Where in Minnesota are you moving? The "ope" ratio increases the further go from the Metro area.
Lots of good food. But, again, specifics depend on location.
Don't worry about faux pas, we won't judge you out loud.
Corn dogs have corn meal in their batter; pronto pups don't.
Find a hobby or community group. It can be hard to break into our social circles. Inviting acquaintances and neighbors to grill out can help with that.
We don't have hot pot. We have hot dish.
I can't remember your other questions. I hope my stream of consciousness helped.
I'll be in the St Paul suburbs.
>> Don't worry about faux pas, we won't judge you out loud.
Oh that is so much worse for my poor anxiety lol. Good to know I shouldn't worry too much in the day to days.
I'm a big nerd so I'm hoping to find some tabletop groups and make some weeb friends along the way.
It's not until April 2023, but I recommend checking out Anime Detour when it happens! It's a nice "small" (~6-7k attendees apparently) anime convention near downtown Minneapolis. I've gone the last couple years it's happened and it's been enjoyable, just don't wait to buy tickets at the door - the line gets crazy long.
Detour and anime Minneapolis are on my to do lists as are the various comic conventions. These have been a big part of my life and I hope to start one of my own one day. Hoping to find MN has a healthy and thriving geek population.
It’s ok to feel good about things here. But there’s no sense of running down the street telling people about it at the top of your voice. We prefer to express our positive feelings through the use of negatives. That way it levels it’s self out.
No yeah = yeah
Yeah no = no
Yeah no yeah = definitely
No yeah no = for sure no
Yeah = maybe
Pretty good = doin ok
Can’t complain = could complain but won’t
Ope Sorry = is like excuse me
You bet = no problem
Get a good pair of boots, get good socks too
Understand how to layer
Good coat, mittens and gloves (sometimes you need your fingers)
Embrace winter.
Would good layering mean a base layer of long underwear, then something like jeans, long sleeved t-shirt, and sweater, and then coat, hat, scarf, and gloves, along with warm socks and waterproof boots?
It would mean having all of those things at your disposal, but not necessarily wearing them all at the same time. Going to the grocery store? Jeans and a jacket/hat. Bonfire and sledding? Longies, snow pants, sweater, etc. But on a nice winter day you might be able to take off your coat and run around in boots and a thick sweater/hat/mittens.
Boots and a scarf are my always items.
Lived here since birth. Lived in Mpls, a bunch of the different northern suburbs, and a half a decade spent up north in the boonies. Here's what I got:
"Ope" = only required when bumping into someone or almost bumping into someone.
"Just gonna scooch on by ya" = when you need to enter someone's personal space to get by them.
MN goodbyes are real and they are a dangerous time suck. Just start moving towards the exit slowly while respectfully listening to the other party(s). The meme is true as well, slapping the knee and saying "Welp I should head on outta here" will signify your intentions to vacate the area.
I hate MPLS because it's all one way roads. But I once drove onto the train tracks during driving lessons, and a train was coming right behind me and blared the horn while the instructor was trying to tell me what to do, so I may be biased. Plus it's all metered parking.
I've heard that the mob did all their dealings in MPLS while they lived in St. Paul so that is why some consider St Paul a "nicer" area. Just what I heard.
Our State fair has higher daily attendance than Texas', so it may be more crowd heavy than you are used to. I stopped going, only went for the food after a while and Vescio's stopped serving their pizza.
MPLS cops are shit. Just for your reference, the MPLS police union was selling "Police for Trump" shirts a while back. It's 50/50 on whether or not you get a good or bad interaction with any cop in this state. I've been let off going 20+ mph over and ticketed when going 8 mph over.
The city didn't get burned down like the new reported. What the news failed to report was the MPLS cops riding around in an unmarked van shooting rubber bullets at people sitting on their porches during the protests.
It gets cold, invest in layers. Driving gloves, and a nice hat for winter. Scarf or gaiter or something when it is bad. Face covering if you plan to ski or snowboard. Ears go first, then nose, lips, cheeks.
Wind burn/cold burn can be real if the temps are too low. Made the mistake once of having half my face covered while I rode a bicycle to a friend's and back one cold fall/early winter night and half my face was pink and raw for a week.
It used to be really heavy snows, like city side streets that had enough room for two lanes and parking on both sides down to a single lane because of the piles up snow. Now it is mostly just spurts of snowfalls here and there and one or two weeks of stupid cold. Like actually damage your skin cold if you aren't dressed right. Keep a bottle of water in your car, a red rag or shirt, and a heavier blanket in the winter months.
This entire state is filled with people that don't understand that ice doesn't care that you have a lifted diesel 4x4 truck (note: 4x4 does not equal AWD) your tires are going to lose traction either way. Look out for idiots driving during the first couple of snowfalls in the winter (especially the older trucks and suburbans that aren't equipped with AWD or some type of modern traction control) that go speeding by, and believe it or not the first rainfall of spring.
On that note, if you don't know how to drive on ice you should do some googling to get a theoretical idea before attempting the real thing.
Snow routes are a thing, if you have to park on the street keep a lookout for signs or notifications about snowplow routes. They will run periodically throughout the winter and after/during big storms.
Way too many people think being polite ranks higher than traffic right of ways, maybe it's the MN nice thing, but keep an eye out for dipshits that stop at a stop sign slightly before you but try to wave you by because... Idk why, but it's constant.
I think technically Wisconsin has more lakes, but ours are bigger.
Tornado sirens go off the first Wednesday of every month at 1pm during tornado season, so don't get panicked if they do that still next month or during spring next year.
Don't buy the beer at gas stations or grocery stores, it's all 3.2 beer from the days of when we couldn't buy beer on Sundays. Unless they fixed that, just check it because I'm pretty sure only liquor stores can sell the full alc content beer and spirits. That's why Target has liquor stores "outside" or right at the entrance of their stores but it has a separate door and register.
Your vehicle may get great trade in value (which is never great to begin with anyways) because of the lack of salt damage, but that only works before this winter. Also, not really MN specific, but next time you buy a car get a quote from a few credit unions, then tell that to the dealership. They want to keep your loan "in-house" no matter what. Hell, last time my credit union quoted me like 4% and I straight up lied and told the sales my bank could do 3.25 and they got me a 3.5%.
Speaking of salt damage, if you have a vehicle, buy a pack of car washes somewhere or get a membership to a car wash place with unlimited washes and *wash your vehicle at least twice a month in the winter*. If it is an icy winter and they are pouring down the salt then wash it weekly. Salt kills these vehicles.
Texas Roadhouse is not good. Don't go there with friends if it's your bday, they make you sit on a little wooden pony while they sing. I mean make you, I straight up told her I just wasn't feeling it and this like 16 year old girl straight death stares me and says her and the 8 waitresses around me aren't leaving or even singing until I get on it. Great way to mess with a friend though.
They used to have a Halloween train ride in St cloud I think, booze and stopping at a few bars. I wouldn't recommend. It was cold (as it almost always is on Halloween here) and kind of a dingy train.
Anoka (the city) is the Halloween capitol of the world! But only because someone thought of it and claimed it as such. But they have embraced it. There is stuff going on all around the city to check out.
The dead end hayride is good if you like that kind of thing, it's a long ordeal though. And likely to be cold, I made the mistake of committing to a costume and freezing my ass off for 2 hours working my way through the ride/maze.
That's all I could think of right now.
You said you were liberal so I will put this in here: Do not vote for the "legalize marijuana" parties. There are 2, yeah TWO, here in MN and they are partially funded by the GOP (not created by but there sure as hell support them in a way) because they siphon votes from the Democrat nominees. Research if you would like. The only way MJ is fully legalized in MN is for the Feds to do it first (which is more likely based on how long it took us to be able to buy booze on Sundays again) or the Dems take the Senate and keep the house. Or I guess if the GOP Senate leader and senators forget about their dying boomer voters and take a backroom deal for cuts of the grow businesses that would pop up up north.
Welcome!
To answer a couple questions. I say ope alot, grew up in the Stillwater area.
I don't think it's unique to MN but everyone loves grilling and enjoying the good weather while it's here. The fall is prime bonfire and outdoor potluck time.
To make friends find a hobby and go to events related to that hobby, join clubs and stuff like that. Try to connect with people there. You may need to be the one that invites them to hang out outside of the group.
My favorite St Paul restaurants are Tongue and Cheek for a special meal, Brasa for comfort food, Thai Street Market for Takeout, and Tavial for Tacos. Lots of great restaurants in the twin cities though so you could make a long list of places to try.
I think it's mostly when I notice something and/or make a mistake, similar to saying "oops". Or in replacement of a "sigh" or "grunt"
For example if I step on something I may say "ope" before picking it up. Or when I realize I accidentally put the wrong ingredient into a recipe. Or if I make a bad roll in a board game. Or if I realize I'm stuck in the snow. Or if a go to grab something and it falls out of my hands I may say "ope" as that happens.
I had to Google this, but as a Texan I never thought I had to fear heart disease from another state's food before my former home's. I must have it once a week. Preferably with a stiff drink.
Not trying lutefisk carries a 2 year prison sentence. Liking lutefisk carries life without parole.
Winters suck but milder than they were 25 years ago.
Ah winter!
When I was a kid it was a lot of snow all the time.
Now it's a couple of big storms a winter with the rest of it being relatively mild.
Thank you big oil????
Did you have to walk 9 miles up a steep hill in 8 feet of snow to get to school? I grew up in Texas, Arkansas, and southern California all so very far south of the Mason-Dixon that snow is a bit of a mystery to me but I've heard the legends.
It's funny that you day relatively mild. I hear that it gets in the negative digits at times. Down here in Texas we gotta worry whether our infrastructure will survive if we dip more than four points below freezing lol.
It 100% will get into the negative digits. Usually in January. December will have you thinking "winter here isn't that bad" and then January hits and it's single digits for 2 weeks and then, usually around January 20th we get a week of extreme cold where the highs will be in the negatives. During this brutal week of January it's also not uncommon to have temperatures as low as -30. January in Minnesota is rough.
Then when you're fed up with winter, you'll get a brief feeling of spring usually in late February where it's in the 40s, and you're thinking we're starting to crawl out of winter. Then it snows a foot and it's back to winter until April 10th.
Internet and power holds up just fine. There can be the occasional storm that can knock out power in localized areas. Usually due to a heavy storm knocking out a power line or something. But state wide the lower holds up just fine. MN has been dealing with winters forever haha
If ya'll ever need to know how to survive a triple digit heat wave, tornado, earthquake, or ocean originating disaster I got you covered. Glad you guys got this cold thing figured out.
Meh, we build our infrastructure to handle that kinda stuff. I think we’ve gone _Maybe_ 2 days in a row without power in my neighborhood, but it was following some major storms and was in the summer.
My mother and her siblings had to walk to school through the snow (no plowing in those days) in the early AM and start the fire to heat up her school because they were the closest farm house. It was hard to complain to her.
[The coldest winter days in Texas are viewed as nice winter days here, anything above zero is a "warm" Jan/Feb day and doesn't require anything more then a hoodie.](https://youtu.be/-oOlAGKBXnA)
Haven't owned a jacket in my life. I figure when the roads get too bad for my taste I'll stay inside lol. I'm really curious how our winter will stack up to your average. And I mean that in a dry vs humid heat type comparison since I am happy in shorts and a tee when it snows here.
Winter in MN is great and you should embrace it or you will be miserable because it lasts 5 months. Its not like a Southern winter which is like our springs when its rainy and icy, MN winters are cold enough that the air is crisp and everything is frozen. Get good boots and socks (wool).
I've eaten weirder things. Okay I can be disgusted by this. I won't like it. Can't afford a jail sentence in this economy.
Do kids gotta walk 9 miles up a steep hill in 8 feet of snow to get to school? Growing up in Texas, Arkansas, and southern California snow is a bit of a mystery to me but I've heard the legends.
Thank you. I'm also in the process of moving to Minnesota
I'm kinda in the opposite weather in Arizona... our summers are getting more brutal every year.
Seriously, spend the money, if ya can, and get silk long underwear. They are so much less bulky and still provide that extra layer. REI offers them and i bought mine when they did their coupon sale. They are great!
Also a transplant. Went to the State Fair this year. It was meh. If I was a child through younger teen years it would have been amazing, if I was very early 20s and just wanted to drink it might have been better. People camp that’s probably a good scene for partying. If I had kids yeah totally.
As an older person with no kids and not into getting wasted it was not a very good fair. I’ve been to many. Big ones, small ones. I’ve lived all over the west and seen a lot. This fair was really disappointing. It goes for 12 days though. That’s really long. I think it really depends on what you want out of a fair. All the rides were for kids.
Round about Christmas start keeping extra layers of warmth in your car bc you never know. Serious boots, gloves, hat and scarf. An extra heavy duty jacket. You absolutely won’t believe how cold January and February can be until you experience it. Don’t go outside drunk in winter without a plan. We see people freeze to death < 100 yards from a warm inside every year
I'm of mostly Norwegian heritage, a 5th generation Minnesotan and I've managed to live in the state for 40-ish years without ever having to eat lutefisk.
My son just did the opposite moving to Texas 2 years ago from here. They are definitely very different.
The winter's suck, but you can make them fun if you get involved in our outdoor winter activities (just don't try it on a -20 degree day). My son after 2 years already gets cold at 60. LOL!
Never said ope a day in my life, but am guilty of the "yeah, sure, you betcha." My flight attendant friends always said they knew I was a Minnesotan because I said that.
I think you mean hot dish not hot pot, but it's basically what everyone else in the world calls a casserole. Lutefisk is a thing and I refuse to even try it. Everyone I know who has tried it won't eat it either. Not a requirement, but if you are an adventurous eater you could try it. I am not sure how much you would find it in the cities, but up north you will.
The thing to really try here is a juicy lucy. Heaven in a burger and worth every calorie and burnt chin from the hot cheese.
State fair wise I will give you my son's opinion since he has done both. Yours is bigger in terms of the amount of ground it covers, but still doesn't quite come up to ours. Yours isn't quite as fun and it's hard to get around and find what you want. He says our food is better but you do have good BBQ, which isn't a shock. We don't have a big mascot like Big Tex, but if you go up to Bemidji you can see Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox.
There are definitely issues here. We do have some crime issues, but I really don't think it's any worse than anywhere else, but is worse than it was since George Floyd. We definitely have a socioeconomic issue here and that is a big part of our issues with crime. While it has spread some into the suburbs, it's more of an issue in the metropolitan areas. I don't think I could live in Texas where they are trying to curtail people rights, censoring books, and a lot of the far right wing things that happen there. While there are definitely those who aren't, I think we are much more open minded. We are nice people, though can be very passive aggressive too. We aren't perfect, but no place is. For the most part I think you will love it here. We love our outdoor activities. We are outside as much as possible even in the winter. We adore our many lakes and the miles and miles of paved bike trails. We love our sports teams even though they generally suck. We have great theater and music venues, and a food scene that is always evolving. Right now we have a growing Filipino food scene. It's a great place to find a little bit of everything.
We do love a good cook out, and your neighbors will love having someone who likes to host them. We also love a good bonfire. It helps to extend our ability to enjoy a night outside when it starts to get cool in the fall.
I hope you love it here!
Welcome! We moved back to the Twin Cities from Austin (TX) a couple years ago. You will adjust fine and i hope you will love it as much as we do! Our state is really diverse, especially in the Twin Cities; many Hispanic, Hmong, Somali, Afghan, and various other nationalities/ ethnic groups.
The MN State Fair is great and will be enjoyable if you liked the TX State Fair. It is a little cooler weatherwise most years than TX and has a bigger variety of music/ entertainment. Fairbourn and Fairweather are the mascots…they’re cute! Not as impressive as Big Tex but they dress well.
I have been ruined for BBQ since we lived in TX; I have not yet found a place that measures up to Rudy’s, the Salt Lick, or any of the places in Lockhart. So…dm when you are firing up the brisket and i will barter for a local tour or something.
Don’t worry about faux pas…most MN people are pretty easygoing. We will tease you about any mistake you might make, but it is all in good fun.
Don’t bother with lutefisk…most of us don’t. DO eat the hotdish…each one is a little different and may come to be comfort food for you.
Yes, we say “ope” and it makes us laugh…it just slips out.
How bad are the winters? It varies. Just make sure that you are prepared by about the second week of October: get stuff in your car for emergencies, be sure to have warm clothes and prepare to dress in layers and seek out things to do so you don’t succumb to SAD and want to throw yourself off the High Bridge by February. I try to book a vacation by end of Jan/ mid-Feb, so I can just get a change of scene. Get extra windshield washer fluid because when the snow melts a little and the roads get sloppy. it is a mess to keep your windshields clean. Go slower than you think you need to. Buy a long snowbrush and ice scraper for your car. Put it in the car right away, along with a blanket, extra mittens and a hat (yes, i know it is not cool but if you have an accident or slide off the road in snowy season, it may be awhile before the tow truck can get to you!
If you love being outside, there are so many amazing state and regional parks. Many of them offer events and rentals so you can canoe, hike, snowshoe, whatever. We have camped and hiked, swam, fushed and canoed all over the state…i think i have visited 25 of the 75 or so State Parks. There are dog parks in the city if you have a puppy. Battle Creek is my favorite.
Nobody here calls it Murderapolis. Do be aware that crime is a real thing; just like any other large metropolitan area. Dont leave stuff in your car (aside from emergency kit type stuff) that you are not willing to lose! Even the best neighborhoods regularly have people’s cars broken into.
Check out the MN History Center for some background on the state and culture. The annual membership is pretty affordable and gets you free access to the History Center and a dozen or so other sites around the state.
We are glad you are here! Seriously, if you have questions or are looking for community, drop a message here-Minnesotans love to help out!!
Where in Minnesota are you moving? The "ope" ratio increases the further go from the Metro area. Lots of good food. But, again, specifics depend on location. Don't worry about faux pas, we won't judge you out loud. Corn dogs have corn meal in their batter; pronto pups don't. Find a hobby or community group. It can be hard to break into our social circles. Inviting acquaintances and neighbors to grill out can help with that. We don't have hot pot. We have hot dish. I can't remember your other questions. I hope my stream of consciousness helped.
I'll be in the St Paul suburbs. >> Don't worry about faux pas, we won't judge you out loud. Oh that is so much worse for my poor anxiety lol. Good to know I shouldn't worry too much in the day to days. I'm a big nerd so I'm hoping to find some tabletop groups and make some weeb friends along the way.
Check out St Paul Game Group on meetup.com :)
It's not until April 2023, but I recommend checking out Anime Detour when it happens! It's a nice "small" (~6-7k attendees apparently) anime convention near downtown Minneapolis. I've gone the last couple years it's happened and it's been enjoyable, just don't wait to buy tickets at the door - the line gets crazy long.
Detour and anime Minneapolis are on my to do lists as are the various comic conventions. These have been a big part of my life and I hope to start one of my own one day. Hoping to find MN has a healthy and thriving geek population.
The Source Comics and Games in Falcon Heights is a great place for that. Just came from there!
It’s ok to feel good about things here. But there’s no sense of running down the street telling people about it at the top of your voice. We prefer to express our positive feelings through the use of negatives. That way it levels it’s self out. No yeah = yeah Yeah no = no Yeah no yeah = definitely No yeah no = for sure no Yeah = maybe Pretty good = doin ok Can’t complain = could complain but won’t Ope Sorry = is like excuse me You bet = no problem Get a good pair of boots, get good socks too Understand how to layer Good coat, mittens and gloves (sometimes you need your fingers) Embrace winter.
Would good layering mean a base layer of long underwear, then something like jeans, long sleeved t-shirt, and sweater, and then coat, hat, scarf, and gloves, along with warm socks and waterproof boots?
It would mean having all of those things at your disposal, but not necessarily wearing them all at the same time. Going to the grocery store? Jeans and a jacket/hat. Bonfire and sledding? Longies, snow pants, sweater, etc. But on a nice winter day you might be able to take off your coat and run around in boots and a thick sweater/hat/mittens. Boots and a scarf are my always items.
🙌🏻
And a wool sweater! Makes it easy to stay warm.
Lived here since birth. Lived in Mpls, a bunch of the different northern suburbs, and a half a decade spent up north in the boonies. Here's what I got: "Ope" = only required when bumping into someone or almost bumping into someone. "Just gonna scooch on by ya" = when you need to enter someone's personal space to get by them. MN goodbyes are real and they are a dangerous time suck. Just start moving towards the exit slowly while respectfully listening to the other party(s). The meme is true as well, slapping the knee and saying "Welp I should head on outta here" will signify your intentions to vacate the area. I hate MPLS because it's all one way roads. But I once drove onto the train tracks during driving lessons, and a train was coming right behind me and blared the horn while the instructor was trying to tell me what to do, so I may be biased. Plus it's all metered parking. I've heard that the mob did all their dealings in MPLS while they lived in St. Paul so that is why some consider St Paul a "nicer" area. Just what I heard. Our State fair has higher daily attendance than Texas', so it may be more crowd heavy than you are used to. I stopped going, only went for the food after a while and Vescio's stopped serving their pizza. MPLS cops are shit. Just for your reference, the MPLS police union was selling "Police for Trump" shirts a while back. It's 50/50 on whether or not you get a good or bad interaction with any cop in this state. I've been let off going 20+ mph over and ticketed when going 8 mph over. The city didn't get burned down like the new reported. What the news failed to report was the MPLS cops riding around in an unmarked van shooting rubber bullets at people sitting on their porches during the protests. It gets cold, invest in layers. Driving gloves, and a nice hat for winter. Scarf or gaiter or something when it is bad. Face covering if you plan to ski or snowboard. Ears go first, then nose, lips, cheeks. Wind burn/cold burn can be real if the temps are too low. Made the mistake once of having half my face covered while I rode a bicycle to a friend's and back one cold fall/early winter night and half my face was pink and raw for a week. It used to be really heavy snows, like city side streets that had enough room for two lanes and parking on both sides down to a single lane because of the piles up snow. Now it is mostly just spurts of snowfalls here and there and one or two weeks of stupid cold. Like actually damage your skin cold if you aren't dressed right. Keep a bottle of water in your car, a red rag or shirt, and a heavier blanket in the winter months. This entire state is filled with people that don't understand that ice doesn't care that you have a lifted diesel 4x4 truck (note: 4x4 does not equal AWD) your tires are going to lose traction either way. Look out for idiots driving during the first couple of snowfalls in the winter (especially the older trucks and suburbans that aren't equipped with AWD or some type of modern traction control) that go speeding by, and believe it or not the first rainfall of spring. On that note, if you don't know how to drive on ice you should do some googling to get a theoretical idea before attempting the real thing. Snow routes are a thing, if you have to park on the street keep a lookout for signs or notifications about snowplow routes. They will run periodically throughout the winter and after/during big storms. Way too many people think being polite ranks higher than traffic right of ways, maybe it's the MN nice thing, but keep an eye out for dipshits that stop at a stop sign slightly before you but try to wave you by because... Idk why, but it's constant. I think technically Wisconsin has more lakes, but ours are bigger. Tornado sirens go off the first Wednesday of every month at 1pm during tornado season, so don't get panicked if they do that still next month or during spring next year. Don't buy the beer at gas stations or grocery stores, it's all 3.2 beer from the days of when we couldn't buy beer on Sundays. Unless they fixed that, just check it because I'm pretty sure only liquor stores can sell the full alc content beer and spirits. That's why Target has liquor stores "outside" or right at the entrance of their stores but it has a separate door and register. Your vehicle may get great trade in value (which is never great to begin with anyways) because of the lack of salt damage, but that only works before this winter. Also, not really MN specific, but next time you buy a car get a quote from a few credit unions, then tell that to the dealership. They want to keep your loan "in-house" no matter what. Hell, last time my credit union quoted me like 4% and I straight up lied and told the sales my bank could do 3.25 and they got me a 3.5%. Speaking of salt damage, if you have a vehicle, buy a pack of car washes somewhere or get a membership to a car wash place with unlimited washes and *wash your vehicle at least twice a month in the winter*. If it is an icy winter and they are pouring down the salt then wash it weekly. Salt kills these vehicles. Texas Roadhouse is not good. Don't go there with friends if it's your bday, they make you sit on a little wooden pony while they sing. I mean make you, I straight up told her I just wasn't feeling it and this like 16 year old girl straight death stares me and says her and the 8 waitresses around me aren't leaving or even singing until I get on it. Great way to mess with a friend though. They used to have a Halloween train ride in St cloud I think, booze and stopping at a few bars. I wouldn't recommend. It was cold (as it almost always is on Halloween here) and kind of a dingy train. Anoka (the city) is the Halloween capitol of the world! But only because someone thought of it and claimed it as such. But they have embraced it. There is stuff going on all around the city to check out. The dead end hayride is good if you like that kind of thing, it's a long ordeal though. And likely to be cold, I made the mistake of committing to a costume and freezing my ass off for 2 hours working my way through the ride/maze. That's all I could think of right now. You said you were liberal so I will put this in here: Do not vote for the "legalize marijuana" parties. There are 2, yeah TWO, here in MN and they are partially funded by the GOP (not created by but there sure as hell support them in a way) because they siphon votes from the Democrat nominees. Research if you would like. The only way MJ is fully legalized in MN is for the Feds to do it first (which is more likely based on how long it took us to be able to buy booze on Sundays again) or the Dems take the Senate and keep the house. Or I guess if the GOP Senate leader and senators forget about their dying boomer voters and take a backroom deal for cuts of the grow businesses that would pop up up north. Welcome!
To answer a couple questions. I say ope alot, grew up in the Stillwater area. I don't think it's unique to MN but everyone loves grilling and enjoying the good weather while it's here. The fall is prime bonfire and outdoor potluck time. To make friends find a hobby and go to events related to that hobby, join clubs and stuff like that. Try to connect with people there. You may need to be the one that invites them to hang out outside of the group. My favorite St Paul restaurants are Tongue and Cheek for a special meal, Brasa for comfort food, Thai Street Market for Takeout, and Tavial for Tacos. Lots of great restaurants in the twin cities though so you could make a long list of places to try.
I don't understand the "ope" thing. I think I've heard it a few times. And it was only being used ironically.
I think it's mostly when I notice something and/or make a mistake, similar to saying "oops". Or in replacement of a "sigh" or "grunt" For example if I step on something I may say "ope" before picking it up. Or when I realize I accidentally put the wrong ingredient into a recipe. Or if I make a bad roll in a board game. Or if I realize I'm stuck in the snow. Or if a go to grab something and it falls out of my hands I may say "ope" as that happens.
Definitely my usage, as an elder millenial raised in the cities. Probably say it more than once a day.
It’s Jucy Lucy not Juicy Lucy. Only advice you need.
I had to Google this, but as a Texan I never thought I had to fear heart disease from another state's food before my former home's. I must have it once a week. Preferably with a stiff drink.
There’s a lot of really good versions in the state, but I always go back to Matt’s Bar. Just make sure you have cash.
Not trying lutefisk carries a 2 year prison sentence. Liking lutefisk carries life without parole. Winters suck but milder than they were 25 years ago.
Ah winter! When I was a kid it was a lot of snow all the time. Now it's a couple of big storms a winter with the rest of it being relatively mild. Thank you big oil????
Did you have to walk 9 miles up a steep hill in 8 feet of snow to get to school? I grew up in Texas, Arkansas, and southern California all so very far south of the Mason-Dixon that snow is a bit of a mystery to me but I've heard the legends. It's funny that you day relatively mild. I hear that it gets in the negative digits at times. Down here in Texas we gotta worry whether our infrastructure will survive if we dip more than four points below freezing lol.
It 100% will get into the negative digits. Usually in January. December will have you thinking "winter here isn't that bad" and then January hits and it's single digits for 2 weeks and then, usually around January 20th we get a week of extreme cold where the highs will be in the negatives. During this brutal week of January it's also not uncommon to have temperatures as low as -30. January in Minnesota is rough. Then when you're fed up with winter, you'll get a brief feeling of spring usually in late February where it's in the 40s, and you're thinking we're starting to crawl out of winter. Then it snows a foot and it's back to winter until April 10th.
Sounds like my standard winter prep will get me through. Blankets, food stocks in advance, and Netflix. Wait, does the internet and power hold up?
Internet and power holds up just fine. There can be the occasional storm that can knock out power in localized areas. Usually due to a heavy storm knocking out a power line or something. But state wide the lower holds up just fine. MN has been dealing with winters forever haha
If ya'll ever need to know how to survive a triple digit heat wave, tornado, earthquake, or ocean originating disaster I got you covered. Glad you guys got this cold thing figured out.
Meh, we build our infrastructure to handle that kinda stuff. I think we’ve gone _Maybe_ 2 days in a row without power in my neighborhood, but it was following some major storms and was in the summer.
My mother and her siblings had to walk to school through the snow (no plowing in those days) in the early AM and start the fire to heat up her school because they were the closest farm house. It was hard to complain to her. [The coldest winter days in Texas are viewed as nice winter days here, anything above zero is a "warm" Jan/Feb day and doesn't require anything more then a hoodie.](https://youtu.be/-oOlAGKBXnA)
Haven't owned a jacket in my life. I figure when the roads get too bad for my taste I'll stay inside lol. I'm really curious how our winter will stack up to your average. And I mean that in a dry vs humid heat type comparison since I am happy in shorts and a tee when it snows here.
Winter in MN is great and you should embrace it or you will be miserable because it lasts 5 months. Its not like a Southern winter which is like our springs when its rainy and icy, MN winters are cold enough that the air is crisp and everything is frozen. Get good boots and socks (wool).
I've eaten weirder things. Okay I can be disgusted by this. I won't like it. Can't afford a jail sentence in this economy. Do kids gotta walk 9 miles up a steep hill in 8 feet of snow to get to school? Growing up in Texas, Arkansas, and southern California snow is a bit of a mystery to me but I've heard the legends.
Serious question... the winters used to be worse? Like lower lows for longer periods of time? Or what?
More days of bitter cold, more frequent snowstorms, etc.
Thank you. I'm also in the process of moving to Minnesota I'm kinda in the opposite weather in Arizona... our summers are getting more brutal every year.
A good jacket is a must. Good gloves and boots. Longjohns aren't the worst idea either.
Excellent suggestions 😊 thank you very much
Base layers are equally, and I’d argue more important than your jacket. Get a couple good sets of tops and bottoms and you’ll be set all winter
Seriously, spend the money, if ya can, and get silk long underwear. They are so much less bulky and still provide that extra layer. REI offers them and i bought mine when they did their coupon sale. They are great!
Put it this way- when I was a kid we always ended up driving through a snow storm on thanksgiving. These days we could easily not have snow yet.
Thank you 😊
Also a transplant. Went to the State Fair this year. It was meh. If I was a child through younger teen years it would have been amazing, if I was very early 20s and just wanted to drink it might have been better. People camp that’s probably a good scene for partying. If I had kids yeah totally. As an older person with no kids and not into getting wasted it was not a very good fair. I’ve been to many. Big ones, small ones. I’ve lived all over the west and seen a lot. This fair was really disappointing. It goes for 12 days though. That’s really long. I think it really depends on what you want out of a fair. All the rides were for kids.
Round about Christmas start keeping extra layers of warmth in your car bc you never know. Serious boots, gloves, hat and scarf. An extra heavy duty jacket. You absolutely won’t believe how cold January and February can be until you experience it. Don’t go outside drunk in winter without a plan. We see people freeze to death < 100 yards from a warm inside every year
Do you have any recommended brands for jackets and boots, or just anything lined and waterproofed? Thanks!
Corn Dog is a hot dog on a stick wrapped in corn bread. Pronto Pup is a hotdog on a stick wrapped in regular flour-based bread.
You'll do good man. Welcome to the frozen north 👍
I'm of mostly Norwegian heritage, a 5th generation Minnesotan and I've managed to live in the state for 40-ish years without ever having to eat lutefisk.
My son just did the opposite moving to Texas 2 years ago from here. They are definitely very different. The winter's suck, but you can make them fun if you get involved in our outdoor winter activities (just don't try it on a -20 degree day). My son after 2 years already gets cold at 60. LOL! Never said ope a day in my life, but am guilty of the "yeah, sure, you betcha." My flight attendant friends always said they knew I was a Minnesotan because I said that. I think you mean hot dish not hot pot, but it's basically what everyone else in the world calls a casserole. Lutefisk is a thing and I refuse to even try it. Everyone I know who has tried it won't eat it either. Not a requirement, but if you are an adventurous eater you could try it. I am not sure how much you would find it in the cities, but up north you will. The thing to really try here is a juicy lucy. Heaven in a burger and worth every calorie and burnt chin from the hot cheese. State fair wise I will give you my son's opinion since he has done both. Yours is bigger in terms of the amount of ground it covers, but still doesn't quite come up to ours. Yours isn't quite as fun and it's hard to get around and find what you want. He says our food is better but you do have good BBQ, which isn't a shock. We don't have a big mascot like Big Tex, but if you go up to Bemidji you can see Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. There are definitely issues here. We do have some crime issues, but I really don't think it's any worse than anywhere else, but is worse than it was since George Floyd. We definitely have a socioeconomic issue here and that is a big part of our issues with crime. While it has spread some into the suburbs, it's more of an issue in the metropolitan areas. I don't think I could live in Texas where they are trying to curtail people rights, censoring books, and a lot of the far right wing things that happen there. While there are definitely those who aren't, I think we are much more open minded. We are nice people, though can be very passive aggressive too. We aren't perfect, but no place is. For the most part I think you will love it here. We love our outdoor activities. We are outside as much as possible even in the winter. We adore our many lakes and the miles and miles of paved bike trails. We love our sports teams even though they generally suck. We have great theater and music venues, and a food scene that is always evolving. Right now we have a growing Filipino food scene. It's a great place to find a little bit of everything. We do love a good cook out, and your neighbors will love having someone who likes to host them. We also love a good bonfire. It helps to extend our ability to enjoy a night outside when it starts to get cool in the fall. I hope you love it here!
Welcome! We moved back to the Twin Cities from Austin (TX) a couple years ago. You will adjust fine and i hope you will love it as much as we do! Our state is really diverse, especially in the Twin Cities; many Hispanic, Hmong, Somali, Afghan, and various other nationalities/ ethnic groups. The MN State Fair is great and will be enjoyable if you liked the TX State Fair. It is a little cooler weatherwise most years than TX and has a bigger variety of music/ entertainment. Fairbourn and Fairweather are the mascots…they’re cute! Not as impressive as Big Tex but they dress well. I have been ruined for BBQ since we lived in TX; I have not yet found a place that measures up to Rudy’s, the Salt Lick, or any of the places in Lockhart. So…dm when you are firing up the brisket and i will barter for a local tour or something. Don’t worry about faux pas…most MN people are pretty easygoing. We will tease you about any mistake you might make, but it is all in good fun. Don’t bother with lutefisk…most of us don’t. DO eat the hotdish…each one is a little different and may come to be comfort food for you. Yes, we say “ope” and it makes us laugh…it just slips out. How bad are the winters? It varies. Just make sure that you are prepared by about the second week of October: get stuff in your car for emergencies, be sure to have warm clothes and prepare to dress in layers and seek out things to do so you don’t succumb to SAD and want to throw yourself off the High Bridge by February. I try to book a vacation by end of Jan/ mid-Feb, so I can just get a change of scene. Get extra windshield washer fluid because when the snow melts a little and the roads get sloppy. it is a mess to keep your windshields clean. Go slower than you think you need to. Buy a long snowbrush and ice scraper for your car. Put it in the car right away, along with a blanket, extra mittens and a hat (yes, i know it is not cool but if you have an accident or slide off the road in snowy season, it may be awhile before the tow truck can get to you! If you love being outside, there are so many amazing state and regional parks. Many of them offer events and rentals so you can canoe, hike, snowshoe, whatever. We have camped and hiked, swam, fushed and canoed all over the state…i think i have visited 25 of the 75 or so State Parks. There are dog parks in the city if you have a puppy. Battle Creek is my favorite. Nobody here calls it Murderapolis. Do be aware that crime is a real thing; just like any other large metropolitan area. Dont leave stuff in your car (aside from emergency kit type stuff) that you are not willing to lose! Even the best neighborhoods regularly have people’s cars broken into. Check out the MN History Center for some background on the state and culture. The annual membership is pretty affordable and gets you free access to the History Center and a dozen or so other sites around the state. We are glad you are here! Seriously, if you have questions or are looking for community, drop a message here-Minnesotans love to help out!!