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Just Imagine - 31 Reasons to Visit the Arboretum in January

Chanhassen, MN (Dec. 15, 2011) - Start off the new year with a visit to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, a place for inspiration in all seasons.  Here are 31 reasons to come and see us in January!

1. Free Wi-Fi connection for your laptop!  The Arboretum Restaurant is a perfect remedy for cabin fever!
2. Be amazed at "Explore, Experience, Remember," the Arboretum Photographers Society (APS) juried show Jan. 6-May 27 in the Restaurant Gallery.
3. Drop in at a photo clinic with an APS photographer Saturdays in January & February from noon to 3 p.m. Oswald Visitor Center.  Then get outside and capture the beauty and drama of winter. Post your photos on the Arboretum Facebook page.
4. Shop the Gift Store for nature-inspired gifts & check out the winter clearance Jan. 6-31. 
5. Then swoosh over 10 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails through Arboretum woodlands, prairies and winter gardens and tree collections. 
6. Experience 3-plus miles of snowshoe trails traversing woods, wetlands, the Garden for Wildlife, prairies and more!  Rent snowshoes at the Visitor Center info desk.  
7. Sip hot chocolate by the fireplace in the Arb Restaurant. 
8. Weekend Family Fun: Prehistoric Plants on January weekends from noon to 4 p.m. Meet some living fossils and prehistoric plants from the days of the diplodocus in the Learning Center . 
9. Enjoy a Winter Gourmet Dinner. Friday, Jan. 13, 6:30-8 p.m., Snyder Building lobby and Fireplace Room.  $65 members/ $70 non-members. Multi-course meal with wine pairings. Call 612-626-3951 or visit arboretum.umn.edu.
10. See the exquisite paintings - and one stunning mosaic - in the "Reflections of the Season" art exhibit in the Oswald Visitor Center's Reedy Gallery, through Jan. 29. 
11. Take a mini-trip to the tropics. Visit the Snyder Building's Meyer-Deats Conservatory - newly renovated and filled with orchids, bromeliads and more!  Ahh!
12. Bring the kids for StoryTime Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. in Andersen Horticultural Library.
13. Immerse yourself in exquisite botanical images: Wild Green Things: The Art of Anne Ophelia Dowden showcases artwork by the acclaimed artist and author on loan from the U of M Kerlan Collection of children's literature.  Jan. 18-May 2.  Reedy Gallery & Snyder Building and Andersen Horticultural Library. 
14. Dig a little deeper into Dowden's life and art through an "Inside the Collection" class.  Lucie Taylor, curator of the "Wild Green Things" exhibit, will discuss and display the works of this prolific illustrator and author.  Wednesday, Jan. 18, noon-1 p.m. Andersen Horticultural Library.  Fee:  $7.50 member/ $10 non-member. Call 952-443-1422 or visit www.arboretum.umn.edu to register.
15. A delicious way to support local foods: Third Thursday luncheon specials in the Restaurant on Jan. 19!  The special menu is nutritious, locally sourced and delicious.
16. Check out the Uff-da Palace covered with snow!  It's a magical place!
17. Walk the groomed paths through the perennial and wildflower gardens. See nature's handiwork in the intricate bark patterns on birch, coffee trees and more.  Enjoy the stark contrasts and dramatic settings - bright red berries, red osier dogwood, vivid conifers against the snowy white backdrop.
18. Retreat to the Andersen Horticultural Library, open a few gardening books and catalogs and imagine the possibilities for your 2012 garden.
19. While you're in the library, run your fingers over the handcrafted wood furniture by master furniture-maker George Nakashima and marvel at its beauty.
20. Visit the Marion Andrus Learning Center and let the kids wander through the Please Touch Greenhouse and kid-friendly displays.
21. Love is always in season - say "I do" at the Arboretum. Check out our Winter Wedding Package.  Snow-laden trees, serene landscapes, breathtakingly beautiful setting included.
22. Hike Three-Mile Drive and try to spot our winter friends - the wild turkeys, woodpeckers, tree sparrows, snow buntings, juncos and even a hardy robin or two.  Search for tracks left by squirrels, chipmunks, deer or maybe even a red fox.
23. Sex!  Sign up for this steamy class - Sexual Reproduction: Working with Seeds, Saturday, Jan. 28, 10 a.m. -12:30 p.m.  $35/$45. Snyder Building. Call 952-443-1422. Learn the biology of seeds, germination techniques, scarification, stratification and more from horticulturalist Jim Caulkins.
24. Winter Hearty! Jan. 29, 2-5 p.m.  Sample "classic to comfort" foods and sip local wines and brews. Several local restaurants, brewers and vineyards will provide delicious samples at this Arboretum fundraiser.  $40. To register, visit www.arboretum.umn.edu/winterheartyfood.aspx. 
25. Have you tried our freshly baked, irresistible scones?  'Nuf said.
26. Enjoy a leisurely Sunday brunch of delicious hot and cold fare - including made-to-order omelets - at the Arboretum Restaurant.  No reservations required. $10.99 for adults; less for children.
27. No, parents, it's not too early to think about summer camp options!  Registration for Arboretum summer day camps opens Jan.1. Stop by the Learning Center to learn more or visit www.arboretum.umn.edu.
28. Check out the Japanese garden - the epitome of winter serenity. 
29. Romp to Stomp Breast Cancer Snowshoe 5K & 3K & Expo on Saturday, Jan. 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Join us for this delightful fundraiser benefiting the Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  Also includes a short course for children.  To register, visit http://www.tubbsromptostomp.com/mn .
30. Cure your "cabin fever" by networking with friends in the Arboretum Restaurant.  Then try your hand at one of our  "public" jigsaw puzzles.....they are irresistible! 

-The End-

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, comprising 1,137acres, is located in Chanhassen, Minn., on State Hwy 5, nine miles west of the intersection with I-494. The largest public garden in the Upper Midwest, the Arboretum is part of the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Science.   Open 363 days a year, admission is $12 adults; free for members and ages 15 & under.