DO & SEE

Mush!

Good news: You don’t have to head all the way Up North for this experience of a lifetime. Learn about the sport of dogsledding and meet the resident Siberian Husky team at Silent Run Adventures, then mush across ponds and pastures, all in nearby Monticello.

Experience art.

The city-owned Paramount Center for the Arts, housed in a three-story brick building in historic downtown St. Cloud, is a one-stop shop for arts of all kinds. Take a one-off wood-turning, ceramics or painting class in the Visual Arts Studio; see what’s up on gallery walls; or attend a performance in the renovated 1921 theater. Among the upcoming shows: “Folsom Prison Experience,” a re-creation of the legendary Johnny Cash show (Jan. 11–12) and “The Lightening Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” (Feb. 2–11).

Pick a snow sport.

Head to Powder Ridge for tubing, skiing or snowboarding. (They make their own snow, too.) In a space once home to more than 20 granite quarries, Quarry Park and Nature Preserve has snowshoeing, winter walking and lighted cross-country skiing trails groomed with classic and skate ski tracks. And there’s an abundance of local hills and rinks for sledding and skating, with loaners available. (Check the city’s website for locations.)

EAT & STAY

Korppi Coffee + Bakeshop

Stop in any time of day for a satisfying something. This popular, airy shop serve lattes, teas and smoothies; seasonal soups and salads; and delicious home-baked goodies, including gluten-free options. If the space looks familiar, that’s because it was a Dunn Brothers Coffee location until a couple of years ago.

Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites St. Cloud

Families love this newly renovated AAA Three Diamond hotel’s multiple swimming pools, toddler play area, arcade (above), basketball court, weekend kids’ activities and on-site restaurant with free kids’ meals. Rooms come with microwaves and mini fridges, and the location is top notch, fewer than 10 minutes from Quarry Park and downtown St. Cloud.