Issuu

JULY 2020

CityLifestyle.com/EdenPrairie

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LIFESTYLE LETTER

JULY 2020 PUBLISHER

John Lee | john.lee@lifestylepubs.com EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

David Scheller | david.scheller@lifestylepubs.com

Summertime When the Livin' Is Easy HELLO EDEN PRAIRIE LIFESTYLE READERS,

AD DESIGNER

Whitney Lockhart LAYOUT DESIGNER

Dani Moore

I am writing this letter a couple of months before this issue goes to print, so I can

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

only imagine what everyone in town will be talking about this July. I hope a big topic

Bill Scheller

will be how to enjoy the summertime in Eden Prairie, which would make our annual summer issue remarkably relevant. We’ve got a real summer treat of a magazine for you this month. Read on and learn how you can turn your lawn into bird central – the secret is feeding them. We feature travel writer Bill Scheller’s top three picks for summer reading. We also feature Eden Prairie’s 4th of July Hometown Celebration, sadly limited in scope this year due to all the recent unpleasantness, but still present wherever someone lights a grill or a fire cracker. We had prepared a good article about putting a skating rink in your backyard for our winter issue, but we waited so long that it became about swimming pools instead. Finally, we provide a great option for local golf, basically in our backyard.

CORPORATE TEAM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt CHIEF SALES OFFICER Matthew Perry CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DeLand Shore ART DIRECTOR Sara Minor

As always, I would like to thank all of Eden Prairie Lifestyle’s sponsors, without

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Janeane Thompson

whose generous support we could not mail our magazine directly to our readers’

AD MANAGER Chad Jensen

homes. I always welcome any feedback or interest you may have in appearing on

REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR Eric Williams

our magazine’s pages!

WEB APPLICATIONS Michael O’Connell

Best regards,

514 W 26TH ST., KANSAS CITY, MO

CityLifestyle.com/EdenPrairie ON THE COVER Photo courtesy of Wild Birds Unlimited 4

Eden Prairie Lifestyle | July 2020

Proverbs 3:5-6 Eden Prairie Lifestyle™ is published monthly by Lifestyle Publications LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of the Eden Prairie areas’ most affluent neighborhoods. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle Publications’ opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Lifestyle Publications does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. Information in Eden Prairie Lifestyle™ is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed.

INSIDE THE ISSUE JULY 2020

FEATURES 10 Invite Wild Birds to Your Yard Featuring Wild Birds Unlimited

16 Eden Prairieâ€™s 4th of July Hometown Celebration Scaled Back but Moving Forward

22 Bent Creek Golf Club Worth the Drive

16 22

26 Make a Splash in Your Backyard! With Custom Pools

DEPARTMENTS 4

Lifestyle Letter

Good Times

Animal Kingdom

Our Town

22 Local Limelight 26 Renovate & Refine 28 Culinary Creations 32 Page Turners

paint your garden beautiful WITH STUNNING PERENNIALS

ROOTED IN INTEGRITY, FOUNDED ON FAITH IN CHRIST

Plant a tree today for some future summer shade. Visit our abundant selection of flowers today. Tropicals, Succulents and Houseplants Custom Planter Creations Pick-up or Delivery Available, Do-It-Yourselfers Welcome Childrenâ€™s Play Area and Various Animals for Entertainment

TheMustardSeedInc.com

952-445-6555

GOOD TIMES

Wayzata Chilly Open Wayzata makes golf even more impossibly difficult with the Chilly Open! Last year more than 1,800 golfers descended upon Wayzata Bay to slap at tennis balls with their clubs and hockey sticks, conquering three 9-hole courses carved right into the ice. Beer was consumed. Join the fun next year on February 5th and 6th! chillyopen.wayzatachamber.com

We are committed to high quality patient care. Associated Skin Care Specialists has remained open to care for our patients throughout the Covid pandemic. We have numerous measures in place to afford patients the greatest degree of comfort and safety when visiting our clinic. To schedule a teledermatology appointment, please call 952-934-7336 or visit our website at www.associatedskincare.com.

(952) 934-7336 associatedskincare.com 18315 Cascade Dr. Suite 150 Eden Prairie 8

Eden Prairie Lifestyle | July 2020

Ann M. Norland

Jane H. Lisko

Holly C. Hanson

Frederick S. Fish

MD, FAAD

MD, MHA, FAAD

MD, FAAD

Minnesota Renaissance Festival Do you pine for a simpler time when dukes were dukes and dutchesses were dutchesses? Then polish your crown, put on your codpiece, and catch a carraigeshare to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival in Shakopee! There are dragons, mermaids, goblins, elephants, and all kinds of other mythological creatures there. Learn more about the estival festival at renaissancefest.com.

WE ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE TWIN CITIESâ€™ NEWEST REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE, P.S. REAL ESTATE! Our team at P.S. Real Estate has a combined 40+ years in real estate experience, and have sold over $350,000,000 worth of Twin Cities real estate. Even more important to us, are the thousands of relationships we have created with our clients along the way. We canâ€™t wait to meet you and assist in turning your suburban dream into a reality!

MARISSA SKAJA

612.387.1499

Info@PSMoves.com 2854 Johnson St. NE, Minneapolis psmoves.com

CityLifestyle.com/EdenPrairie

ANIMAL KINGDOM

invite wild birds to your yard WITH WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED ARTICLE DAVID SCHELLER

FEEDING THE WILD BIRDS IS A GREAT DEAL FOR EVERY PARTY INVOLVED. The birds get a lot out of it, as they’re especially peckish after some strange apes started replacing their feeding grounds with corn fields. You get to watch brilliant flickers of color darting around your yard and trees, and listen to their satisfied chirps and squawks after they’ve finished ravaging your bird feeder. Your cat enjoys the spectacle of the birds as well, because he likes to imagine killing them. The wild birds may eat for free, but they still have standards. Understanding their sophisticated palates may be a little tricky at first, but the people of Eden Prairie have Jon Pletcher to turn to for help. As the owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in the Tower Square shopping mall, he offers all the experience and seed you need to bring the birds to your yard. “You would be amazed by the species of birds you can attract in Eden Prairie,” said Jon. “Everyone knows about sparrows, chickadees, and cardinals. But summer in Minnesota can also bring brilliant orange Baltimore orioles, pastel bluebirds, and the always cautious rose-breasted grosbeaks. We also have pileated woodpeckers, great big things that look like dinosaurs. People are always excited to see a pileated woodpecker – unless it’s on their house, of course. 10

Eden Prairie Lifestyle | July 2020

“Many people are also surprised to see rubythroated hummingbirds. They’re spectacular birds, and they don’t ask for anything fancy: just nectar made of four parts water and one part sugar and a simple, colorful feeder. You don’t even need to use red dye, which isn’t good for hummingbirds anyway. They also love potted flowers, especially ones with long, tubular petals like bee balm. They’ll love you too if you wear a Hawaiian shirt or a red hat, but no one is sweet enough to hold their attention for very long. “Wild birds like to visit a yard that offers a few things. Food is first. Many people don’t realize how much wild bird habitat has been eaten up by farmland and cities, so feeding them helps to replace a small part of what the birds have lost. Shelter is second. Native trees and shrubs are always best for wild birds, because they provide habitat the birds have evolved to live in, and attract insects they have evolved to eat. A water source is third. That will keep birds in your yard longer, and a heated birdbath is like a magnet for them in the winter. “Anyone can start birdwatching from their kitchen with a single bird feeder. Many affordably priced feeders will attract a huge variety of birds, but other specialized ones can bring even more species to your yard. Finch feeders have a mesh or nylon tube with very small holes, and can be filled with thistle and sunflower chips to attract beautiful goldfinches. Suet feeders are designed with props for woodpeckers to rest their tails on, just like when they would cling to a tree. Suet, especially with insects, can attract other birds as well, especially migrating ones who appreciate a high calorie boost during their journey.

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/EdenPrairie

ANIMAL KINGDOM (CONTINUED)

“Sunflower seed is the universal bird food. It’s what makes up the large part of most seed blends, and a lot of people prefer to use it exclusively. With peanuts mixed into your blend you invite woodpeckers and nuthatches. Blue Jays are great fans of peanuts in the shell, and will even sort through them before choosing the heaviest prize to take off with. Millet is great for ground feeding birds like juncos and mourning doves. If millet is in your blend, the birds that land on your feeder will do you the favor of spreading it on the ground for you. Safflower seed has a very hard shell. It’s preferred by birds with stronger beaks like grosbeaks, cardinals and chickadees, while ‘nuisance’ birds like blackbirds, starlings and grackles can’t crack it. “One thing many new enthusiasts might overlook is the quality of their birdseed. Much of what is sold at hardware and discount stores is loaded with fillers like milo and wheat. Wild birds simply ignore filler, leaving it to rot in the feeder or scattering it on the ground where it can sprout into weeds. “At Wild Birds Unlimited we stock pure seed blends that wild birds appreciate every part of, and which come in fresh every week instead of sitting around in a warehouse for months or years. Our best seller is our No-Mess blend, which contains shelled sunflower seed, shelled peanuts, and hulled millet that won’t sprout weeds or let birds leave layers of husks on the ground. We also carry live mealworms, the favorite food of bluebirds. Other birds will eat them as well – they are worms, after all. “I really enjoy helping people get started. Soon after they leave my store with their first feeder and bag of seed, they’ll come back all excited about their first cardinal or oriole. I also enjoy helping people troubleshoot. The most common problem by far are squirrels and raccoons, and even deer are known to stick their tongues into low-hanging feeders. We offer baffles that keep squirrels from finding a free lunch in your yard, cages that make feeders inaccessible to paws, and hot pepper laced foods which are repulsive to most mammals but innocuous to birds.

Eden Prairie Lifestyle | July 2020

“Best of all, I love getting Wild Birds Unlimited involved with the community. We’ve donated a lot of product to help places show off their wild birds including the Eden Prairie Outdoor Center and Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. You can see my own personal feeders on public display at the Preserve Association’s common grounds off Anderson Lakes Parkway. “I’ve also welcomed many local experts to give free talks at the store. In February we had a local chapter of Wild Ones in to speak about the benefits of native plants, and we were just about to have a representative from the Henderson Hummingbird Hurrah give a talk in April before the quarantine postponed their visit. “I look forward to life returning to normal so I can continue serving Eden Prairie like before. Fortunately, Wild Birds Unlimited still provides for all of Eden Prairie’s birding needs with storefront pickup and free shipping on orders over $75. We have everything in stock that we normally would, and are standing by to drop a bag of the good stuff in your trunk!” Wild Birds Unlimited is Eden Prairie’s locally owned source for high quality food, feeders, poles, baffles, birdhouses, birdbaths, and much more. By the time this article goes to print, Jon hopes to have reopened his store to the public. You may visit there at 582 Prairie Center Drive #220 and order online at mywbu.com/edenprairie.

“ You would be amazed by the species of birds you can attract in Eden Prairie.” CityLifestyle.com/EdenPrairie

The Sign of Success.

Lyndon Moquist Managing Broker

EDEN PRAIRIE OFFICE 952-944-7107 | www.edenprairie.edinarealty.com

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Enjoy sitting high atop the hill overlooking beautiful Staring Lake in your screen porch or extensive deck. This Kroiss built model home has everything for the modern family. Hardwood flooring throughout the main and upper levels, a main floor bedroom & adjacent 3/4 bath, 3 large bedrooms upstairs & an office overlooking the lake. The massive walkout basement features a large bedroom, walk-in closet & adjacent 3/4 bath. Enjoy the privacy of a .6 acre lot with walking trails just down the hill.

Dave W & Drew - Johnson Group 612-325-0126 • DaveJohnson@ edinarealty.com 952-237-2793 • DrewJohnson@edinarealty.com

8002 Island Road $725,000 Lakeshore Eden Prairie home with 4 bedrooms on one floor, private beach and dock situated in an ideal location. Enjoy views of Mitchell Lake from every room in the house. Grand Master Suite with bathroom, walk-in closet and separate deck to view the lake. 3 season porch and large cedar deck make entertaining fun. Large walkout lower level recreation room includes a custom built-in bar, home office and bathroom with shower. The lake is well into a multi-year water quality improvement project and is stocked with fish including walleyes, bass and crappies. Lake recreation is ideal for pontoon boats, canoes, kayaks and paddle boards.

John Sligh • 612-327-3123 • JohnSligh@edinarealty.com

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Eden Prairie Woods is a recently finished-out subdivision of 52 houses, developed by a nationally acclaimed luxury home builder. The home shares a short cul-de-sac with 4 other homes and is across the street from the association playground and swimming pool. The rooms are extraordinarily spacious with a welcoming grand foyer featuring a turned staircase, a gourmet kitchen with a Palladian window combined with a 2-story Great Room. The backyard is an entertainment oasis. Heidi & Brian Weissner 952-200-2229 • HeidiandBrianWeissner@edinarealty.com

14679 Queens Trail $767,000

Denise Kraemer • 612-910-2792 • DeniseKraemer@edinarealty.com

16314 Kruger Lane $825,000

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W oo Better than new construction, this custom built 2-story in Wyndham Ponds offers a warm and inviting open floor plan with an abundance of natural light, main floor office/flex room, 3 car garage, hardwood floors, beautiful kitchen with granite/stainless, large island and walk-in pantry, spacious back hall with lockers and walk-in closet, 4 bedrooms up all with walk-in closets, plus a professionally landscaped yard with paver patio, in-ground sprinkler system and cozy fire pit. Lower level is unfinished with bath rough-in and ready for your finishing touches.

Cristy Willis • 952-356-7585 • CristyWillis@edinarealty.com

The Barkley’s • 612-991-0977 • JackBarkley@edinarealty.com

6848 Lydia Lane $460,000

Impeccably kept home with recently finished lower level in prime Shakopee location! Updates and upgrades abound in this beautiful home. The main level features wide open spaces with a large kitchen, eat around island as well as formal dining/living rooms and an office. The large deck overlooks a private backyard lined with evergreens and beautifully landscaped!

Exciting Shetland Road Residence close to trails, parks & all the conveniences. You’ll feel right at home entering the refreshed main level interior of this beautiful two story. Awesome open floor plan flows effortlessly from the open rail foyer, to the wood floor living room & then on to the kitchen with large center island, and adjacent dining area, then into the great room with large picture windows and fireplace. Upstairs has 3 spacious sized bedrooms, all with large walk-in closets. Luxury master bath features corner tub and tiled shower. Lower level lookout has 2nd fireplace, surrounded w/ built-in cabinets, 3/4 bath w/ tiled shower & 4th bedroom/flexroom. The backyard features an oversized deck, paver patio & new cedar fence. Lots of room in 3 car garage for extra storage.

The Barkley’s • 612-991-0977 • JackBarkley@edinarealty.com

9230 Shetland Road $509,900

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Spectacular custom estate property built on a 1.2 acre setting with one of a kind views of the Minnesota River Valley. This one owner custom-built home by Wooddale Builders boasts over 7000 finished sq. ft with architectural detail & high-level finishes. This home is like new and features an outdoor pergola complete with ceiling fan fireplace and heaters all in a setting to watch the wide variety of wildlife.

8444 Blazing Star Circle $420,000

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10659 Sonoma Ridge $1,600,000

The Barkley’s • 612-991-0977 • JackBarkley@edinarealty.com

1275 Wild Flower Lane $425,000 • MLS# 5577237

Former model home. Sun filled floor plan. Arch ways, hardwood floors, custom cabinets, granite counters, back splash, stainless appliances, new paint, new carpet. Gas fireplace and finished lower level with amusement room, wet bar, refrigerator and bedroom. Wooded views with large deck and a paver patio for entertaining. Close to major roads, shopping, entertainment and schools. Nice quiet dead-end street. Outstanding opportunity!

#1 IN MN SALES FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS!

90 Salem Church Road $1,735,000

Your private English-style Estate awaits. Elegant finishes and sophisticated layout offers ideal spaces for entertaining and everyday family life. Unparalleled main level Owner’s Suite with amazing closet and opulent en Suite. Walkout lower level boasts a sauna, steam shower, three bedroom suites and recreation spaces. New Cedar-shake roof (2017) and new HVAC.

Randy Kellogg • 612-240-2924 • RandyKellogg@edinarealty.com

For career opportunities Call Lyndon at 952-944-7107 or www.LyndonMoquist.com

Real Estate Advice Pilar Fairchild- Realtor, MEd pilarfairchild@edinarealty.com 612-805-9535 Ken Robinson- Realtor, PSA kenrobinson@edinarealty.com 612-562-9099

Make a great impression! Whether you’re newfirst to your neighborhood Create instant appeal byfind updating or have livedcurb there awhile, a wayyour to garageand door and outside light fixtures.and connect contribute. Your neighbors Don’t overlook the your mailbox it’s the first community need giftsifand talents thingthan a buyer more yousees. know.

Call Ken and Pilar!

CityLifestyle.com/EdenPrairie

OUR TOWN

E d e n P r a i r i eâ€™s 4th of July

Hometown Celebration ARTICLE DAVID SCHELLER

GROWING UP IN WATERVILLE, VERMONT MEANT I CELEBRATED INDEPENDENCE DAY IN JEFFERSONVILLE. The town of 600 makes Eden Prairie look like Shibuya City by comparison, with a main drag distinguished by little more than a two-story general store and a library. The town livens up when Lamoille County broodmothers don their most patriotic T-shirts, depicting kittens waving American flags and such, gather up their kin, and claim small plots alongside Route 108 in anticipation of the 4th of July parade. 16

Eden Prairie Lifestyle | July 2020

began

If it wasn’t fun, it wasn’t to be found by the banks of Brewster

with the WWII veterans, more wizened and

Jeffersonville’s

parade

always

River on the 4th of July. The fair had a frog jumping contest, yard

fewer in number with each passing year.

sales, corn on the cob, not one but two quilt raffles, and noise

Then came the Vietnam veterans, then the

nearly identifiable as music courtesy of college students reeking

National Guard, and finally a phalanx of boy

of patchouli. The main event was cow bingo, where a well fed

scouts with squinting eyes and kerchiefs trail-

bovine was allowed to poke around an enclosed grid until nature

ing in the breeze. Ladies of the Rotary and

took its course. If you predicted which section nature would take

Eagles and Elks Clubs puttered past in their

its course on, you won serious money. A child with an especially

husbands’ antique cars, throwing candies

lively frog could also take home money that day. The fair had once

that cracked like glass on the hot asphalt.

featured a waxed telephone pole with a twenty dollar bill stapled

Roughly ninety percent of Vermont’s local economy is maintaining the roads, so a flotilla

to its pinnacle, but the tradition ceased after one unfortunate local fell from too high.

of Ford F-350s towing massive machines

Charming as Jeffersonville might be, a shining light of the civilized

came next. Tractors that began rusting during

world such as Eden Prairie must necessarily have a bigger to-do in

the Hoover administration followed to belch

honor of our great country’s autonomy. The 4th of July Hometown

thick smoke on the toddlers attempting to

Celebration at Round Lake Park has always been a rollicking party.

pull Tootsie Rolls out from in between their

The celebration begins with athletics. The day opens to the crack-

wheels. Fire trucks, ambulances, local politi-

ing of paddles, a pickleball tournament that will determine who in

cians, store owners, church congregations,

Eden Prairie is best at pickleball not once and for all, but for a year at

and more filed down the street in a saucy

least. Runners so enlightened that they can manage to do it at nine in

display of pride and community. The parade

the morning run the Optimist Club 5K. If you don’t have baseball at

ended with the march of a few Jeffersonville

your 4th of July festival, you may as well substitute the fireworks with a

women who owned dogs. They indicated that

live reading of The Communist Manifesto. Fortunately Eden Prairie has

festivities were moving to the schoolyard.

the Baseball Association’s Firecracker Classic.

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/EdenPrairie

OUR TOWN (CONTINUED)

At the BMX demonstration people who must not comprehend what gravity can do to human bones do things that were never meant to be done on bicycles. If you prefer competition that you don’t have to sweat or concuss for, you can enter the karaoke contest. Give your fellow patriots a rendition of “Livin’ on a Prayer” that will change their lives forever. As an adult you would only paint your face to go to a football game. It is good that Vikings and Packers fans can still bond over sharing half of their face paint with each other. Kids, on the other hand, will happily mark any occasion by painting their faces. You can see dozens of snakes and tigers and Spider-Men marking the 4th of July in Eden Prairie. They bounce down giant inflatable playthings and repave the park in colorful chalk drawings. They laugh, and they petition their grandmothers for money to spend at food stands. Kids learn the easiest touch in their family early on. Eden Prairie puts Jeffersonville’s corn cobs to shame. Having honed their culinary skills at the country’s greatest state fair, the celebration’s food vendors serve only the finest corn dogs and footlongs. They bale the fluffiest cotton candy, and scoop the ideal ice cream to let drip down your fingers on an 80 degree day. Minn. Stat. Ann. § 42.72 forbids gatherings greater than ten people in our state without at least one mini donut stand present. It is criminal not to eat mini donuts at a fair. The fête is special for featuring a robotics demonstration. There people far smarter than you showcase what they can do with computer chips and servos, but hopefully not so quickly that they will soon obsolete us all. Will robots ever become able to write general interest magazine articles? Pray technology will eventually reveal its limits. The air cools as mother night tucks Eden Prairie in. A single firework finally streaks upward, telling all to take their places. The show is about to begin.

Eden Prairie Lifestyle | July 2020

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/EdenPrairie

OUR TOWN (CONTINUED)

“Once those fireworks start going, I almost

“People will still have access to our parks, where we only ask them to practice respon-

wonder if it isn’t a grand finale all the way

sible social distancing. We hope they make full use of their lawns and decks, where

through,” says Jay Lotthammer, Parks and

they can grill and drink with friends and family. The City of Eden Prairie is still fleshing

Recreation director of the City of Eden Prairie.

out our plan for the night, but we will take advantage of hashtags, our social media, and

“In terms of local community fireworks, I hear

the community cable channel to create some greater sense of community. We hope to

Eden Prairie’s are among the best around.

put on a little bit of an online show. At a certain time during the evening we would like

They’re synchronized to music, all old marches

everyone to stand outside and sing together, like in those touching videos that came out

and patriotic songs like ‘God Bless America’

of Italy during the start of the pandemic.

and ‘Born in the USA.’ Everyone is simply in awe. And when you look around after the lights have come back on, you can’t believe how

“And hopefully there will be fireworks again next year.” Please follow the City of Eden Prairie on social media for updates on their plans for the 4th of July, as well as other important goings on about town.

many other people joined you in that experience. It’s the strongest sense of community

FACEBOOK

you’ll feel all year.”

@CityofEdenPrairie

This year’s 4th of July Hometown Celebration,

@EdenPrairiePolice

which would have marked the United States’

INSTAGRAM

244th birthday, has been modified to an online

CityofEdenPrairie

virtual experience sans festival or fireworks.

EdenPrairiePD

There is no longer a need to explain why. This

TWITTER

terrible thing has already taken far more than

@CityofEP

our celebrations away from us. But, as Jay

@EdenPrairiePD

reminds us, it needn’t take everything.

@EdenPrairieFD

Eden Prairie Lifestyle | July 2020

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LOCAL LIMELIGHT

ARTICLE DAVID SCHELLER PHOTOGRAPHY RACHAEL LARSON

Eden Prairie Lifestyle | July 2020

BENT CREEK GOLF CLUB I LOVE GOLF. There’s nothing greater than discovering the arche-

yards separating tee and cup at hole 2 give you your best shot at the

ological remains of some lost civilization buried deep within a sand

great hole in one.

trap. What a thrill it is, wondering whether your drive is going to slice

And it’s a beautiful course. Many 100 year oak trees remain from

or hook to land your ball even farther away from the putting green

when Bent Creek used to be farmland. Maples, ashes, and ever-

than the tee box itself. Watching as the water hazard visibly rises for

greens give quarter to birds that serenade players with their raucous

all the balls you’ve sunk into it creates a true sense of accomplish-

squawking. Purgatory Creek itself weaves in and out of the course

ment. And as you miss your third putt in a row, you get the satisfac-

between holes 13 and 18. Just one glimpse of Bent Creek’s rich flower

tion of inventing curse words that even industrial strength detergent

beds is enough to calm even the most riled up duffer.

couldn’t wash out of your mouth.

Sensitive readers may have inferred from this article that I am not

For the pure joy that is the sport of golf, Eden Prairie has Bent

very good at golf. This is correct. Many courses make me wear a

Creek Golf Club, complete with an eighteen-hole course, driving

bell around my neck when I play at them. But this is only because I

range, pro shop, and restaurant and bar for much needed vittles and

haven’t yet handed my game over to the qualified coaches of Bent

restoratives after a long day of burrowing divots.

Creek. PGA certified one and all, Bent Creek’s coaches help stu-

While working as an accountant at 3M, Don Herfort was always

dents as young as four years old in their Little Chippers Program.

prepared to share his strong opinions about golf course design with

Adults who wish to work a few bugs out of their game, as well as

anyone who would receive them. Few people are more concerned

those who wouldn’t know a sand wedge from a sandwich, benefit

about golf courses than corporate executives, so 3M’s leadership

just as greatly from such expert guidance.

decided to put Herfort in charge of designing their new employee

Speaking of sandwiches, you couldn’t ask for a better place to eat

golf course. Herfort proved himself as capable as he was opinion-

them in than Bent Creek’s restaurant. Open for breakfast, lunch and

ated, and proceeded to become one of the Midwest’s preeminent

dinner, they serve everything from behemoth half-pound burgers to

golf course architects.

lighter fare such as salads. A social game like golf calls for appetizers

Herfort laid out Bent Creek’s golf course in the early 1970s. While

after the score is tallied, but it also calls for drinks. The wall behind

it has received dramatic improvements over the nearly five decades

Bent Creek’s bar is a shrine to the things that come in brown or clear

since its grand opening, the course still serves as a fine example of

bottles. Sophisticates have an extensive wine list to explore, as do

Herfort’s mastery of his craft. Spanning over 6,500 yards from the

beer drinkers have six taps.

blue tees, the course treats players to a varied experience of rolling

“Our members call us ‘The HOG,’” said Michele Russell, gen-

fairways and undulating greens. Holes 1 and 16 would put even John

eral manager of Bent Creek Golf Club. “That stands for ‘The

Daly’s legendary drive to the test at 520 yards each, while the 145

Home of Golf.’

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/EdenPrairie

LOCAL LIMELIGHT (CONTINUED)

“We definitely have a family vibe around here – a casual, fun atmosphere, not like a stuffy country club. People come to Bent Creek to mix and mingle, and maybe meet someone new to play a friendly game with. We have members ranging from octogenarians to those in their 20s. The only thing that binds them all together is their shared love for the greatest game on earth. “Before I came to Bent Creek, I worked as a paralegal in a rigid office structure alongside stuffy lawyers. (Please point out to your readers that the lawyers who have joined Bent Creek are all lovely people.) I could never return to that kind of environment. I love knowing our members on a personal level and watching their kids grow up, sometimes even getting married here. And then one day their grandchildren come in to learn how to play! “We have such a great staff here as well. Our PGA Head Golf Professional Mark Kodet organizes all of our club tournaments and men’s and women’s leagues, setting a welcoming tone no matter what he does. Our course superintendent Tom Notch is an absolute wiz with our design elements, constantly looking for ways to improve our bunkers, greens, and everything else all the way down to our tee boxes. “Becoming a member at Bent Creek is much simpler than at a more formal country club. You don’t need a sponsor, and you don’t have to interview with a committee. After you’ve tried out the course, just fill out an application. You can be out on the fairway again in just 20 minutes!” Here is the only golf tip that I am qualified to give you: To learn more about Eden Prairie’s finest golf course, visit bentcreekgolfclub.com. 24

Eden Prairie Lifestyle | July 2020

CityLifestyle.com/EdenPrairie

RENOVATE & REFINE WITH CUSTOM POOLS

MAKE A SPLASH I N YO U R B AC K YA R D ! you can receive from someone just seeing your home for the first time. Having free access to your own private body of water is even more satisfying than showing it off. And if you have kids, then watching them forget what video games and the internet are as they dart in and out of your pool like crazed ducklings truly beats all. “We have come a long way from the standard 20’x40’ diving pools that used to dominate Minnesotan backyards,” said Aaron Lutz of Custom Pools. “Modern swimming pools are far more aesthetically pleasing, and act more as an extension of a home’s architecture than some interruption to it.

ARTICLE DAVID SCHELLER

“OH! You have a swimming pool!” This is the most enthusiastic compliment that

“People are abandoning obtrusive slides and diving boards in favor of elegant pools that seamlessly blend in with the lines of their backyards. Swim out shelves are replacing ladders as a prettier and easier way to get in and out. Sport pools have become especially popular, as without a deep end they let people enjoy more activities like volleyball and basketball. “Water features are increasingly popular as well. With options to include a spillway that provides a continuous waterfall in your backyard, or Deck Jets that create an effect like you’d expect to see outside of the Bellagio, your pool can become a focal point in addition to a place to hang out during the summer. “What we’re doing with lighting is even more exciting. MicroBrite lighting gives a homeowner total control over the ambiance their pool creates at nighttime. And while it’s not visible, the addition of a UV light to a pool filtration system dramatically reduces the need for chlorine.” Custom Pools has served the Twin Cities since 1968. With headquarters in Hopkins and Rogers, the second generation family-owned company offers everything you need to enjoy an immaculate swimming pool that perfectly complements your home. You may learn more at custompoolsinc.com. 26

Eden Prairie Lifestyle | July 2020

POOL EXPERT AARON LUTZ & CO-OWNER GINNY MULVANEY

SPORT POOL

SWIM OUT SHELF

MICROBRITE LIGHTING

A shallower sport pool lets you enjoy family bouts of volleyball.

A swim out shelf is easier to use than a ladder and creates a cleaner look for your backyard.

MicroBrite lighting makes a pool look out of this world in the nighttime. CityLifestyle.com/EdenPrairie

CULINARY CREATIONS

COOL OFF THIS SEASON WITH CHILLING ICE POPS, NO-BAKE SWEET TREATS + HOW TO USE HEALING ALOE

Eden Prairie Lifestyle | July 2020

ARTICLE NICOLETTE MARTIN

beat the summer heat

AS THE WEATHER STARTS HEATING UP, WE’RE ALL ABOUT COOLING DOWN. And what’s more refreshing than ice pops filled with your favorite fresh fruit? Don’t get in a rut—here are some options that you can enjoy all summer long. Don’t be afraid to try your own! Simply freeze your favorite fruit juice and chunks of fruit in popsicle molds and enjoy. Here are some of our favorites.

frozen fruit pops P E AC H Y K E E N .

S T R AW - B R R -Y.

H 2 0 M E LO N .

+ Combine simply peach juice

+ Puree strawberries with your

+ Combine watermelon,

and sliced peaches

favorite fruit juice

cucumber and lime

TEA TIME: Change it up by

LIME IT UP: Combine pureed

HYDRATION STATION:

using sweet tea and peach juice

strawberries with homemade

Did you know watermelon

as your base and some ginger

limeade (water, limes + simple

and cucumber are two of

ale for a little fizz or add some

syrup) for a frozen twist on a

the most hydrating fruits +

lemonade for a tart twist!

summer classic.

veggies? Load it up!

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/EdenPrairie

CULINARY CREATIONS (CONTINUED)

F R E S H E N U P. Put your plants to use by harvesting aloe gel from the leaves of your window plant rather than opting for store-bought.

Thereâ€™s some yellow sap that will come out of the leavesâ€” this is the aloe vera latex. Go ahead and just dispose of it.

Choose thick, healthy leaves from the

T I P T W O.

outside, trim the edges with a knife, then

Store your fresh aloe longer by transferring the gel to ice

separate the interior gel from the

cube trays. Then use the frozen cubes anytime on sunburns

exterior of the leaf.

or dry skin.

awesome aloe 30

TIP ONE.

Eden Prairie Lifestyle | July 2020

no-bake icebox cake

INGREDIENTS + 3 cups heavy cream, cold + 1/2 cup powdered sugar + 1 tsp. vanilla extract + Chocolate ice cream + Cookie crumbles, pre-made cake, chocolate candies, crushed graham crackers and anything else you want to layer your cake with

1. In a large bowl, beat heavy cream, sugar and vanilla with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form in the mixture. 2. Start with a thin layer of whipped cream on the bottom of a springform pan (determine the size by how large or small you want your icebox cake to be). Then top with an even layer of chocolate (or your favorite kind of ice cream). 3. For the next layer, top with an even layer of cookie crumbles, cake crumbles, chocolate candies, crushed graham crackers or anything else you want to layer your cake with. 4. Continue with layers of whipped cream, ice cream and toppings until you have reached the top of your pan. 5. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, top with more cookie crumbles or chocolate sauce, slice and enjoy!

CityLifestyle.com/EdenPrairie

ALL GREAT TRAVEL WRITING HAS ONE THING IN COMMON: IT’S WRITTEN BY TRAVELERS, NOT BY TOURISTS. What’s the difference? Well, we’ve all been tourists, and there’s nothing wrong with that. We want what the resort ads and the inflight magazines call an “escape,” and sometimes an escape is just what we need. Travel, though, is something different – in fact, it’s the very opposite of escape. Travelers aren’t just getting away; they’re plunging in. They may have left one world behind, but they’re committed to discovering another. And if we’re lucky, they come back and tell us about it. The three books we’re recommending here (four, actually, since the two titles by Patrick Leigh Fermor constitute parts one and two of the same wonderful trip) all demonstrate their authors’ masterful grasp of the history and culture of the places they’ve written about. They not only travel across time zones, but across time itself. They haven’t gone on two-week

THREE GREAT TRAVEL WRITERS, AND THE PLACES THAT INSPIRED THEM

s u mm er trav e l re a din g

PAGE TURNERS

Eden Prairie Lifestyle | July 2020

ARTICLE BILL SCHELLER

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»

assignments for editors impatient for a quick read – they’ve spent months, perhaps years, soaking up everything they can about places they know they’ll never completely understand ... which never stops them from trying. All great travel writers should also be fine travel companions. When you read their books, you get the sense that you’re not rushing around with a guide, there to help you tick off one must-see sight after another, but rambling along with an endlessly curious friend, splendidly capable of infecting you with that same desire to turn every corner, poke up every back road, and linger for a drink with every local character with a story to tell. Come to think of it, you couldn’t ask for a better escape.

THE WORLD OF VENICE We tend to think of Venice as a tourist curiosity, a live-in museum where fewer and fewer people actually live, fighting a losing battle with the tides. Jan Morris reminds us that the “Queen of the Adriatic” reigned for centuries as one of Europe’s great empires, a seafaring colossus whose merchants and bankers lavished their fortunes on art and architecture. Morris lovingly describes the lagoon city they built,

DESTINATION Venice, Italy

its enduring culture and forgotten quirks, and the lives of the artisans and aristocrats whose legacy still fascinates us today.

IN SEARCH OF LONDON Most travel writers build their reputations by venturing to places as new to them as they are to us. H.V. Morton followed that path, too – but one of his best books is a portrait of his hometown. Morton’s 1950s London was a wounded metropolis, still recovering from the Blitz. But Morton saw beyond the lingering scars to reveal, neighborhood by neighborhood, the spirit of a city built by Celts and Romans, by Normans,

DESTINATION London, England

Elizabethans, and Victorians, to become one of the great capitals of the world.

A TIME OF GIFTS What does a bright lad do when he drops out of school? In the early 1930s, Patrick Leigh Fermor set out to walk across Europe. He crossed the Channel and started in Holland, ambling his way across a landscape still untouched by the devastation of Hitler’s war and undivided by the Iron Curtain. Castles and monasteries, Baroque cities along the Danube, Hungarian plains and Transylvanian forests, the hospitality of minor nobles still lingering in Habsburg nostalgia – all figure

DESTINATION A broad swath of Central Europe

in an adventure too vast for a single volume. (Followed by Between the Woods and the Water.) CityLifestyle.com/EdenPrairie 33

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Eden Prairie Lifestyle | July 2020

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