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Is Minneapolis/St Paul worth visiting (spring/summer)
I've only been to Chicago, never seen much of the Midwest though I was in Texas recently. How is Minneapolis and/or St Paul (only going in the spring/summer)? Is it really that special of an experience traveling there?
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I wouldn’t say that it’s a special experience, but I visited last May and was pleasantly surprise. I liked it a lot more than I do Chicago. They actually have a lot to offer (things to do). If you’re into the outdoors, they have tons of places to kayak and bike, some hiking trails, lots of fishing... also, for a place with such extreme winters, they have a massive amount of rooftop bars, which you could really get to take advantage of during your spring/summer visit.
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The Mall of America is a must see. If you've never been on a BIG 10 campus, U of M is worth seeing and the sky walk downtown is interesting to see.
Bob H |
I would consider no shopping mall on earth, even the Mall of America, to be a "must see."
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Couple of nice art museums in Minneapolis and lovely park just adjacent to the downtown area. State capitol. The Mall of America is big but basically it is a regular mall that's 2 or 3 times as big as the usual one with a few entertainment activities. You could spend a day or two doing things but not really a tourism destination to travel to specifically.
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Minneapolis also has some excellent restaurants if you like that sort of thing.
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We have a chain of lakes surrounded by parks and walking/biking trails, the Tyrone Guthrie theater and numerous other theaters, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Walker Art Center (modern art) and sculpture garden, the Summit Avenue historic district in St. Paul, the St. Paul Cathedral and Capital, the Como Park Conservatory, professional baseball, football, basketball, and hockey teams.
It's a smaller and more pleasant metropolitan area than Chicago. |
Minneapolis is great in the spring and summer (at least if it’s not too hot) if you like outdoor activities too. Biking and boating (or even fishing) around the area is nice. And for typical urban activities (like restaurants, bars, museums), it’s got a lot going for it too.
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We've been to Mall of America about 15 years ago and plan to go back in a couple months for a couple days or so. Also plan to take a drive to Chicago since we have never been there. Any tips for this. Thanks
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Originally Posted by JBord
(Post 29660001)
Minneapolis also has some excellent restaurants if you like that sort of thing.
.....and craft breweries. I'd add the Russian art museum to the list, plus the Stone Arch Bridge, the Mill City Museum, and the Guthrie (go for the architecture and include a performance if there's a play that interests you). The UMn campus has a Frank Gehrig building on the river that's an art museum. Some people would want to visit the Prince home/studio (expensive and you should book in advance), maybe the new Vikings training center.....and there's a museum (the Bakken, connected to the founders of Medtronic) devoted to electricity. Others want to see the Mary Tyler Moore statue and two zoos (plus the aquarium in MOA). Depending on dates, you might enjoy events such as the Aquatennial, Spark stay out all night weekend (not sure of the official name), restaurant week, special times that historic houses are open, nights at the Minnesota Zoo, etc. |
And if you are an AvGeek, you can also visit the Northwest Airlines History Center, not far from the MoA and airport.
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Originally Posted by nineworldseries
(Post 29657003)
I would consider no shopping mall on earth, even the Mall of America, to be a "must see."
As for a response above about rooftop bars, if I had to deal with that winter, I too would rush to take advantage of those spots as soon as decent weather came around! |
Originally Posted by Caribgrl
(Post 30660787)
We've been to Mall of America about 15 years ago and plan to go back in a couple months for a couple days or so. Also plan to take a drive to Chicago since we have never been there. Any tips for this. Thanks
But if you drive be sure to stop at the Mars Cheese Castle in Kenosha, WI or Ehlenbach's Cheese Chalet in DeForest, WI and load up on cheese curds, summer sausage, and New Glarus. |
Originally Posted by BearX220
(Post 30718085)
That is a 400+ mile, six-hour drive through featureless, dull country -- are you sure? Tip would be to fly..
Agree that Minneapolis is off the usual tourist track (as is 90% of the USA) but there's plenty to do and without a lot a tourists that's a plus. |
Originally Posted by BearX220
(Post 30718085)
That is a 400+ mile, six-hour drive through featureless, dull country -- are you sure? Tip would be to fly.
But if you drive be sure to stop at the Mars Cheese Castle in Kenosha, WI or Ehlenbach's Cheese Chalet in DeForest, WI and load up on cheese curds, summer sausage, and New Glarus. |
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