Things to Do in Hudson

Studio One Yoga & Massage's team of dedicated instructors fosters an inclusive, noncompetitive atmosphere in which students of all abilities can hone health and wellness through yoga classes and therapeutic massage work. Mirrored walls and polished hardwood floors create a serene setting for students to perform empowering Vinyasa flows, a series of continuous postures linked together with deep, cleansing breaths and balance-challenging transitions. Instructors bump the temperature to a balmy 105 degrees with 30%–40% humidity during hot-yoga sweat sessions designed to detoxify the body through sweat while simultaneously warding off confrontational snowmen. Yoga teacher, massage therapist, and Studio One owner Sarah Stormoen eases physical and emotional tension with 10 different massage modalities, including deep-tissue work, pregnancy massage, and hot-stone therapy.

Taste of Stillwater's annual festival, established in 2011, directs the spotlight toward the palate-popular offerings of local wineries, breweries, restaurants, and food trucks. Throughout the daylong celebration, empty tummies shuffle from station to station filling up on samples of refreshing beverages and foods, fueling bodies to explore the festival grounds' shopping opportunities and to tour Saint Croix Vineyards. Families stake their claim on the lawn area with blankets, foldable chairs, and giant bronze statues of their great-grandfathers before they feast their ears on live music. Taste of Stillwater dedicates a portion of its proceeds to charities including Valley Outreach, a community-based nonprofit organization that supports low-income people with donations of food, clothing, and other necessities.

After years of introducing kids to bowmanship through the National Archery in the Schools Program, or NASP, father-and-son team John and Ryan Slate founded High Five Archery in 2008, continuing their mission to share their passion for outdoor sporting with their fellow families. Just as William Tell and his son Johnny teamed up to pierce the nation's apple trees, John and Ryan oversee High Five's indoor shooting range where compound bows launch practice arrows at targets in a safe environment. During private or group lessons, students improve their skills under the tutelage of instructors certified by NASP and Centershot—including John himself who helped lead White Bear Lake High School's archery team to multiple NASP Minnesota state championships. Elsewhere in the store, a pro shop equips marksmen with brand-name bows, arrows, and accessories alongside a stock of seasonal bait and the latest fishing gear, replacing outdated methods such as lures made to look like cans of Crystal Pepsi.

As the owner of the initials in DCW Riding Instruction's title, Diane Williams teaches aspiring riders how to safely and confidently command a horse in the styles of hunter, jumper, and dressage. Though her instructional style is laid-back, Diane never compromises on safety and always ensures that proper techniques and precautions are in place before moving on to more advanced parts of a lesson. She keeps energy levels high during each 60-minute block, packing the allotted time with a variety of exercises and the theoretical explanations for various components of style, such as keeping heels down, toes in, and hair in a slow-motion billow.

Several years ago, Ken Smith and Chase Williams were typical door-to-door salesmen. In need of a gimmick to boost sales and a quicker mode of transport, the duo tried riding Segways and immediately fell in love. Eventually, they turned their love for the two-wheeled transporter into their current venture, All American Segway. Their company provides all manner of Segway engagement, including guided Segway tours that offer rolling educations in local history and wildlife. Customers can also discover the revolutionary devices on their own by renting out Segways for recreational use, private parties, or as a friend for a lonely office chair or shopping cart.

At Stillwater Boat Rentals, adventurous explorers can enjoy the scenic views of the St. Croix River while perched in a pontoon boat that seats 10–14 passengers, depending on the boat's size. Blaze new trails through thickly-forested waterways while commandeering one of Stillwater’s six novice-friendly, 22-foot pontoon rental boats, available in three styles. The Deluxe ($270 for four hours) seats 12 people and offers plush lounge seating for posteriors of all types, while the spacious Super LX ($255 for four hours) seats 14 passengers, allowing Parliament Funkadelic tribute bands to enjoy maritime merriment in between Minnesota gigs. Stillwater's third and final pontoon style, the Fish & Cruise ($270 for four hours) seats 10 passengers and, with its swivel seats and fish-finder equipment, is ideal for fishing fanatics. Starting out at the Stillwater Marina Gas Dock near historic downtown Stillwater, enthusiastic river pilots can wreak wake havoc for five miles to the north, viewing limestone bluffs, braving backwater mazes, and invading island wildernesses claimed by bearded castaways before reaching the turnaround point at the high bridge. From there, pontooners can pontificate on the origin of river spirits and disrupt random beach parties all the way down to Prescott, Wisconsin, before returning.