features

24 | The perfect place to make family memories
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The perfect place for making memories
Dentist by day, Christmas tree farmer and buffalo rancher by night and on weekends. That’s the life Joe Styles has carved for himself. And, it’s a lot of fun. You can see it in his smile, not that good tooth care hasn’t helped.

Styles, and his wife, Barb, own and operate Riverbluff Tree Farm near St. Augusta. Along with something like 20,000 trees, the couple also have a herd of buffalo that they own with partner Roger Woeste. Throw in horses Rocky and Rusty, and you’ve got the fixings for a nice little dream job.
At least that’s the way Joe Styles looks at it.
A Chicago native who has been in dentistry for 40 years, Styles decided he wanted to start a tree farm in anticipation of the day he would someday lay down his drill, stop looking into patients’ mouths and retire from dentistry.
That day isn’t too far away anymore.

30 | Our top 10 Minnesota grassroots Christmas gift ideas

Finding the perfect Christmas present has never been easier, especially when you shop Minnesota. And we’re here to help with a list of uniquely homegrown gift ideas. From innovative to quirky, to tasty, to entertaining and educational, these suggestions are sure to please. All have a distinct Minnesota grassroots connection and appeal. That’s why we chose them. Some are also relatively inexpensive, making ideal stocking stuffers. So kick back and check out gifts that we think even Santa would appreciate.

36 | Twin Cities women create this unique retreat
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Annette Griffin and Linda Morrissey really know how to get away from it all. When they leave their home in the Minneapolis suburb of Golden Valley for a weekend at their cabin, they drive only two hours, yet they reach a place that is light years from their workaday world. Theirs is an enchanting woodland retreat, the perfect place to relax, rest and recharge.

No TV, radio or Internet. Not even a phone. Just board games, books, puzzles — and plenty of comfortable places to curl up for a nap. However, what really makes this place special is that Morrissey, an architect, designed it; local artisans built it; and Morrissey and Griffin did a good share of the finishing work.

The tale of this cabin (which Morrissey and Griffin named “On a Whim”) began nearly 10 years ago when the pair visited a friend in Cloverdale, east of Hinckley. They spent part of that weekend driving up and down country roads, looking for property for sale. They scored with this 1½ -acre parcel on Tamarack Lake near the Wisconsin border. “We bought it dirt cheap on a contract for deed and paid it off in five years,” Griffin said.