Chanhassen, MN
City of Chanhassen Trail System - The Conference Hotel is located on trails/sidewalks that access Chanhassen's 90 miles of trails for jogging, walking, biking and rollerblading.
Wayzata, MN
Noerenberg Gardens - 2865 Northshore Drive, Wayzata, MN 55391. (13 miles, 25 minutes from conference hotel) Noerenberg Memorial Gardens is known for its tranquility and spectacular beauty. Situated along the shore of Crystal Bay on Lake Minnetonka, Noerenberg is widely regarded as one of the finest formal gardens in Minnesota. Among its blend of perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs, and vines the garden features ornamental shade trees and a stand of conifers, an extensive daylily collection, and "Northern Lights" azaleas.
Noerenberg Gardens Lake Minnetonka Overlook
Apple Valley, MN
Minnesota Zoo - 13000 Zoo Blvd. Apple Valley, MN 55124 (13 miles/16 minutes from airport, 24 miles/40 minutes from conference hotel) is located in Apple Valley, MN. More than 5,300 animals on 485 acres.
Minneapolis, MN
Lyndale Park 4124 Roseway Road, Minneapolis, MN 55409 (11 miles/24 minutes from airport, 16 miles/26 minutes from conference hotel) Lyndale Park located in Minneapolis, MN is a 61 acre park on the north side of Lake Harriet containing 4 gardens: Peace Garden (a rock garden), Rose Garden, Perennial Garden, and Perennial Trial Gardens. Adjacent to the Peace Garden is the Thomas Sadler Roberts Bird Sanctuary.
Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary 1 Theodore Wirth Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55422. (19 miles/28 minutes from airport, 19 miles/24 minutes from conference hotel) Enjoy spectacular seasonal displays of native wildflowers in woodland, wetland and prairie areas. Each area creates a different habitat that fosters different types of plants, animals and birds. 500 plant species and 130 bird species can be found. Also located in Theodore Wirth Park is the Quaking Bog Area featuring a boardwalk through the bog, ideal for frog watching and dragonfly/damselfly watching.
Minnehaha Park - 4801 S Minnehaha Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55417 (5 miles/14 minutes from airport, 20 miles/26 minutes from conference hotel) Minnehaha Park is a 170 acre park located where Minnehaha Creek joins the Mississippi River. Within the park, you can view the beautiful 53 foot tall Minnehaha Falls given fame in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Song of Hiawatha." Be sure to have lunch/supper at the Sea Salt Eatery, a extraordinary open air seafood restaurant located in the park.
Minnehaha Falls
Sea Salt Eatery
Tangletown Gardens - 5353 Nicollet Ave. S, Minneapols, MN 55419, (9 miles/16 minutes from airport, 16 miles/22 minutes from conference hotel) Tangletown Gardens is a combination urban oasis and a destination commercial garden center. Next door is the Wise Acre Eatery, also owned by Tangletown, which is a truly farm to table restaurant. A 100 acre farm outside the Twin Cities, produces the vegetables, and raises Scottish cattle, Berkshire hogs, free-range turkeys, ducks, and geese used by the restaurant.
St. Paul, MN
Como Park Zoo and Conservatory 1225 Eastabrook Drive, St. Paul, MN (10 miles/25 minutes from airport, 28 miles/38 minutes from conference hotel) Como Park is 384 acres of park, zoo and conservatory. The Conservatory has many wings featuring a water garden, a fern room, an orchid house, a palm dome, a sunken garden, a tropical encounter room, and a bonsai collection.
University of Minnesota Raptor Center -1920 Fitch Ave. St. Paul MN 55108, located on the University of MN, St. Paul Campus. (10 miles/30 minutes from airport, 26 miles/35 minutes from the conference hotel) Each year, around 800 sick and injured wild raptors are treated at The Raptor Center's clinic. This is world-renowned teaching hospital for wildlife where veterinary professionals from around the world come to study raptor medicine and surgery. Take a tour of the facilities and learn about raptors and the work done at the center.
hospital gowns are all the same...even the ones for birds have your bum exposed