Memorial Weekend

Friend and I (late 30%26#39;s) are taking a trip to the MOA area over Memorial Weekend. Have any suggestions on what to do besides shop? Places to go / areas to stay away from... Whats the average temp. late May?

Memorial Weekend

Temperature should be about the same as Illinois.

What we recommend would depend a lot on what your group likes to do, whether you have a car and where you are staying (near mall, mostlikely?).

May is a beautiful month up here. Everything in full bloom.

Are you guys interested in small-scale shopping too (boutiques, etc), nightlife, museums, theater, parks, etc?

Memorial Weekend

Quiet things prefered.

Enjoy the sites, taking pictures, walking, food. Not interested in bars or %26#39;nightlife%26#39;... Like to learn about the city and the treasures it holds.

We%26#39;re driving up, will have car.

Staying near MOA, looking at Staybridge suites or Embassy Suites perhaps...

Not interested in kid-related items, won%26#39;t be bringing them with us. Interested in a spa treatment also!!

When I think of Minneapolis%26#39; treasures, I think of its park system. There are a chain of lakes in south Minneapolis connected by a creek that runs all the way from the western suburbs of Minneapolis through those lakes and over a 50-foot waterfall and into the MIssissippi river. It%26#39;s a wonder ful bike ride (beautiful, easy bike path the whole way from Lake Harriet to the Mississippi) if you%26#39;re active. There are places to stop along the way to rest and eat and take in the sights (there are countless sights).

If you%26#39;re just up for a walk, I would wander Lake Harriett and take a peek at the gorgeous homes surrounding it. A path connects Harriet%26#39;s parkway to Lake Calhoun (3/4 mile apart). Another beautoful lake and a little bigger. Harriet is 2.8 miles around; Calhoun 3.2. It%26#39;s simply the prettiest part of MInneapolis in my opinion.

Another treasure lies at the end of that bike path -- Minneahaha Park (where I live). Home to the aforementioned waterfall: Minnehaha Falls. Countless walking trails, many leading to the river that the creek that runs over the falls connects to a mile or two downstream. Beautiful limestone and sandstone bluffs. Bike rental available at the park, although mostly gimmicky bikes like quads and g0-cart style.

www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp…

Bikes would be handy if you can rent some or bring them. Minneapolis has more bike trail distance per capita than anywhere in the US.

Gotta hit up a meeting. Maybe I%26#39;ll weigh in later with non-park options.

Oh, and if the Mall of America somehow doesn%26#39;t scratch your shopping itch, there%26#39;s more pedestrian friendly shopping downtown Minneapolis, with restaurant options galore and a generally scenic strip of boulevard blocked off to all but buses and taxis -- called Nicollet Mall. I much prefer that to the Mall of America. Not a fan of malls.

Downtown has a lot to see with the stone arch bridge and the riverfront. You could take the light-rail train from the mall (in Bloomington) to downtown and back to avoid parking hassle. It%26#39;s cheap, safe and easy. Maybe walk the riverfront, see a show at the Guthrie and have dinner at one of the hundreds of great spots downtown. The dining options in Bloomington are almost zero.

(In fact, have you considered staying in Minneapolis and taking the train to the MOA? So you don%26#39;t have to eat at Applebee%26#39;s or Friday%26#39;s every night? Just a thought.)

Sounds like you know what you%26#39;re talking about! :)

I am going to consider staying downtown, more expensive, but may be worth it.

Thanks, the more info i get, the better!

I%26#39;ll second the idea of seeing a show at the Guthrie. During your visit the Shakespeare comedy A Midsummer Night%26#39;s Dream is playing. The Guthrie is in a beautiful new building on the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis.

http://www.guthrietheater.org/

Don%26#39;t forget about the sister city, St. Paul. It may not offer as many art museums or theaters as Minneapolis, but it still should be a place to stop.

St. Paul offers the old city charm that Minneapolis is missing. IF you have a car you should drive down Summit Ave. and take in all of the old architechture. Plus there is a history museum and the capital is there.

Grand Ave. in St. Paul also offers more shopping if you haven%26#39;t gotten enough at MOA, and there are plenty of eating places on this street as well. If you are looking for delicious deserts Cafe Latte has you covered.

And I know that you mentioned you don%26#39;t need anything kid friendly, but the science museum is wonderful even without children. There are tons of interesting things to see and the museum offers an Imax theater that usually shows something amazing. I don%26#39;t have any children but frequent the science museum quite often.

Hope you have a great time in MN, the weather hopefully will be rather nice!

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