best hotel for visiting Macalaster, Carleton, St. Olaf?

I will be travelling with my two kids to the MN private college week next week and don%26#39;t know where to stay. We would like something reasonably priced and will have a car, so cheaper parking would be nice. We will have time at night to dine out and look around town.

I know the colleges are spread out, and really need some insider advice.

Thanks!

best hotel for visiting Macalaster, Carleton, St. Olaf?

The easiest way to get free parking is to look outside of either of the downtowns. There are quite a few newer hotels near the Mall of America.

It would be easy to get to Macalaster and to the highway to Northfield.

The anme of the city if bloomington, it is adjacent to minneapolis and st paul

best hotel for visiting Macalaster, Carleton, St. Olaf?

If you%26#39;re going to Carleton and St. Olaf, my suggestion to you is to stay in Apple Valley. Try the Grand Stay which can be found at:

http://www.grandstay.net/

The rates are comparable to other places. They have rooms with a queen bed and sofa sleeper and other rooms also. They have a free breakfast that is pretty good too. (We%26#39;ve stayed in another GRand Stay.) VERY easy to get to Northfield, which is about a 30 minute drive south of Apple Valley. Easy to get to Macalester too which is a short drive north from Apple Valley. Apple Valley is a suburb of St. Paul.

I%26#39;d be happy to help you out with other ideas/directions/things to do/places to eat, etc... just let me know.

We%26#39;re doing the private college tours next week too!

Definitely the southern part of the Twin Cities. Either Apple Valley/Eagean area, or the strip (Bloomington Mall of America area)

If you stay in Downtown Mpls you%26#39;ll be fighting road construction at times on your way to Northfield.

From the strip area you can drop down Cedar Ave to 35-E and over to 35 and down to Northfield.

Mac College is on Snelling and pretty accessible from either of the above suggested areas.

I%26#39;d try to stay away from I-94 during rush hours as it gets really choked up due to the bridge out over the River on 35-W

Parking around Macalester can be dicey, but if you are there for visits, they%26#39;ll probably make some suggestions to you.

Have a nice visit! tptr

Thanks for your advice everyone. It is greatly appreciated! Hey, northernmn, would you recommend staying at the Apple Valley Grandstay for both nights, or will the drive be so long that we should stay somewhere else for the Macalaster visit?

We are planning on leaving northern Illinois on Wednesday morning very early, to make it to our first college that afternoon. Probably Macalaster or Gustavus Adolphus. Then on Thursday hit Carleton and St. Olaf because they are so close together. And on Friday morning hit the fourth school and head home. How does this plan sound?

Thanks again!

Well, we live in Apple Valley and Macalester isn%26#39;t that far from here. About the same distance to go to Northfield for Carleton and St. Olaf. If you have a map, roads are very easy to figure out. If you%26#39;re only in this area for a few days, stay at one place and avoid the hassle of moving. Even getting to the Mall of America from Apple Valley%26#39;s Grand Stay hotel is just a 10 minute drive, SUPER easy to get to.

Gustavus Adolphus is a college in St. Peter, which is about an hour south west from Apple Valley. Depends which way you are driving here from Illinois. Either do Gustavus that first afternoon, before arriving in Apple Valley or do it on your last day when you are headed back home. Carleton and St. Olaf are only a 5-10 minute drive apart from each other. Maybe one night in Apple Valley after seeing Macalester, then the next day do St. Olaf and Carleton and stay right in Northfield. They have a Country Inn and Suites. Then the next day head to Gustavus Adolphus. The drive from Northfield to St. Peter is just over an hour.

Does anyone know anything about Froggy Bottom pub/hotel? It looks like it is right in Northfield and sounds pretty - rooms overlooking the river and whatnot.

Will it be too crazy noisy on a Thursday night?

Thanks!

I think it would be nice to stay in North. for a night and no I do not think it would be too noisey.

I would stay by the Mall of America and drive 15 minutes to Macalaster. I went to St. kate%26#39;s so check that place out too! It is 12 blocks away from Mac. (and so it St. Thomas for that matter).

Have a great trip!

Thanks for everyone%26#39;s help and advice! We just got back from a great trip to MN. We saw Macalaster, ate great ice cream on some spot on Grand (forgot the name!) and headed to Apple Valley to the Grand Stay.

We ate at El Azteca and that was fine - the hotel hadreally nice staff and comfy pillows and beds. Very reasonable rates as well.

Northfield turned out to be a really nice town and we enjoyed the slightly funky Froggy Bottom river suites. The Contented Cow was holding a music festival along the river and we really enjoyed that.

St. Mary%26#39;s the next day and home. We really liked our trip and the kids got pretty positive impressions of St. Olaf, Mac and Carleton. I guess we%26#39;ll be heading back in the fall to observe some classes!

Thanks again.

You should check out the AmericInn in Northfield, very nice hotel, reasonable rates. Plus AmerciInn is the largest hotel chain in Minnesota and they feature home-made belgin waffels each and every morning.

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