Redwood Creek: Top 25 Picnic Destinations

		MINNEHAHA PARK: Lunch Beneath Laughing Falls
		THE SETTING One of Minneapolis' oldest and most popular parks, Minnehaha was once a popular train stop. In 1889, the state loaned the city $100,000 to purchase the station from its private owners, and the resulting recreation area was named Minnehaha, which means "laughing falls." Today, the 171-acre park boasts a zoo, bandstand, biking paths, a playground and a perennial garden overlooking the area's biggest attraction, a 53-foot waterfall. On warm weekend afternoons, the park is packed with people of all ages, who come to ride their bikes, wade in the shallow streams, view the falls or just admire the park's natural beauty. Besides the waterfalls, the limestone bluffs, river overlooks and woodland wildflowers make for some stunning scenery, as do the silver maple, basswood and cottonwood trees scattered around the park. In the summer, Minnehaha often hosts outdoor concerts, and it's the perfect park for a picnic. The Wabun Picnic Area has four sheltered sites with cooking and restroom facilities, or you can nab a more secluded spot somewhere on the grass.
		WHAT TO SEE AND DO Come to Minnehaha to relax, picnic and explore the pretty grounds. Sit by the falls and snap some photos, have a picnic outdoors among the trees, or wind your way through Minnehaha Creek, watching out for the spring flowers as they bloom along the parkway. If history is your thing, take a walk back in time through the Longfellow House and Steven's House museums. View the park's sculptural tributes to its Native American history, including a mask of Chief Little Crow, who was killed in the year following the 1862 Dakota conflict. In fact, this park is still considered to be sacred and spiritual to Native Americans. If you're pining to get a workout, take a hike or run along a trail, including the one that goes from Minnehaha Falls to Ft. Snelling State Park, about one mile south. Play golf at the Hiawatha Course or enjoy a game of tennis.
		HOT TIPS The gardens and the falls overlook are open daily from sunrise to sunset. The gardens may be rented for weddings and special events. There is a $1 fee to park in the lot. The Wabun Park area has three picnic areas and shelters, which must be reserved in advance. If you love great views, walk up to the overlook located at the pedestrian bridge crossing to the Old Soldier's Home -- it affords magnificent panoramas of the river, and you can picnic there, too.
		PHOTO OPS Summer is the perfect time to capture the park's colorful wildflowers and the hordes of butterflies they attract. The overlook at Minnehaha Falls Pergola Garden, located on Minnehaha Avenue across from the Princess Station, is a great place to photograph wildlife and the falls. Walk down to the gorge for other great angles of the "laughing falls." The waterfalls are usually completely thawed by May, but they are equally photogenic in the winter months. In the fall, the nature trails are blanketed in stunning fall foliage.
		LOCAL SPECIALTIES Minnesota is known for its wild rice, which makes a filling accompaniment to salads and sandwiches, and the state's official dessert is the blueberry muffin.