Adult Downhill Sledding - Light Stick Races

How to start your adult downhill sledding

1. Gather up some good friends. Send out a mass text message or email. Maybe send a Raven? But find some fun folks to head to the hill.
2. Gather up some sleds. These can be found at most Big Box Stores. I found mine at my parents house. Make a cardboard sled or use your brain to create a super sweet sled.
3. Purchase a pack of glow sticks. I'd say a glow stick per person.
4. Now you have what is needed for a good adult sledding session (maybe a drink too!)

Find a downhill sledding hill

Now you're required to find a good to adequate hill for some sledding. Use the internet, ask friends and family members. This is the most important part... YOU can't go sledding a nice hill and some SNOW.

Glow in the dark sledding

Here we go... the game begins. How do you play? Find a starting line and place the racers on the line. You'll want at least 4 racers for this to be a good time. Have a few people go down the hill to mark a finish line out.

They'll be the ones responsible for cracking the glow sticks and spreading them out at the bottom of the hill. You'll want a fewer glow sticks than racers. The idea is like musical chairs, one or more of the racers will be left WITHOUT a glow stick.

Once glow sticks are lit up and placed across the finish line the race is ready to start. Someone at the top of the hill needs to start the race.

READY... SET.... GO!!!!

The racers speed down the hill. It's a race and anything goes. Winners move on.... Losers get punished. What's the punishment? A shot.... a few push-ups..... walking up the hill with their pants down. This is your call and can change every time or make a tradition out of it. 

Campout Afton State Park Bluffs

Price: $5 (per group)

Location: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/afton/index.html

Afton State park is just past Woodbury, Southeast of the twin cities. It costs $5 per car to park there or $25 for a year long pass. Camp along the bluffs of the St Croix River. They have firewood, water, toilets, everything else. The views are spectacular. Fall is a good time to go to see the treeline across in Wisconsin. You have to hike about 1/2 mile from the parking lot to get to the camp site. Bring a cooler with some beer and look for a triple rainbow.

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Ask out a Random

Price: $0

Location: Coffee shop (preferred)

The key to asking out a random person is finding someone who is somewhat open-minded and will try new things. Here's the idea....Throw a party with some of your buddies or set this up when you are going to a party. Make a note / letter that says something like (Party at 1XXX West XXXX St, Bring ANYONE you want. We are thinking like 100 people or so. I will be on Peter's cell (555-XXX-XXXX...etc.) Go into a Coffee shop where you're likely to find someone a little more open-minded. If you are a guy, ask a girl and say "have you seen a guys, about 6' tall, really good looking, name is John etc.? Well I am supposed to meet him here, but I have to run and I don't have my phone on me. He will be here soon, can you give him this? After you give it to her (him) strike up menial conversation for a minute, and hopefully they will read the card and you can invite them to the party casually.

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Beer Tasting

Local Beer Stores
Everyone brings a different kind of local beer and does a blind taste test with each kind of beer. Pretty straight forward.

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BARGO! TUESDAYS (9pm- close) at LYNDALE TAP HOUSE

It's called BARGO and yes it as fun and easy as real BINGO but it's FREE. This is a perfect idea for a group of friends that need to catch up or are just looking for a night out but nothing crazy. Drinks at Lyndale's Tap House in Uptown are well priced and on this wonderful night you can get $3 dollar effen Vodkas, domestic taps or Captain Morgan to help enjoy your time. The BARGO starts at 9pm and lasts up until closing. You can win prizes and if it's not your LUCKY day, no worries, you didn't have to pay to play any way.

Check out this website for other drinking nights around Minneapolis.

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Small-town tour

Some of the best summer weekends are due to small town street dances. Its sometimes hard to find out where these are and what weekends, but almost every small town in northern MN and western WI have them around the 4th of July. The best way to find these out is by calling the local city governments of counties. I've been trying to figure out how to get a list of different ones for every weekend one of these summers.

Typically there will be:
-cheap beer
-outgoing crowd of people
-cops drinking with 16 yr old locals
-live music / dancing
-exposed love-handles
-no one you know (which is essential to being crazier than usual)

Last time I was at one of these at a bachelor party, we traded a can of beer for a dog. Luckily we found a someone willing to take it from us at the end of the night.

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Off to the RACES!!! Go Horsey GO!

It's Thursday evening and you don't have anything to do, and you're sick of going to the same bar or just going home to rest. Try giving the horse track a chance. Canterbury park in Shakopee, MN has a great deal on Thursday Nights to provide great entertainment for those that enjoy sports and animals. The race track will grant you access to the park for 1$, allow you to eat hot dogs and nachoes at a 1$/piece, all while being able to place dollar bets on a few horses while they race around the track. If you're not sure what to bet on, just stand around the parade area to over hear some experts picking their horses. Or better yet, be bold and pick the horse with your favorite name... WHO knows, you could pick the big underdog winner and go home with some extra cash. BUCK NIGHT starts on JUNE 16th and runs through AUGUST 25th. So call up some friends and tell them to head out to the races. You'll be glad you did!

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Beach Day

Get a couple of friends together. Find your favorite recreational ball and head to the nearest public beach. Pack up the cooler with some ice from the fridge. Grab whatever beer was leftover from the previous weekend(retail value $4). Buy a high quality fruity beverage and just soak up the sun for a couple hours. Great way to get tan and also a good time for you Stags out there to put up a little advertisement to all the young Phillies out there. People love to come together for a friendly game of volleyball and then the best part is you can cool and clean off at anytime.

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Puppy Passion

What's better than playing with a puppy??? The darn things are sooo cute and they can barely stand up. One of the best and also most giving things you can do for these animals is go visit a animal humane society around your area. You can check out the dogs they have on site by clicking the link, so this way you can pick your favorite one to play with when you get there. Now don't be afraid to visit one of these animal shelters because the staff truly enjoys any help they can get with the animals. Being able to run and play with these animals is fun for both you and them so consider giving this idea a shot. AND I've heard through the grapevine that girls can't resist a puppy so it might not be a bad place to bring them. Just pretend like your looking for a dog and ask if they want to come with. Once they're at the shelter they won't be able to control themselves... and who knows what might happen next?

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Wine & Cheese Tasting

Price: $0
Location: France44

Occasionally it is enjoyable to see the other side of life. Namely, paying $30 for wine and $20 for cheese. Well, France44 and other wine shops offer free wine and cheese tasting on Fridays and Saturdays. Just be sure to know how to say things like Gouda & Merlot before going or you will look like an idiot -I've been there.

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Red Box Party (Movie Night)

So it's raining outside or you just don't feel like getting out of the house tonight. Don't worry we've got a cheap trick for you to enjoy a nice relaxing evening indoors with your family, friends or significant other for nearly nothing.

That's right, it's time for a free red box movie. There are plenty of promotional codes out on the internet that will allow you one free night with a movie from red box. I will give you a couple that I've used in the past and a website that can be helpful finding other codes.

Promo Code for any red box: (CAN USE THIS CODE ONCE PER CREDIT/DEBIT CARD)

breakroom

dvdonme

Those two codes will work on any red box. The promo code will get you one free night but don't forget to return the movie the next day before 9pm or else you'll end up spending a dollar each night you keep it after the first one.

I've had many friends end up purchasing these dvd's for 25 bucks after they forgot to return them so don't be that GUY!

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Cheap Movie Tickets

Since the goal is to stay under $8 that rules out almost all movie theaters these days...or does it? Some of the movie theaters sell tickets online and in vestibules at the theater. To the computer, a 65 year old looks the same as a 20 year old. Take advantage. Plus you can always stick around to see a 2nd movie which technically means you are only paying half.

Price: $3-$6 (Depending on the theater)
Locations: Numerous...
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Free Yoga

Core Power Yoga offers a free week of Yoga classes if you are a first time member. You only get as many as you can fit in through one week, which means you could do 3-5 throughout the week.

Core Power Yoga

Price: $0
Location:

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High efficiency date

If you're too poor and cheap to afford the quintessential high-class date (dinner, drinks and tickets to the theater) then try this:

1) Head to Hopkins, stop at McDonald's on the way. Pick up a few McDoubles and some apple pies off the dollar menu. Tell the cashier you want two empty large cups. If the Monopoly game is currently running, then you're probably screwed. If so, head to Taco Bell.

2) Stop at a liquor store and get a cheap bottle of wine ($6). Tell the cashier you just moved and can't find your opener, so you'll need the bottle opened. Fill the empty cups with wine.

3) Buy $2 movie tickets at the $2 Hopkins Theater. If you're ready for a double-header, it's best to check the movie listings to make sure there isn't too much lag time in between movies. You don't want your date passing out on you.

4) = Dinner, drinks and a couple of movies for $7 a piece.

Price: $7 each
Location:
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