Hello Minnesotans,
In about a month I'll be joining your ranks. I'm buying a house just outside of St Cloud. It's not my first pick in terms of politics from what I've read, but the state laws are far better for my family than where we live now.
Aside from the fact that we're moving in November, which is one of my more brilliant strokes, to be sure, I'm very excited for this change.
I'm looking for any and all of your Minnesota advice.
I've got a pretty big family, gaggle of kids (from 2nd grade to sophomore in high school), a few dogs, and ambitions on some waterfowl next year maybe.
I'm not afraid of driving in snow, I grew up in MO, we got our share of snow, so I know that often judicious throttle control is better than frantic braking. However, I've never dealt with snow on that scale that sticks for that long. I think we're going from an average annual snowfall of 12ish inches to 40-something annual inches of snow.
Will a self-propelled two stage snowblower kill me on a couple hundred feet of driveway?
Do I really need to scrape the snow off my roof?
How do I help the dogs with the cold? (Do dog boots and coats actually work?)
Got any recommendations for cold weather clothes? (I know we need layers, I'm already a fan of wool, but I need some advice on sourcing stuff that my kids will want to wear)
I love gardening, how much more time will a greenhouse give me in terms of growing season?
How the heck do I make Minnesota friends? I'm not a church person, so I expect this to be difficult for me.
DMV advice?
Best restaurants to visit?
Our family has spent the last year grieving and trying to process what has often felt like some kind of absurd unreality. I want to make this transition as positive as I can.
You don't get to pick where you're born, but you do (to some extent at least) get to pick where you live. We picked Minnesota because of the people, the land, and even the weather.
Sorry for being a stereotype, but I really don't know how else to ask aside from the non-stop googling and YouTube I'm already doing.
TL;DR:
Yet another "I'm moving to Minnesota, help me!" Post.
Edit: You all have given me some great ideas and places to start! Thank you so much!
I'm really excited to start this new chapter and you all have helped relieve some of my worries about being buried alive in snow at least :)
As others said, the snow is cleared off the road, and in only sticking around in the ditches and fields. Unless it's actively snowing, the main roads are typically clean and dry, although at times, if it's windy, there can be drifts and icy spots on the roads, especially in rural areas.
Only if you stick your arm in the auger while it's running. The snowblower will do the work for you, so you just need to go out there and enjoy a nice walk in the fresh snow.
This depends on the house. An older house, maybe. A newer house, probably not.
Looks for people with similar hobbies. People say it's hard making friends here, but it's really not that different from anywhere else.
Apply for your license online, then print out the confirmation letter and bring whatever documentation it says to bring. See if the local office does appointments. In MN, the "DMV" is a mix of county offices, city offices, and private businesses. They are referred to as "deputy registrars" and are not actually operated by the state. The experience at one office can be completely different than a different one. When I moved to a different town, I got my license updated in a bank. When I had to renew it, I went to a county office.
Welcome to Minnesota! Hopefully you'll like it here!
I've just never really dealt with snow of that magnitude so I hear horror stories of ice dams and it's a little scary. I've been thinking it might be safe to copy the neighbors if in doubt, at least till I know better.
As for friends, I've bounced around a bit in my adult life, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, didn't make too many friends beyond my coworkers or people I already knew. I'm not changing jobs for this move, so to meet anyone local I'm gonna have to come out of my shell a bit. If you hear of a gardening/ttrpg/3d printing meetup let me know lol.
The DMV thing sounds familiar. I think I'll just have to be very thorough in my prep.
Thank you!
These are all popular here, especially ttrpg. It's not my thing, but I know there's a lot of people into it. Gotta have something to do during the long cold winters dontchaknow.