Frozen Minnehaha Falls 2014

Due to the extreme cold, combined with the high quantity of snow, the Midwest and Minnesota particularly, were a bear to handle this year.  Good thing Minnesotans can be creative to deal with a brutal winter!  This year I saw images of people who created a giant snow-shark in their front yard, guys donning frosted beards, and a 50 foot tall snowman in an outside rural town.  

As a Twin Cities resident, one great thing to remember to do in the winter, is to visit the beautifully frozen and aqua-blue Minnehaha Falls, for free. 

Ice crystals formed on the top of the cave, beneath the falls. 

The coloration of the ice accumulation beneath the falls is incredible.  If you have steady feet, I highly recommend a visit before the spring melt has completed.  You'll want to bring boots and be careful on your way up, but it is completely worth the climb.

It's quite surreal inside, and the colors are fascinating to everyone that crawls behind the falls.  I definitely recommend bringing a camera with you to capture some of the beauty.

The name Minnehaha comes from Henry Longfellow's story "The Song of Hiawatha." In the book, Minnehaha is a fictional Native-American character; the Dakotan term translates to "waterfall."

This is definitely one of the easiest spots to forget to visit in the winter time, and it can be a difficult spot to reach, but it's a great way to shake off the cabin fever.

I hope you've enjoyed my photos of this gorgeous frozen sight in Minneapolis!  I'm happy to have found this backstage beauty on a whim a couple of years back. That being said, I am okay with winter vanishing immediately, until next year.  Enjoy the last several days of your winter! Skol!