Three Bears Water Park – The Three Bears Water Park in Baxter offers visitors of all ages a fun and relaxing time .
North Safari Wildlife Park – Feed a giraffe some carrots when visiting the North Safari Wildlife Park in Brainerd .
Paul Bunyan Water Park – Splash around after a hot summer day in the Paul Bunyan Water Bark in Baxter .
Best day trip with kids
By Sheila Mccoy
Looking for a fun day trip with the kids ? Just head north to the Brainerd / Baxter area for a wide variety of things to do for
the whole family .
If your family enjoys nature , the Safari North Wildlife Park offers an adventure featuring wild animals from across the world . The North America Exhibit is the home to animals , such as raccoons , skunks , wolf , black bear , bald eagle , cougar and grizzly bears . Want to feed an alligator at a safe distance ? Special pellets made for alligators can be purchased on the site .
From a hotter climate are the animals in the Australia Exhibit . Make sure to bring your camera to take some cute photos of the kangaroo , wallaby , emu , eclectus parrot and more .
Ever wondered what a white or orange Bengal tiger looks like up close ? This is your chance . In the Asia exhibit , you will see many other unique and majestic animals as well , such as the nilgai antelope , black and spotted leopards and more .
Are you brave enough to ride a camel ? Then head over to the African exhibit . There you will not only have the opportunity to ride a camel , but also to watch some of the coolest African animals , such as the flamingo , striped hyena , wart hog , patas monkey , zebra and many more . Also , why not feed the giraffe some carrots ( purchased on site ) while you are visiting this exhibit ?
Return to the Americas by visiting the South America exhibit . One amazing fact about the animals in this exhibit is their ability to adapt to their surroundings . Look closely and you will find various animals , such as rhea , alpaca , macaw and more .
But the fun doesn ’ t stop here . Safari North also offers a special on-site archeological expedition where you can dig for dinosaur bones . Here you can also see how far you can jump compared to some animals around the world or mine for gemstones .
Safari North has a barn yard petting zoo . Ever wanted to try milking a cow ? This is your chance . One thing you will notice while visiting the barn yard is the animals ’ love for a sweet feed ( corn , oats and molasses ) that can be purchased on site .
Souvenirs of the zoo , shirts , toys and other items can be purchased at the gift shop .
Hungry ? Just stop by the Snack Shack to purchase a pulled pork sandwich , pizza nachos and cheese and more . Candy bars , ice cream treats and soda are sold here , as well .
Safari North is located at 8493 State Hwy . 371 in Brainerd and is open from May 12 to Sept . 30 , seven days a week , from 9 a . m . to 6 p . m . For more information , visit www . safarinorth . com or call ( 218 ) 454-1662 .
For those who are ready to have some water fun and to splash around , just travel about eight miles north of Safari North to either the Three Bears Water Park or to the Paul Bunyan Water Park .
The Three Bears Water Park is located at 15739 Audubon Way in Baxter at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites . This water park has several features for children and adults . If you ’ re not scared of getting wet , standing below the big 1,000 gallon bucket when it ’ s emptied might just be for you . Just listen for the bell and get ready .
The Grizzly Express is a 300-foot long tube slide . Ride together or alone , your call . When riding the 300-foot long tube slide , the Polar Express , be prepared to travel fast . The activity pool includes two basketball hoops and offer a lot of fun .
Ready to take a relaxing break from all the fun ? Head over to one of the two large hot tubs that can accommodate 18 people each . Or you can just relax on a tube or without one in the Lazy River .
For the younger children , the plunge slide is always a hoot . And for the really small children , make sure to visit the tot slide . There is also laser tag and a game room available at this site .
For more information , call ( 218 ) 824-3232 .
Nearly right across the road at the Arrowwood Lodge is the Paul Bunyan Water Park . Located at
26 destinationupnorth . com