See why Minnesota is known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" by visiting the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes Regional Park, which encompasses the shorelines of five different lakes and offers access to a variety of water sports activities. Other fun outdoor activities include a walk around the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and a stroll across the Stone Arch Bridge, which promises impressive views of the Minneapolis skyline.

If rain or snow forces you inside, make the most of the Twin Cities' cultural attractions, such as the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Walker Art Center or the Mill City Museum.

If you find yourself in Minneapolis during the winter months, you'll have plenty of indoor and outdoor attractions and activities to keep you entertained, including:

• Snow tubing, sledding and cross-country skiing at Theodore Wirth Regional Park
• Ice Castles, a frozen attraction that's built from hundreds of thousands of icicles that includes LED-lit sculptures, frozen thrones, ice-carved tunnels, slides, fountains and more
• The Saint Paul Winter Carnival
• Endless shopping at the Mall of America
• Exploring the local craft beer scene at any of the Twin Cities' top breweries, including Day Block Brewing Company, Dangerous Man Brewing Company and Surly Brewing Co.

Fall is a great time to visit Minneapolis before winter's chill sets in. Make the most of the pleasant 50- to 70-degree temperatures with these outdoor activities:

• Admire the Minneapolis skyline and the colorful fall foliage at Boom Island Park
• See the changing leaves along the trails in Minnehaha Regional Park
• Marvel at the carved pumpkins on display as part of the Minnesota Zoo's Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular
• Pick your own apples at popular spots like Pine Tree Apple Orchard, Aamodt's Apple Farm or Minnetonka Orchard
• Cheer on the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium, or catch a University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football game at Huntington Bank Stadium