The best things about growing up in Rochester, MN

“Where are you from?” is possibly the most frequently asked question on a college campus. This question usually prompts a rather rehearsed answer, including the name of a town and a comment about what the city is known for or the name of a larger neighboring city that the asker is sure to have heard of. The answer for me is, “Rochester, MN – home of The Mayo Clinic.”

If you are in any medical field or from the area you have probably heard of it. If not, it was referenced briefly in Grey’s Anatomy, a fact that I am probably a little too proud of. Though some residents are bitter about the amount of the city that Mayo inhabits, I must admit that it was nice to have a world famous hospital down the road in case of a scraped knee or the flu. Mayo, of course, wasn’t the only thing that made growing up in Rochester great, but many people seem to overlook the other things that made Rochester one of the best places to grow up.

Getting together, no matter the weather

Being from Minnesota, we grow up learning never to let the weather ruin the fun. Every Thursday during the summer, downtown Rochester shuts down for Thursdays on First, an event that draws families from all over the area. The streets are riddled with vendors, and musicians perform throughout the night. During the winter, the same general area closes down and transforms into SocialICE, an outdoor Ice Bar. While this event is aimed toward a crowd over 21, it also offers an ice sculpture garden and ice carving demonstrations. Sometimes there is even a mini-golf course made of ice!

Rochester Athletic Club

As a kid, going to the RAC was like traveling to an alternate universe – one with swimming pools, basketball courts, toys, games and a dessert menu that blew my childhood mind. It was the venue of more than one of my birthday parties and during the summer my siblings and I practically lived there. Now, it has expanded and is equally impressive even when measured by my young adult standards.

Food inspired structures

By far my favorite thing about Rochester (which tells you a lot about my priorities) is the corn shaped water tower that looks over the city. This recommendation on many a road trip website has been a staple of the city since the 1930s. Unfortunately, there has been a recent increase in people attempting to climb the tower that has resulted in rumors of it being repainted or taken down. So, if you’re planning on climbing the corn water tower, please don’t – I love that thing.

Purple participation ribbons

Every year over 2,500 children and their families show up to participate in the All-Comers Track Meet. My family attended religiously and the whole family competed. I was never very fast and my excitement about running decreased steadily every year, but I was always more than satisfied with the signature purple participation ribbon given to all the runners.

Local wildlife

With over 3500 acres of park land, Rochester offers many opportunities to get in touch with your wild side. There are a multitude of trails to explore and deer sightings are extremely common. My favorite park is Silver Lake Park because of the geese that are often roaming the area, but if you decide to take the trip here be careful! The geese have been known to bite if you chase them (just ask my brother).

Quarry Hill Nature Center

If you polled the students of Rochester Public Schools, odds are you would find that most, if not all, have taken a field trip to Quarry Hill. The Nature Center holds a number of resources to learn about various animals and reptiles native to the area. There is also a park complete with areas and trails for hiking, fossil hunting, snowshoeing and more.

Though I can now easily see everything that Rochester brought to my childhood, it wasn’t always so easy. When I left for college I never imagined that I would miss the area. But once you’re gone, being away from Rochester is like being the mop from the “Baby Come Back” Swiffer commercial. You see it in a whole new light and you can’t wait to be home again.