Fresh Air

Take to the sky, and you’ll never know who or what you’ll meet. “I’ve had eagles off my wing, just checking me out,” Alex Peterson says. “Actually, they’re really good guides. On one flight, I met three turkey vultures at 500 feet. I sailed and soared with them until we reached 15,000 feet.”

Peterson of Wayzata is a pilot and instructor at SkyBrothers Paragliding. He is easy to identify; his pickup truck is rigged up with a 6,000-foot spool of line that is mounted on what looks like an aluminum winch—all used to hoist paragliders up, up and away. Read more about SkyBrothers Paragliding Soars to New Heights

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska is one of the best places in the Twin Cities to take kids who need to burn off a little energy. (Children ages 15 and younger can visit for free.) Discover these activities geared toward children:

Play hide and seek: The Maze Garden is a hit with kids, thanks to its wide pathways and an observation deck and picnic table at the end. Another top spot for playing hide and seek is the Hedge Collection, which features dozens of sheared and unsheared hedges of different heights. Read more about Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Offers Many Ways to Play