picnic area. You can bring in your own food and beverages or purchase them from their air conditioned gift shop building. This building also has a room filled with bounce house inflatables.

     All of this is included in your admission price. For more info check out their website:  www.amazenfarmyard.com or call 320.453.6901

10 Quick Trips from Saint Cloud

    If you've got a little time and want to explore a little outside of Saint Cloud here are some fun close by places to visit.

*Amaze'N Farmyard  Fun farm animals and maze and more. Eden Valley on Hwy. 55  320-453-6901   amazenfarmyard.com

*Charles A. Lindbergh State Park, Charles Lindbergh House and Museum. Little Falls. mnhs.org/lindbergh    Park  320-616-2525    House  320-616-5421

*Clear Waters Outfitting Company   Clearwater. Spend a day on the Mississippi. 320-558-8123     cwoutfitting.com

*Hemker Park & Zoo  Freeport. Zoo with some exotic animals. 320-836-2426  hemkerzoo.com

*Lake Wobegon Regional Trail. Hiking, Biking and Rollerblading. lakewobegontrails.com

*Art and Heritage Place St. Joseph. Museum, gallery and gift shop with handmade gifts by the Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict.    320-363-7100   sbm.osb.org

*Two Rivers Campground and Tubing. 18 miles north of St. Cloud.    320-584-5125      tworiverscampground.net

*St.John's Abbey & University Nature Trail. 12 miles of trail through prairie, forest and wetlands.  Prairie and wetlands boardwalk. 320-363-3163   csbsju.edu/arboretum

*El Rancho Manana Campground and Riding Stable. Near Richmond. Horseback riding, hayrides, camping and mountain bike trails.  call for reservations  320-597-2740  CAMPelrancho.com

*Rum River Barn & Vineyard. Milaca. 612-801-0546        rumriverbarn.com

Happy Halloween

Summertime Fun

    You won't find a better place to spend a hot summer day than the Summerland Fun Park! It's located right outside of St.Cloud on Highway 23.

     You can see the waterslide from the highway. It looks pretty inviting when those temps are climbing and you could be too--climbing up for a quick trip down the slide to cool off.

     There are also two fun mini golf courses. These are great for all ages. Our little four year old granddaughter had a blast hitting the ball.

     The go carts are always a big hit with kids and adults!

     Our grandson plays summer baseball so he is always looking forward to using the batting cages when we come here.

    Summerland also has bumper boats, an inflatable bouncy house, a picnic shelter and a snack bar which is air conditioned and sells many treats including soft serve ice cream. You can also bring in your own cooler (no alcohol) which is so nice! 

     

     They are open 7 days a week unless it is rainy and stormy. You can always call if you are in doubt...320-251-0940

     Groupon also has Summerland deals so check there before you go. It's a great family place to enjoy a hot summer day. Go check it out!

What a Way to Start the Day!

Looking for a great place to have breakfast or lunch? Look no further than Waffle It--a restaurant that specializes in waffles.

With 17 waffle makers they can serve up a crowd in no time. There were 6 of us that came in and we were all eating our waffles in a short amount of time. (Sorry for the bad cell photo.) 

We tried 3 of the Sweet Waffles, one Savory and one off the Kids' Menu. (Someone in our group had a side of bacon. It was the one thing that we felt could be improved on.)

 This is the Strawberries and Cream.

 This is my pecan waffle with a side order of strawberries. Yum!!

Caramel apple.

We each had whipped cream on ours but you can opt out of that.

Here is the chicken waffle. Even the chicken has waffle marks! It comes with gravy on the side.

For the little ones...a smiling waffle plate.

Lots of fun syrups to choose from. Hubby tried them all.

 The littlest one in our group really enjoyed the strawberry syrup--especially when she could squeeze out her own!

Since this is a breakfast restaurant the hours of operation are from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tues. through Sunday. They are located at 2018 Veterans Drive and their phone number is 320-774-3665.

Waffle It also does catering and can help with fundraising events.

Our family all agreed--it's a great way to start the day!! 

Wordless Wednesday

     Smallest cafe I've ever seen...where do you sit to eat?

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

     What's a better way to spend a summer evening than watching the hometown boys play some baseball? St.Cloud's collegiate summer team is named the Rox after the minor league baseball team that played here in St. Cloud many years ago.

     Games are played at the Joe Faber Field in west St.Cloud.  Tickets for Rox home games are available at the St. Cloud Rox Box Office located just outside the gates of Joe Faber Field on game days beginning 90 minutes prior to the scheduled start of that day's game. Tickets can also be purchased by stopping in at the Rox business office located at the west end of the Municipal Athletic Complex, or calling (320) 240-9798 from 9am to 3 hours prior to game time.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.stcloudrox.com 
24 hours a day.

     Tickets may be purchased at the Rox business office (located at the west end of the MAC) on non-game days Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm, by calling (320) 240-9798 or on www.stcloudrox.com

     We chose to purchase our tickets through the Value Connection which has a booth at the Crossroads Mall. These were for General Admission (seats in the Rock pile) which really weren't too bad for the price as you can see from these photos. Be advised that until the sun starts to set it does get in your eyes if you don't wear a hat. There are also no backs on these seats.

    Besides the cheap seats there are more comfortable seats with backs behind home plate. Another option is The Sports Deck. It offers up to 400 fans a festive atmosphere while providing unlimited food, soft drinks, and $1 beers during every Rox home game through the 7th inning. Check the website for cost and more details.
     One more option is The 3rd Base Terrace which is located on top of the third base dugout It offers groups of 35 or more an exclusive seating area and hospitality during a Rox game of your choice.  Your group will get a meal grilled on site, along with unlimited soft drinks and beer through the 7th inning. 

      What makes the Rox games especially fun are the activities between innings. Fans are chosen to participate and have the opportunity to win prizes. These human balls were a hoot to watch! The Rox also have promotions for their games. Fans might get a piggy bank, a Rox poster or a Rox hat to name a few. Friday night fireworks are a hit too.

     Rox baseball is fun for all ages--from the very young to the older folks. Add in a hot dog, peanuts and CrackerJacks (and possibly some beer) and you've got a great way to take in a summer evening! 

     For more info check out the Rox website.