Erica Wacker
(She/Her)
As seen in:
HuffPost,
The Minnesota Star Tribune,
Craft Brewing Business,
Minnesota Monthly,
Minnesota Parent
Covers:
Midwest travel, lifestyle features, environment, parenting and food
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Writer of words. Comms pro. Public servant. Boy mom.
Articles by Erica Wacker
Fewer Minnesota taxpayers opting to donate money to help threatened species
Fewer Minnesota taxpayers opting to donate money to help threatened species Tax-time gifts fund a third of the state’s Nongame Wildlife Program, which supports more than 500 species. For the Minnesota Star Tribune April 14, 2026 at 11:00AM Trumpeter swans take flight over the Swan Lake Wildlife Management Area on Oct. 10, 2025, near Nicollet, Minn. The swans are among hundreds of species that have benefited from the state's Nongame Wildlife Program.
Legacy of the Lakes
The origin story of Minnesota’s “Land of 10,000 Lakes” tagline begins with another state icon: the Minnesota State Fair, where historians believe a professor named Ransom F. Humiston referenced the state’s 10,000 lakes in an 1874 speech. By the 1920s, it became a widely used tourism slogan and has been synonymous with Minnesota ever since (despite being a massive undercount of our official 11,842 lakes).
Accessability movement helps Minnesota bird-watchers flock together
Rain was just letting up as folks started arriving at Roberts Bird Sanctuary in southwest Minneapolis. Groups meet there most weekend mornings in the spring to see and hear migrating warblers, waterfowl, woodpeckers, owls and more than 100 other species that reside in or pass through the Lake Harriet-adjacent habitat.
The Wisconsin Dells Is More Than Waterparks
The Vegas of the Upper Midwest. The Waterpark Capital of the World. Families flock to the Wisconsin Dells for the waterslides, roller coasters, mini golf, and magic shows. It’s entirely possible to spend your whole Dells vacation in artificial environments, clad in your swimsuit and flip-flops, and racking up arcade tickets at your waterpark hotel. But that would be a mistake.
2022 Summer Destinations Close to Minnesota
Minnesota State Fair For a typical state fair, 1.3 million attendees is huge. For the Great Minnesota Get-Together, that number from 2021 was well below the record due to COVID-19 woes. Whether the pandemic will cast a shadow over the 2022 State Fair (Aug. 25-Sept. 5) remains to be seen, but Fair fans are gearing up for another year of live music, fried foods, fast rides, and heaps of family fun.
Summer Travel: Brainerd Lakes Area
Where exactly “up north” begins and ends is up for perennial debate, but few would argue the Brainerd Lakes Area falls smack dab in the middle of the debate. With its sprawling lakes, award-winning golf courses, charming downtowns, and exciting attractions, this central-Minnesota vacation destination continues to draw new and repeat visitors for timeless summer fun. The area’s newest attraction is dedicated to one of its oldest draws: the common loon.
Beyond shy - Minnesota Parent
I’ve always been a fan of organized activities. As a kid, I participated in sports and dance classes, and went on to join things like student council and my college newspaper. Today, I’m involved in moms’ groups and the PTA. If there’s a schedule and a coordinating T-shirt, I’m there. So as soon as our first son was old enough, we signed him up for swimming lessons. “This will be fun!” we thought.
10 Quintessential Minnesota Lakes
In Minnesota, a favorite lake is personal. It’s the home of the family cabin, the lake where you caught your first fish, or the one that’s close enough to visit often. For our Land of 10,000+ Lakes issue, we wanted to focus on the top 10. But picking the 10 best lakes in a land of 10 grand—actually there are 11,842 lakes—is a futile task.
St. Paul student chases food dream with YouTube cooking channel, 'Noshing with Netta'
On a seasonably cold December afternoon, Netta Hardin is in her kitchen making vegan cream of broccoli soup. The recipe has six basic ingredients: broccoli, olive oil, onion, vegetable stock, russet potatoes and cashews, plus kosher salt and pepper to taste. Across the small kitchen island, Netta's mom, Allyson Perling, is holding an iPhone with a microphone and tripod attached.
The Reuse Revolution: Secondhand Goods in the Twin Cities
Zeroish Co. Provided The corner of 50th Street and Penn Avenue in Minneapolis’ Fulton neighborhood looks like many other intersections in this part of town. There’s a coffee shop, a few restaurants, and an eclectic mix of independently owned stores. But take a closer look, and you’ll start to see a common thread among several of the merchants.
How Minnesota Could Lose the Loon
On March 13, 1961, Governor Elmer L. Andersen signed legislation designating the common loon as Minnesota’s official state bird. The sleek, sophisticated diver with a majestic wail had prevailed over the goldfinch, pileated woodpecker, and wood duck to become a lasting symbol of the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Of course, the loon was revered long before this legislation.
Minnesota Road Trip Restaurants: South
Suzette’s @finchathome/Instagram There’s that moment on any car trip when hunger shifts from a passing thought to a full-on obsession. Fast-food chains and gas station convenience stores hugging the off-ramps are counting on you to take the easy way out, but it doesn’t always end up that way. Sometimes you luck upon a venerable diner or a roadside café, and you proceed to have the best meal of the year. Why leave it to chance?
Minnesota Road Trip Restaurants: "Up North"
The dining hall of the Naniboujou Lodge Photo by Minnevangelist There’s that moment on any car trip when hunger shifts from a passing thought to a full-on obsession. Fast-food chains and gas station convenience stores hugging the off-ramps are counting on you to take the easy way out, but it doesn’t always end up that way. Sometimes you luck upon a venerable diner or a roadside café, and you proceed to have the best meal of the year. Why leave it to chance?
Minnesota Road Trip Restaurants: US-169 North
There’s that moment on any car trip when hunger shifts from a passing thought to a full-on obsession. Fast-food chains and gas station convenience stores hugging the off-ramps are counting on you to take the easy way out, but it doesn’t always end up that way. Sometimes you luck upon a venerable diner or a roadside café, and you proceed to have the best meal of the year. Why leave it to chance?
Minnesota Road Trip Restaurants: Northwest
There’s that moment on any car trip when hunger shifts from a passing thought to a full-on obsession. Fast-food chains and gas station convenience stores hugging the off-ramps are counting on you to take the easy way out, but it doesn’t always end up that way. Sometimes you luck upon a venerable diner or a roadside café, and you proceed to have the best meal of the year. Why leave it to chance?
Minnesota Road Trip Restaurants: Southeast
There’s that moment on any car trip when hunger shifts from a passing thought to a full-on obsession. Fast-food chains and gas station convenience stores hugging the off-ramps are counting on you to take the easy way out, but it doesn’t always end up that way. Sometimes you luck upon a venerable diner or a roadside café, and you proceed to have the best meal of the year. Why leave it to chance?
Find Minnesota's Top Mountain Biking Trails on the Iron Range
Redhead Mountain Bike Park in Chisholm Photo by Jay Richards If you haven’t heard much of Redhead Mountain Bike Park yet, you will soon. Over the course of five months last year—in the middle of a global pandemic, no less—more than 15,000 people visited Chisholm to ride the region’s newest mountain bike trails. Downtown storefronts that had been vacant for years suddenly had interested buyers.
How to Camp, Fish, and Unwind at Lake Vermilion
Lake Vermilion Photo by Olivia Carlson My first trip to Lake Vermilion was in May 2015. It was the 68th annual Governor’s Fishing Opener with then-Governor Mark Dayton, and I was there as part of my then-job at the Minnesota tourism office. As a recent transplant from Chicago, the fact that my new home state had an unofficial holiday dedicated to the first day of the fishing season blew my mind.
Girls, boys & their toys
Erica Wacker November 19, 2020 Updated: December 3, 2020 - 9:32 am Mischief’s toy selection focuses on creativity, problem solving and inventive play. Photo by Erica Wacker So what are you having? If you’ve ever been pregnant, you know exactly what this question means. The asker is not wondering what you’re having for lunch. They want to know if the baby growing inside of you is going to be born biologically male or biologically female.
Minnesota's expanding Buy Nothing movement is a gift to its members and to Mother Earth
Amid a torrent of upsetting headlines, political commentary and neighborhood rants that define many Facebook feeds, a picture of a sweet tabby next to what looked like pieces of colorful glass broke through the clutter. "Does anyone have any extra mosaic pieces they aren't using?" Melanie Aggen's post began. "Our cat passed away this week, and my 5-year-old wants to make her a gravestone like the one we saw at the kitty ER.
Stop for These Unique Eats On Your Next Minnesota Road Trip
The Moorhead DQ went rogue a long time ago Photo by Jon Forness The Dilly Bar’s Birthplace There are 225 Dairy Queens in Minnesota, but none like the Moorhead DQ. In operation since 1949, the retro red-and-white walk-up shop has eschewed corporate franchise rules and still operates under its original contract. The store is best known for inventing the Dilly Bar in the 1950s, which is commemorated with a giant statue version on the patio.
7 Culturally Enriching Road Trips in Minnesota
Jeffers Petroglyphs carvings range from 250 to 7,000 years old Photo by John Cross, Courtesy of MNHS Minnesota’s heritage goes far beyond its well-known Scandinavian roots, and our relationship with local history—past and present—is complicated. Thousands of years ago, the Ioway, Otoe, Cheyenne, and Dakota people lived in southwest Minnesota, hunting buffalo, growing crops, and fishing and navigating our many lakes and rivers.
Unique Road Trips: Where Art Meets Nature in Minnesota
Touch the Sky Prairie is home to 120 species of native plants and grasses, as well as a secluded waterfall. Photo by Jim Brandenburg For those of us who like to travel, 2020 was—to put it mildly—kind of a letdown. Our family’s 13-person multigenerational trip to Disney World vanished faster than the Cheshire Cat from Wonderland.
Your Guide to Birding in Minnesota
The first phase of the National Loon Center opens this year in Crosslake Photo by Steve Masimore When a pandemic-induced pause began last March, many of us found new ways to pass the time outside—even if it was just to the backyard at first. When Katie Koranda went from working three jobs to sitting still, she started looking out the window of her Richfield home. One day, she spotted a blue jay. It was so vibrant and so loud that she couldn’t believe she hadn’t seen it before.
Girls, boys & their toys
Erica Wacker November 19, 2020 Mischief’s toy selection focuses on creativity, problem solving and inventive play. Photo by Erica Wacker So what are you having? If you’ve ever been pregnant, you know exactly what this question means. The asker is not wondering what you’re having for lunch. They want to know if the baby growing inside of you is going to be born biologically male or biologically female. A perfectly innocent and socially acceptable question, to be sure.
Fitting in fitness
At the age of 39 (and a half), Jess Helle-Morrissey had never exercised. She didn’t play sports as a kid, had no desire to hit the gym and looked and felt pretty healthy. So why start now? As her 40th birthday loomed, the St. Paul mom of three was going on a lot of walks with her baby, who would sleep only in her carrier. But as the days and weeks went on, something started to change. “The more I walked, I noticed it getting easier,” she said.
Minnesota Parent
There’s no shortage of scary statistics about how much trash Americans produce (over 4 pounds per person, per day), how big our carbon footprint is (more than triple the world average) or how little of our plastic actually gets recycled (9% — yikes). If you’re like me, these stats make you feel two things — a strong desire to do something about it and an overwhelming fear of having no idea where to start. Changing your family’s routine to “go green” seems even more daunting when you’re a parent.
Fitting in fitness
Exercise after kids isn’t just good for your body. It’s also important for maintaining mental health. Here’s how to get going! By Erica Wacker Erica Wacker is outnumbered in St. Paul by her husband, two sons and dog (also male). A transplant via Chicago, she has adopted Minnesota as her forever home — winters and all. At the age of 39 (and a half), Jess Helle-Morrissey had never exercised. She didn’t play sports as a kid, had no desire to hit the gym and looked and felt pretty healthy.
Greener together
These days, going green doesn’t have to be about fitting a year’s worth of trash into a Mason jar. It’s about becoming a more conscious consumer in ways that work for you and your family. There’s no shortage of scary statistics about how much trash Americans produce (over 4 pounds per person, per day), how big our carbon footprint is (more than triple the world average) or how little of our plastic actually gets recycled (9% — yikes).
Minnesota Parent
I’ve always been a fan of organized activities. As a kid, I participated in sports and dance classes, and went on to join things like student council and my college newspaper. Today, I’m involved in moms’ groups and the PTA. If there’s a schedule and a coordinating T-shirt, I’m there. So as soon as our first son was old enough, we signed him up for swimming lessons. “This will be fun!” we thought.
Learning Vacations Make Minnesota Your Classroom
Your alarm goes off at 4 a.m. You get dressed, eat a quick breakfast, and head out the door before the sun rises. After an action-packed day, going to bed early isn’t on the agenda. You’re out and about at sunset and later still, venturing to one of the darkest places you’ll ever see, so dark the stars cast shadows on the ground. While this may not sound like a vacation to some, for others, it’s one of the most memorable trips they’ll ever take.
10 Reasons to Explore MSP Airport
The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is considered among the best in the country, and was recently called "the best two-hour layover in the U.S." by Men’s Journal. Get there early or spend some time after you land to discover any or all of these 10 highlights. 1.
Find Halloween Fun for All Ages in Minnesota
As the temperatures get cooler and the beautiful fall colors start to appear, it can only mean that Halloween is right around the corner. While trick-or-treating and spooky decorations are staples of the holiday, Minnesota is also known for its fantastic Halloween celebrations and festivities around the state. The largest Halloween celebration by and large is in Anoka, also known as the Halloween Capital of the World.
Slideshow: Minnesota's Most Memorable Murals
Slideshow: Minnesota's Most Memorable Murals By Erica Wacker Minnesota's most iconic murals can be found in big cities and small towns all across the state. Some are decades old, while others are new additions. Use the map below and plan a road trip to see them all. St. Paul: A selfie with the "Greetings from Minnesota" mural is a must for every State Fair-goer—all 2 million of them. Susan Warner's glass art mosaic debuted in 2008 to commemorate the state's sesquicentennial.
Minnesota Fiber: The Journey from Farm to Yarn
There’s a tree that stands atop a hill in the middle of Vicki Fossum’s 120-acre family farm on the outskirts of Northfield, Minn. When she’s not tending to the animals, working at her day job or taking care of her family, this tree is Vicki’s happy place. As she sits under it, a few of her miniature Scottish Highland cattle graze around her, while her 51 alpacas happily pronk and roll in the dirt.
Trending Now: FootGolf
Trade golf balls for soccer balls and golf clubs for your legs, and you’ve got a whole new sport. Called footgolf, this new hybrid game can be played at close to 20 traditional Minnesota golf courses and counting, including about a dozen in the Twin Cities and others in Rochester, Brainerd, the Mille Lacs area and more. There's even a footgolf-only course in West St. Paul. The object of the game is simple: Start at the tee, and get the ball into the hole with as few kicks as possible.
Outdoor Adventures Await in Minnesota
Mountain biking in Duluth overlooking Lake Superior / Hansi Johnson America’s healthiest city. Outside Magazine’s best town. The nation’s top city parks. These accolades, along with many others, have been bestowed upon Minnesota in recent years—and for good reason. With more than 4,000 miles of paved bike trails, 11,000 lakes, 500 golf courses and one of the world’s longest rivers starting its journey here, outdoor recreation is in our DNA. But these activities aren’t just for locals.
48 Essential Minnesota Events
Whether you're into art, animals or ice fishing, you're sure to find an event worth traveling to this year in Minnesota. Find even more fun in the Festivals & Events calendar. Learn about how beer is made and taste samples from more than 40 breweries from Minnesota and beyond. Parades, snow sculptures, ice palaces and an outdoor beer festival are among the highlights of this 132-year-old seasonal celebration.
Warm Up at a Local Coffee Shop
Finding a good cup of coffee is at the top of many travelers' lists as soon as they arrive at their destination. In Minnesota, a local coffee shop is never far away, whether it's on a small town main street or in a big city neighborhood. Grab a good book or a good friend and feel like a regular at any of these cafes around the state. Lake Superior Bakehouse in downtown Duluth serves locally roasted French Roast, Columbian, Tanzanian Peaberry and Decaf Sumatran coffees, plus a flavor of the day.
5 Must-See Museums in Southern Minnesota
From fine art to live eagles and cherished literature, museums across southern Minnesota celebrate the diversity of the region while catering to a variety of interests. These five sites offer a taste of the options available Perched alongside the Mississippi River, the Minnesota Marine Art Museum has played a pivotal role in Winona’s emergence as an arts and cultural center.
Choose Your Own Outdoor Adventure in Minnesota
America’s healthiest city. Outside Magazine’s best town. The nation’s top city parks. These accolades, along with many others, have been bestowed upon Minnesota in recent years—and for good reason. With more than 4,000 miles of paved bike trails, 11,000 lakes, 500 golf courses and one of the world’s longest rivers starting its journey here, outdoor recreation is in our DNA. But these activities aren’t just for locals.
Photos: 12 of Minnesota's Most Magnificent Lakes
Photos: 12 of Minnesota's Most Magnificent Lakes By Erica Wacker Lake Superior: Minnesota's northeast corner follows the North Shore of Lake Superior, a magnificent body of water that lives up to its name as the largest freshwater lake in the country, bigger than all of the other Great Lakes combined.
Get a Taste of the Craft Beverage Boom
While Minnesota is known for producing foods like wild rice, sweet corn and blueberries, it’s the state’s drinkable crops that are making headlines. Wineries, breweries, distilleries and cideries continue to up the ante with new facilities, recipes and events, and they’re inviting visitors to come taste the results. Find all Minnesota breweries, wineries, distilleries and cideries on the Land of 10,000 Drinks map.
Winter Is Hygge Season in Minnesota
Minnesota takes a lot of cues from Scandinavia, with numerous shops, restaurants, cultural attractions, and even the name of our football team paying homage to this idyllic Northern European region. While Scandinavians have been immigrating to Minnesota for centuries (close to a third of the state’s population is of Scandinavian descent), a more recent import is the trending concept of hygge.
Get Your Fill of Fall Food Traditions
As summer’s heat gives way to autumn’s shorter days and cooler nights, other, subtler changes start to work their way into our daily lives. Kids go back to school, shorts and swimsuits go back in the closet, and cravings for ice cream and lemonade are replaced with thoughts of hearty chili, warm pie, darker beers and aged wines. In addition to the changing leaves and crisper air, grape stomps, apple festivals and Oktoberfest celebrations are sure signs that fall has arrived in Minnesota.
Winter Carnival Celebrates 131 Years of Not Being Siberia
Hell hath no fury like a Minnesotan scorned. As the story goes, the Saint Paul Winter Carnival began in response to a few misguided East Coast reporters who called the state “another Siberia, unfit for human habitation.” Fast-forward 131 years, and we’re still proving them wrong with 16 days of ice sculptures, parades, races and other revelry during the coldest and darkest time of the year. Taking place Jan. 26-Feb.
What are the most popular craft breweries in Minnesota?
Sociable Cider Werks in Minneapolis sources its main ingredient — fresh-pressed apples — for beers and ciders from Pepin Heights orchard in Lake City, Minn. Minnesota is well known for producing foods like wild rice, sweet corn and Honeycrisp apples, but lately, it’s the state’s drinkable crops that are making headlines.
10 Things to Do in Minnesota This Fall
Apple picking, football and pumpkin-flavored everything can only mean one thing: Fall has arrived in Minnesota. This special season is short and sweet, so make the most of it by checking at least a few of these awesome autumn activities off your list: Whether you prefer to carve scary faces into them, bake and eat the seeds, or use them as centerpieces, locally grown pumpkins are a must-have this time of year.
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