By: Calla Fragrassi & Mackenzie Malek

With spring break coming up everyone needs a break from Minnesota’s hard and cold winters. Here are the 10 best tropical places to visit in 2023.

1. Santorini

Santorini is one of the many Greek islands and one of the most famous islands in the world. Santorini is known for its beautiful views and hosts one of the few active volcanoes in Europe. Many people have theories that Santorini is the home to the lost city of Atlantis. The island is also known for its beaches and is made up of two different inhabited islands and multiple smaller surrounding islands.

2. The Azores

Just off the coast of Portugal are the nine islands of Azores. Azores is one of the Europes safest destinations. There are many activities to do in the Azores including hiking, diving, bike tours, canyoning, bird watching, surfing and much more. The Azores’ islands are very sustainable because they preserve resources and opportunities for tourists to be eco friendly.

3. Bali

Bali is a small island within the country of Indonesia. The country is known for its beautiful mountains and volcanoes, and is known for being a “surfer’s paradise”. The surrounding coast is filled with coral reefs and is perfect for family vacations. On the very famous Kuta beach you can find many hotels, restaurants, and shops along with many different water sports for anyone to enjoy!

4. Galápagos Islands

The nineteen Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean. These islands are known for their unique wildlife such as sea turtles, sei whales, marine iguanas, and much more. Some activities you can do on these islands are snorkeling, which is a highlight for many tourists, sea kayaking, surfing, horseback riding, etc. If you are interested in relaxation don’t even worry, there are beaches perfect for disconnecting.

5. Hawaii

Located in the central Pacific Ocean, known for its beautiful beaches, are the five main islands of Hawaii: Kaua’i, O’ahu, Moloka’i, Lana’i, Maui. Some of the most common things to do in Hawaii are visiting the Pearl Harbor museum, if you’re into history, or if you are into hiking, visit Diamond Head which is the most recognized landmark in Hawaii.

6. Aruba

Aruba is a country south of the Caribbean Sea. This country is most known for its white sand beaches and bright blue ocean water. Some things to do are the butterfly farm, basically you are walking through a tropical rainforest surrounded by butterflies. Eagle Beach is a very popular beach to visit because of the white sand and turquoise water.

7. Bora Bora

Bora Bora is one of the 118 islands of Tahiti. What makes it special is the scenery and culture. Like many other places on this list, Bora Bora is known for the vibrant blue water and white sandy beaches. The top sites are Matira Beach, Bora Bora romantic tour, the Tohora Bora Bora snorkeling lagoon tours, and whale watching.

8. Maldives

Maldives the smallest country in Asia, located in the southwest of Sri Lanka and India. This beautiful place is most known for its amazing culture and interesting landmarks. Maldives is also famous for water sports like scuba diving, surfing, and water skiing. Maldives may be costly, but is one of those places where you only have to be there a few days to get the most out of your vacation.

9. Dalmatian Islands

The Dalmatian Islands are a strip of 79 different islands along the Adriatic Sea. The three most famous and largest of the islands are Brač, Pag, and Hvar. The islands are all surrounded by beautiful high limestone cliffs, each with their own unique beaches and sights. This is the perfect destination for unforgettable beach trips, with one of a kind landscapes, and scenic views.

10. The Isle of Skye

*Note, this one is not tropical, but still worth the visit.

The Isle of Skye, also called Cloud Island, is popular for its medieval castles and beautiful mountains, cliffs, and history that brings in tourists from all over the world. The island is rich with fascinating culture, scenery, and wildlife. Past visitors commonly say the land looks almost “untouched by the modern world”. If you’re looking for an exciting vacation with plenty of greenery and vibrant culture, The Isle of Skye is the place to be.

All 10 of these beautiful tropical places have something different to offer, along with great tranquility. While traveling to a tropical island can be spendy, and planning can seem like a lot of work, everyone deserves a break from the real world. Booking that trip can open many new doors and adventures that lead to many amazing experiences.

By: Rose Ramadan & Thea Berg

In this article, we will be comparing two different sushi restaurants that we visited last Saturday. The first sushi restaurant, which was Sakana sushi, was loved and appreciated way more by us. Although, we both did appreciate Yumi sushi, we have both decided it was not the best, and we will not visit there again.

Both restaurants are located in the Highland area of Saint Paul. Sakana is on the corner of Cleveland and Pinehurst, and Yumi is on Selby and Arundel St. Yumi sushi is not the only one, it has multiple locations with one also in Edina. Sakana is more local and it does not have other locations. There are other competing sushi restaurants in Saint Paul, but Yumi and Sakana are the main and more popular ones.

The restaurants give off very different vibes. Yumi sushi has more of a sports bar vibe. It’s a bigger space with many TVs and open seats around a big bar in the middle. It’s very dark there as well. It seems less like you would get sushi and more like you would get burgers or bar food.

At Sakana the vibe is a lot calmer and it’s much brighter. There are many windows and natural lighting along with less seating around a bar and more seats at tables and booths. Sakana has a much smaller space, but it fits the vibe of getting sushi more than Yumi does.

At both places the waiters are very nice and welcoming, the environment created by the workers is great, and we have not had a rude experience.

At Yumi sushi, we ordered the honeymoon sushi roll. In this roll is spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, snow crab, avocado, cucumber, wrapped in soy paper, and topped with honeymoon sauce. We really liked the way it tasted, but we felt the bites were almost too big for our mouth. They were completely packed and each roll seemed to have a different amount of meat and vegetables. We wouldn’t order it again based on the price, it was not ideal and not what we were expecting. However, we really enjoyed the spicy taste and the honeymoon sauce was to die for.

At Sakana sushi, where we have been a lot, we ordered two different orders. First, we ordered a simple California roll. They are always tasty and one of our favorite types of sushi. However, we feel as though it didn’t have enough sushi on the plate for our liking. This is fine, though, for it was still cheap enough for us to enjoy.

We also ordered Thai lettuce wraps. These included wok seared Thai basil, diced chicken and vegetables, with hoisin sauce. They are an absolute go-to order for us. They taste delicious and you can add as much or as little of the vegetables into the lettuce wraps as you want. We would also like to say it is a fairly healthy meal.

In the end, we would rate Sakana 9.2/10 on sushi restaurants. They have good prices, good flavors, good environment, and a good location for us to go to.

We would rate Yumi Sushi 6.7/10. The vibe wasn’t something loved by us; it was too bar-ish and we didn’t feel comfortable there. They were also very expensive which was a big turn off for us. Their flavors were great, but their portions were too much and each bite was different. We would recommend this restaurant to an older audience.

Yet, Sakana will always be our favorite and we will recommend it to anyone who is looking for a quick sushi stop any day.

By: Sophie Johnson

Expedition Everest was one of the rides that I re-rode multiple times when I was in Disney World in December of 2021. This is one of the fastest roller coasters in the park. While on this coaster, you speed over mountains and through caves where BigFoot is lurking in the darkness.

This ride has some unexpected aspects to it as well, including when it appears to be a dead end with a broken coaster track. You creep up to the edge and then zoom backwards in the opposite direction.

I also loved this ride so much because it was night when I rode it, and right as we were rolling over the mountain, the firework show started and it was a very memorable moment.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is a short but very gripping ride in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This ride is based on the film series ‘The Twilight Zone’. It includes many surprising sharp turns and extreme drops. The Tower of Terror has windows that open to the outside and when you are suddenly dropped, you can see flashes through the windows of the whole Disney park. I love the anticipation of this ride and it was definitely worth the long wait in line.

Space Mountain is a thrilling indoor roller coaster in the dark. The theme of this roller coaster is outer space. While waiting in line for this ride, you walk through a dimly lit passage that mimics the inside of a spaceship. You can look out and see different stars and planets in the distance.

Once you get to the actual roller coaster, there are small, two person carts that zoom down a winding and spiraling track in the dark. The part of this ride that makes it one of my favorites is that you get very immersed in the experience. It is also exciting and scary because you can’t tell when the track will drop down really far or take a sharp turn.

By: Jessica Garcia Saligan

A place that would be great to visit is the black sand beach. The black sand beach is in Silver Bay, MN. It’s an awesome place to go if you want to go and take a road trip with your friends or family and explore.

You can also swim there and a fun fact about the black sand beach is that it’s not connected with Lake Superior. So, on how it’s not connected, the black sand beach is a lot warmer than Lake Superior.

This second place will blow your mind. Lutsen Mountains is a ski area, but there are other activities you could do. It’s a fun place to go with your friends and family if you would like to enjoy a great view. Some things you could do there during the winter is: skiing, snowboarding. snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and a lot more.

And in the summer, you could go hiking, mountain biking, or paddlesports.

The one thing that they are most known for is the summit express they have; you get to go through all of the mountains and you will get an amazing view.

Third place, is if you would like to have a get away with your friends or a significant other during the winter and summer; go to Grand View Lodge. Grand View Lodge is a hotel, but not like any other hotels. Grand View Lodge has so many activities to do during the summer and winter time; they have 5 hot tubs, ice skating rinks, and there’s over 70+ spa services.

One thing that most people go for, is for a dinner inside a heated snow globe. I think in the snow globe you can fit up to 4 people. It has fairy lights all around, and the best part is that it’s heated and it’s also separated from any other snow globe.

By: Lauren Kottke & Ella Sutherland

If you are a busy teenager looking for quick and easy recipes to satisfy your hunger, we have 3 easy recipes that you’ll love.

The first recipe is the famous Gigi Hadid spicy pasta. Gigi Hadid is a world famous model that has grown quite a big following over the past few months. Her recipe has become very popular. Personally, we love this pasta and we make it at least once a week. The recipe has a garlicky taste with the traditional tomato sauce.

The ingredients you will need is:

•  1⁄4 cup of avocado oil
•  1⁄4 cup of green onion
•  1 tablespoon of minced garlic
•  1⁄4 cup of tomato paste
•  1⁄2 cup of heavy whipping cream
•  Red pepper flakes
•  Salt and pepper
•  One box of penne pasta
•  1⁄2 cup Parmesan cheese
•  1⁄4 cup of pasta water
•  1 tablespoon of butter

First you need to get a saucepan and skillet pan. In the saucepan fill it about halfway with water, and set on a stove top burner. Turn the heat on medium and cover with a lid.

While that is heating up, in the skillet add the avocado oil (you can use olive oil as well, we just personally like avocado oil better), the minced garlic, and the green onion. Mix that all together over medium heat.

Have the tomato paste ready because it heats up fast.

Once the oil starts to sizzle add in the tomato paste and mix that in with the garlic, onion, and the oil.

Once that is all mixed add in the heavy cream and mix.

Make sure you’re watching your water, because once it starts to boil add in your pasta.

To the sauce, add in the red pepper flakes, if you want little to no spice add a little bit, but if you want it to be more spicy add more.

Then add salt and pepper to flavor.

Turn off the heat and wait until the pasta is done. Once the pasta is done, save 1⁄4 cup of the pasta water before you drain it.

Add the butter to the sauce on low heat and stir.

Once the butter is melted add the pasta water and pasta to the sauce in the skillet. Add more salt and pepper to flavor and add the parmesan cheese. Mix all together, serve, and enjoy!

The next easy recipe is overnight oats. Overnight oats have started to gain popularity on the social media platform, TikTok. They are great for an on the go breakfast, especially if you don’t have time in the morning to cook breakfast. There are many different ways to make this, but over this school year we have perfected this recipe.

The ingredients that are needed are:

•  One half cup of oats
•  One half cup of oat milk (can use regular milk too)
•  3 tablespoons of chia seeds
•  3 tablespoons of honey
•  1 dash of vanilla extract
•  1 tablespoon of cinnamon

To start this recipe you will need a mason jar (or any cup with tinfoil). In the mason jar add the oats and milk. Stir those together.

After that, add in the chia seeds and cinnamon. Mix that all together until you can see the cinnamon and chia seeds are spread out throughout all the oats.

Next add the honey and vanilla extract and stir.

Once all the ingredients are in and mixed together, cover with the lid or tinfoil, and leave in the fridge overnight.

In the morning, cut up a banana and put on the oats and add granola if desired. You can add any topping that you like, those are just the ones that I add.

Serve and enjoy!

The last, and final recipe, is a salmon rice bowl. This one we have been making for a while now and is a little more complicated because of the salmon. It is a quick dinner and is great with leftover salmon.

Ingredients that are needed are:

•  Salmon (thawed)
•  2 tablespoons of soy sauce
•  1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
•  A pinch of salt and pepper
•  1 tablespoon of lemon juice
•  1 tablespoon of garlic powder
•  2 cups of white rice
•  1 whole avocado
•  1 pack of seaweed chips

First thaw the salmon for 1 hour.

Then in a bowl, mix the soy sauce, mustard, salt and pepper, lemon juice, and garlic powder together.

Start the rice in an instant cooker or a stove top.

Marinate the salmon in the combination of ingredients.

Put the salmon in tin foil and let sit for 20 minutes.

Put the salmon on a pan and heat in the oven at 375°, until the internal temp is 150°.

Once rice and salmon is finished, put down the rice in a bowl and mix up the salmon with the rice.

Next cut up the avocado and lay it on top of the rice and salmon.

Lastly, scoop the rice, avocado, and salmon into the seaweed and enjoy!

Those are just a few of our favorite recipes that are quick and easy. If you make these we hope you enjoy it!