It seems as if the Vikings avoided anything serious when it comes to star receiver Justin Jefferson.

After being ruled out a chest injury on Sunday in Las Vegas, the 24-year-old Jefferson was taken to a local hospital out of precaution. He was discharged in short order and arrived back at Allegiant Stadium in time to fly home with his teammates after Vikings escaped with a 3-0 win over the Raiders.

Asked about the decision to send Jefferson to a local hospital, head coach Kevin O’Connell noted that the training staff felt it was important to rule out any possible internal complications. The door is open for Jefferson to be back on the field when the Vikings play the Bengals on Saturday in Cincinnati.

“I consider Justin day to day with a good chance to hopefully be with us playing,” O’Connell said. “He’s doing pretty well today. It’s just a matter of continuing to monitor any potential things that could arise. You know, what he’s like from standpoint of his ability to get some preparation in throughout this week, and feel comfortable and ready to go, will be determined as we go here.”

Looking back at the game between the Vikings and the Raiders, the chest injury occurred after Jefferson climbed the ladder to haul in a high throw from quarterback Josh Dobbs. He made the grab, got cracked by safety Marcus Epps, and left the field in pain before being checked out in the medical tent.

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After nearly a week of trying to find silver linings for 2,000 passengers tired of all the dark clouds, the skipper of Cunard’s Queen Victoria went on the intercom to deliver a puckish platitude on the penultimate day of a 7-day Scandinavian cruise.

“You don’t go to Norway to get a suntan,” Capt. Tomas Connery deadpanned during his daily announcement that made it clear that the skies still weren’t.

Nasty weather was as menacing as a mythical Norwegian troll during our journey through the country’s bucket list-worthy fjords. Strong winds thwarted our first port of call, Stavanger, and the fog was so thick atop Sognefjellet Mountain the following morning that those with early bus tours got zero payoff for braving three hours of a winding road claimed to be Norway’s highest.

In fairness to Captain Connery, Cunard, the cruise industry and Mother Nature, inclement weather should not be a surprise to anyone who does their homework and still books a Norwegian cruise in August, the country’s wettest month. But instead of pointing out the obvious to any grimacing guests, Queen Victoria’s shipmaster used his people and maritime skills to successfully navigate through prickly conditions inside and outside the ship.

Cunard’s Queen Victoria anchored in Skjolden, Norway. (Photo by David Dickstein)

The beauty of a cruise to Norway or pretty much anywhere in Scandinavia is, well, the beauty. Even when it rains, between the drops is a visual of one of the most picturesque places in the world. And since nearly all major cruise lines avoid sailing to this desirable destination during the harshest months of November through February, rare are itineraries that get scrapped entirely. Give or take a port or two, there’s perhaps no better or easier way to see Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden — collectively considered as the broader Scandinavia — than by cruise ship.

Continuing with the when, which can be just as important as the where and who, while June and July make up the peak season for cruises in this subregion of Northern Europe, April and May generally see the first signs of improved weather. Spring also offers less-crowded ships and ports, especially with schools being in session. As with late August to early September, March is a climatic crapshoot. However, travelers on a budget may not mind getting soaked as they soak up savings.

South of the cruise port of Skjolden is Feigefossen, one of the biggest waterfalls in the Norwegian fjords. (Photo by David Dickstein)

Most cruise lines flee the Norwegian fjords and symbiotic Nordic region by October, leaving the likes of Hurtigruten and Fred. Olsen cruise lines as stalwarts to capture the Aurora Borealis in the bitter cold of late fall and winter when nights are long. From the Northern Lights to holiday lights, some cruises specialize in visiting Christmas markets starting in late November. Holiday shopping at the gateway of Santa’s HQ must be cooler than the North Pole itself.

Delving deeper into the where, Scandinavia offers water-crossing wanderlusters a smorgasbord of itineraries. Nature lovers have their pick of routes — those that take them to Norway’s fjords, the enchanting archipelagos of Sweden, the glaciers and ice fields of Greenland, the massive waterfalls of Iceland and the serene coastal landscapes of Denmark, to name a few.

Idyllic Skudeneshavn, Norway, is an early 19th-century herring village with old-world charm. (Photo by David Dickstein)

Scandinavia is also home to charming fishing villages, Norway’s idyllic Skudeneshavn for one, and large cities steeped in Viking history. Shore excursions in Oslo take passengers to the nearby Norwegian Maritime Museum with a 9th-century Viking boat and another vessel believed to be the oldest in the country at 2,200 years old. An overnighter in Stockholm is nirvana for Viking buffs who can spend an entire day in the Swedish countryside exploring such landmarks as Arkils Tingstad, one of the best-preserved Viking public assembly sites in the world, and the dramatic church ruins of St. Olof that date to 1120 AD.

Scandinavia is rich in museums displaying artifacts from the Viking Age. (Photo by David Dickstein)

Another tour, this one no less spiritual for superfans of HBO’s fantasy drama “Game of Thrones,” transports folks from their cruise ship in Reykjavik, Iceland, and into a world where tales from Norse mythology were retold a millennium later for the TV series. If you’ve ever dreamed about standing at the very waterfall where Daenerys’ dragon eats a goat after going on a fiery rampage, then your Viking ship has come in with this tour.

As riders dangle above on Himmelskibet (Star Flyer), a brakeman controls the speed of Rutschebanen, one of the world’s oldest wooden roller coasters at Tivoli Gardens. (Photo by David Dickstein)

Speaking of fantasy and pop culture, a favorite shore excursion on cruises that include Copenhagen is a visit to Tivoli Gardens. Opened in 1843, the third-oldest operating amusement park in the world contributed greatly to Walt Disney’s vision for Disneyland. Tivoli’s thrill rides are off the chain, figuratively speaking, of course, and how amazing that the undisputed adrenaline champ on these hallowed grounds is a wooden roller-coaster over a century old. Rutschebanen is not only one of the oldest coasters in the world, but it was an inspiration for the Matterhorn Bobsleds ride in Anaheim.

Turning to the who, as in which cruise lines hit the mark in Denmark and know their way through Norway, Scandinavia is a buyer’s market. Besides offering a boatload of ships, this destination is rare in that large liners will dock next to small villages and modest vessels make calls to major cities. Nearly every age, level of ambition, focus and budget has a match when looking for a Scandinavian cruise.

Ultra-luxury cruise lines generally skew toward seniors as a market segment, but Scandinavian voyages tend to attract a slightly younger demographic. Whatever the age, though, these ships promise the best of the best, as they should with fares in the five digits … per person. Crystal (crystalcruises.com), one of the elite brands, will have both of its recently rebuilt ships stretching their sea legs in Scandinavian waters over the next two summers. On the Crystal Symphony, guests in August 2025 will have the rare opportunity to visit Longyearbyen, Norway, the world’s northernmost settlement and famous for its high probability of seeing the Northern Lights as the place is completely dark and far removed from artificial lighting.

Lakeside Jostedalsbreen National Park Center in Stryn, Norway, is as charming as it is educational. (Photo by David Dickstein)

Ultra-luxury Regent Seven Seas (rssc.com) has a “North Sea Odyssey” scheduled in July that includes Sweden and Denmark, and a “Norwegian Summer Sojourn” in June 2025 that goes to Oslo and deep into those grand fjords. Both voyages are 18 days. Other tony brands that serve Scandinavia include Ponant, Seabourn, Scenic, Silversea, Viking and Windstar.

The widest selection of voyages is from ships flying the flag of cruise lines in the premium category. Holland America Line (hollandamerica.com) has a variety of Scandinavian cruises from April to October in both 2024 and 2025. Itineraries range from 7 to 42 days with most weeklong sails being roundtrips out of Rotterdam, Holland. A few voyages to the region start in Boston or Fort Lauderdale for those who prefer to leave out of the U.S.

The cruise season is a bit longer for Cunard (cunard.com), which makes runs to Norway as late as November and, to the delight of experimental palates, puts a strong emphasis on serving indigenous dishes. Wild Norwegian Reindeer Pie, anyone? The vast majority of Cunard’s Scandinavian sails originate from Southampton, as did ours, and while it’s quicker to fly there from the States, early birds can board the Queen Mary 2 in Brooklyn for a luxurious transatlantic add-on to and from the English port. Roundtrips from the Big Apple range from 23 to 31 days.

Grilled Norwegian langoustines is a tasty starter on select Cunard itineraries. (Photo by David Dickstein)

Princess Cruises (princess.com), another premium-class brand, will sail two ships in 2024 — Caribbean Princess and Sky Princess — with trips of 7 to 28 days, all out of Southampton. During calls to Copenhagen, Princess offers an exclusive “Beer Walk” tour that celebrates the surprisingly fresh and unorthodox flavors for which the city’s breweries are known.

Celebrity Cruises (celebritycruises.com) navigates the region’s waters with journeys of 7 to 13 days from May to August. The line’s Apex and Silhouette ships set sail from Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Southampton. Other premium-category brands that sail to Scandinavia include Azamara, Disney, Lindblad/National Geographic and Oceania.

Mainstream cruise lines have the highest-density ships, but often the lowest prices. These brands do have their advantages even for folks who prefer not to make thousands of new best friends while on vacation. With boundless entertainment, activities, food options and services, there’s always something to do onboard should there be little happening onshore. That’s particularly nice when Mother Nature isn’t cooperating or your funds for off-ship fun are exhausted.

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Looking at the better mainstream lines, Royal Caribbean (royalcaribbean.com) has four ships positioned in Scandinavia in 2024 and 2025. In addition to roundtrips of 7 to 15 days starting in Holland and England, the 2,476-passenger Serenade of the Seas will make a 22-day journey from Amsterdam to Miami in August. The route goes from cold to hot with Iceland and Greenland at the top of the schedule, then after stopovers in Newfoundland and New York, passengers will thaw out completely in Bermuda and the Bahamas before making sad faces in Florida. Norwegian Cruise Line (ncl.com) is sailing a handful of ships in Scandinavia from May through September over the next two seasons. The workhorse in the fleet will be the 3,100-passenger Norwegian Prima, which set the bar for the value category when it debuted in 2022. Prima, and its younger sister, Viva, blur the line between mainstream and premium.

The when, where and who of a Scandinavian cruise are critical in making a sound decision that for many will be the trip of a lifetime. How wonderful, then, that no matter what dates are circled on the calendar, or where the passport is stamped, or which ship gets you there, spectacular scenery, fascinating cultures and unsurpassed adventures await in one of the most magical places on Earth.

When Sneakerhead University first opened its doors on State Street in fall 2022, co-founders Shay Belvin and Mykol Branch had one room with three tables, a bucket of 12 paints and a desire to preserve sneaker history and tell stories using sneakers.

While students at North Carolina Central, a historically Black university in Durham, N.C., Belvin and Branch came up with the idea to sell Black empowerment T-shirts through their now-defunct label “HBCU Made.” It was during that time they also had the idea to create a sneaker museum.

“We wanted a creative way to tell the Black story of different topics and the movement of America,” Belvin told the Tribune. “Selfie museums were really huge (at the time).”

The two studied marketing in college, and after graduation Belvin, a Detroit native, came to Chicago to start a museum while Branch initially returned home to Baltimore to open one. They chose Chicago, they said, because they could list brands and people who got their start in the city and they hoped to become a part of it.

Branch eventually joined Belvin in Chicago, and they focused on getting a single museum off the ground.

“(We wanted to) dive into Instagram culture, fashion and things like that,” Belvin said. “The Black story is really tied into that, and a lot of people don’t realize how much influence we have.”

In addition to storytelling, they added customization classes in which visitors could document their own bit of sneaker history.

“Our exhibit started out as just a museum, and it kind of told the backstory of the greatest sneakers that were dropped in history,” Belvin said. “And then from there, as we started deep diving into the actual creators and the people behind the brands, that’s when we realized people should be able to tell their story too.”

A little more than a year after its modest opening, The SHU Experience led more than 100 members of the Chicago Bears organization in customizing Nike Air Force Ones as part of the NFL’s My Cause, My Cleats initiative.

It’s the eighth year NFL players have an opportunity to participate in the campaign, which allows them to design and wear custom cleats that support a charitable organization of their choice. But for the first time, everyone associated with the Bears was invited to participate.

For Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field, Bears players will wear cleats customized to represent causes near and dear to their heart. And Bears employees will wear their custom sneakers.

Bears Chairman George McCaskey and President and CEO Kevin Warren are participating, with their shoes painted by members of the organization who paint sneakers as a hobby. Warren’s sneakers were customized in support of the Warren Family Foundation.

“It’s important because a lot of us as an organization — and then the individuals that we have, from players and coaches to staff to ownership — are able to amplify causes that are near and dear to each one of us,” Warren told the Tribune, “and to do it in a manner that brings awareness to just how blessed we are and the positive impact of the Chicago Bears of what we can have in the community.”

The idea for the organization-wide event came from the Bears Young Professionals Employee Resource Group, led by partnership activation specialist Dominic Hillesheim and events coordinator Lorena Soria.

“We thought My Cause, My Cleats symbolizes everything that we’re trying to create because shoes don’t discriminate at all,” Hillesheim said. “Every single person, whether it’s a flip-flop or a boot, everybody has to wear a pair of shoes. Everybody also had a cause that was close to their heart, whether they knew about it right away or they had to research it a little bit.”

Soria, who describes herself as “a huge sneaker person,” learned about Sneakerhead University on TikTok. Mallorie Sanders, the Bears manager of diversity, equity and inclusion, said the museum’s mission aligned with the team’s community-based values.

Sneakerhead University’s museum now includes multiple rooms of immersive sneaker history — including a “real versus fake” exhibit — and hosts both private and ticketed (open to the public) customization classes and parties.

According to Branch, when the Bears reached out to them, they thought they would just be putting the team logo on the shoes. They had no idea they would be doing something so meaningful for so many.

“We didn’t realize how many people wanted a piece of them on their shoes,” Branch said. “We’ve seen a lot of stories. It’s been cool seeing them develop.”

In November, SHU held workshops at both the Bears offices in the Loop and at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. Team employees supported charitable organizations such as Easter Seals, Special Olympics and their kids’ schools. They spent hours coming up with designs and painting their shoes.

At an unboxing event Wednesday at Halas Hall, staffers excitedly saw their finished sneakers and shared their causes.

“When we start working on the shoes, it starts off as the blue-and-green shoe or the red-and-yellow shoe,” Belvin said. “And then after it’s, ‘Where’s Larry’s shoe?’ because you almost feel like you know the person.”

Bears running back Khalil Herbert is participating in My Cause, My Cleats, though he didn’t paint his own shoes. His cleats were customized in support of Heartland Animal Shelter.

“I chose Heartland because of my love for animals, specifically dogs,” Herbert said. “I have two dogs and just wanted to bring awareness to the shelter. They do a great job of bringing in a lot of these dogs from kill shelters and giving them another opportunity in a second home.”

He learned about Heartland, located in Wheeling, through his dog sitter when he needed a place to donate extra toys and treats, and he has since visited twice. Herbert’s blue cleats feature painted paw prints and pictures of his dogs, Khazi and Khace.

He wasn’t the only animal lover whose shoes stood out.

“There’s someone whose shoes are about his cat,” Branch said. “And you can tell he really loves cats. He put all the cats he’s ever had on a sneaker. That really stuck out to me.”

For others, customizing their shoes was an opportunity to pay homage to a lost friend or relative. As they showed colleagues their shoes, you could see the emotion in their faces. Belvin and Branch talked with people about their shoes and helped lace them properly, making sure every detail was just right for their big moment Sunday.

The event with the Bears was SHU’s largest to date, an opportunity for which Belvin and Branch said they are grateful. By helping members of the organization tell their stories, they got to add to their own.

“You can tell these shoes really mean a lot to people,” Belvin said. “Being able to walk around and somebody ask, ‘Where’d you get those shoes?’ they have a reason to tell their story.

“I think that’s the biggest thing that they’ll get from it and the biggest thing we get from it — getting to know a little piece of everybody and having a different appreciation for the art and the shoes.”

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