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There was a flurry of activity on the sidewalks, walking and bike trails, and in the parks in Minot as adults and children with the day off from school took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather Friday to complete outdoor chores or simply enjoy what could be one of the last summer-like days of 2009.

The temperatures were so unseasonable in fact that two North Dakotan cities recorded new record high temperatures and two others tied their respective records.

With temperatures reaching 75 degrees on Friday, Minot easily surpassed the previous record of 70 degrees, set in 1949, while Dickinson eclipsed their 1980 record of 72 degrees by hitting 76 later in the afternoon. Tying their respective record high temps - both set in 1954 - was Bismarck at 72 degrees and Williston at 69 degrees.

With several of the parking lots full of cars, Oak Park seemed to be the most popular destination in Minot.

Among the park revelers was Mike Elm, who came with his daughter Shayla, 10, and his son, Bryson, 7.

"With the kids having the day off from school, they wanted to come down to the park to throw the football and enjoy one of the last nice days," Elm said. After their football session, the trio planned a walk on one of the park's trails near the river.

Not far from the Elms was Elizabeth Wirth and her three young children, who came to Oak Park to utilize the swings and exert some stored-up energy.

"It was our first winter here last year and it was just awful, so it was really nice to come out today and not feel that cabin fever, " said Wirth, a native of Houston who moved her family here last year to take advantage of the state's oil opportunities. "We plan to do as many outdoor activities as we can today."

At a park of another kind was another recent Minot transplant, Shane Arra, who enjoyed Friday afternoon playing with her dog Cody, a six-month-old German shepherd, at the dog park.

"I needed to clean my house but I didn't want to miss out on this nice weather so I decided to bring the dog out here and read a good book," she said.

As a native of Arkansas, Arra said the weather of recent months has been a shock.

"I just got up here in June and it's already snowed more than it does all year in Arkansas," she said, adding that she quickly had to stock up on winter essentials like sweaters and boots. "Back home, 60-degree weather was cold, so I'm not looking forward to winter."

While some used the day strictly for pleasure, others mixed in work.

"We are just taking advantage of the day to get some outdoor stuff done," said Cindy Kendall, who along with her daughter Jalynn, sorted through the dozens of apples that lay hidden under the leaf-riddled ground in her front yard. "I had also planned to go get the car washed, but the lines were really long so I think we may just head down to the park."