Oh Minneapolis, how I adore thee. Widely recognized for its local arts scene and bike-friendly nature, the “Mini Apple” also boasts some of the nation’s best restaurants, bars, and breweries. It’s an eclectic, lively cosmopolitan full of high energy during the summer months—the ideal destination for a weekend getaway.
Sure, being a Minnesota native may mean I am a little biased, but you don’t just have to take my word for it! Travel + Leisure Magazine mentioned Minneapolis as one of the best cities to travel to this summer, so take some inspiration from this local’s guide and get planning! (Be sure to stick around until the end for my giveaway details—a weekend in Minneapolis for two may be nearer to your future than you think!)
WHAT TO DO
Lake Calhoun, Minneapolis
LIVE THE LAKE LIFE
As the Land of 10,000 Lakes (15,291 to be exact), the best place to kick-off your Minneapolis adventure is on the water. You can fish, canoe, sail, paddle, and swim in freshwater all with the city’s skyline in view. Stand-up paddling has become a popular activity on Lake Calhoun and along the Mississippi River, while locals love to hit the beach at Lake Nokomis. There is even a floating library on Cedar Lake that offers free poetry readings from canoes!
If you prefer to stay dry, there are plenty of activities surrounding the lakes, including live music over at the Harriet Bandshell (on Lake Harriet), and trails for hiking, jogging and bicycling that circle Lake of the Isles.
STAY OUTDOORS
Speaking of biking, given the reputation Minneapolis has for it’s cycling culture means there are a variety of creative ways to see the city by bike. Explore the street art scene with a graffiti tour, or ride past beautiful buildings on an architecture tour downtown. Alternatively, the Art Al Fresco Tour takes riders to see different outdoor art installations while Fit Tourist tours keeps your heart racing and simultaneously showcases the city’s hot-spots. Bike to Beer takes you to the newest microbreweries of Minneapolis and the PedalPub leisurely leads tours through downtown while you simultaneously sip on craft taps.
After spending the day pedaling, catch a baseball game at Target Field, home to the Minnesota Twins. The stadium has been mentioned as the most modern venue to enjoy America’s favorite pastime and, being just blocks away from the famed 1st Avenue (both the music venue and nightlife main street,) is one of the most urban ballparks in the Major Leagues. Baseball just wouldn’t be baseball without a hot dog so fill up on my favorite ballpark bratwursts from Kramarczuk Sausage Company and load ’em up with sauerkraut, fried onions and mustard!
SUPPORT THE ARTS
Lake Street (Uptown, Minneapolis) | Photo by John Gogoi
Minneapolis ranks high as one of the most artistic cities in the U.S., and with a quick walk around town it’s easy to see why.
Get your mornings started with a little breakfast and produce shopping over at the Mill City Farmers Market. Local sustainable farmers and artisans promote healthy living with their wide variety of products that not only support an alternative food system but give back to the community. It’s a fascinating marketplace to try everything from mint charmoula to squid-ink ramen (all organic, of course.) The market is wedged between the Mill City Museum, a historic flour mill that offers concerts and a summer opera series from the building’ iconic ruins, and the Guthrie Theater, currently performing South Pacific and soon to be featuring Sense and Sensibility.
The Uptown Art Fair (August 7-9) takes over Lake Street with over 350 painters, sculptors, photographers and other artists showcasing their best work. If you’re looking for ceramics, jewelry or any other specialty pieces local to Minnesota, this is the place to find it.
Dancers, poets, musicians and magicians have their own festival, too! This year from July 30-August 9, performers seize the opportunity to entertain you for an hour each at the Minnesota Fringe Festival. The event focuses on live stage performance and encourages artists of all ages to participate.
WHERE TO EAT
Minneapolis is becoming one of the nation’s best foodie scenes and has award after award to prove it! People are quick to think hotdish and Lutefisk, but our culinary scene has much more to offer than the stereotypical lefse and SPAM.
AWARD-WINNING CUISINE
Grilled Millbrook Venison | Photo via Spoon and Stable
The 2016 James Beard Foundation “Best Chef of the Midwest” is cooking up some deliciously refined dishes, and paying homage to Minnesota’s Nordic heritage with each plate over at The Bachelor Farmer. Chef Paul Berglund’s cooking at this eco-conscious café focuses on locally-sourced ingredients and features dishes that highlight the vegetables and herbs growing on the restaurant’s rooftop farm.
There’s a lot of hype surrounding the farm-to-table eatery Spoon and Stable, and for good reason. This 2015 “Restaurant of the Year” also features a James Beard award-winning chef whose cuisine focuses on “the seasonality of the Midwest, and the roots of local culture,” as described on their website. If you can only go just once, make it brunch.
Every year, locals vote their favorite hamburgers as the juicy lucys from Blue Door Pub. Known as the “Blucy,” these cheese-filled burgers are also stuffed with peanut butter and come smothered with your favorite choice of sauce. (I can’t even get into how amazing is their basket of tater tots.) It’s a true local original!
ROOFTOP VIEWS
During the summer months sidewalks flood with patio dining and outdoor seating in downtown Minneapolis, especially down the famed Nicollet Mall. Diners can enjoy their favorite restaurants with a street view, but I suggest you take outdoor dining to a whole new level—the roof! My go-to dinner with a view is at Stella’s Fish Café & Oyster Bar, but the new 4 Bells (serving southern-inspired dishes) and CRAVE (sushi and American cuisine) are also great choices.
A LA ‘CART’
Hola Arepa food truck | Photo via MSP Magazine
Street food is one of my favorite ways to experience local flavors wherever I travel, so all hail to the food trucks that have have taken the streets by storm to serve up some curbside flavor. There are over 135 trucks serving everything from falafels and empanadas to grilled cheese and tater tot concoctions, so there is undoubtedly something for everyone! Hola Arepa is my go-to truck for Latin flavors and Rusty Taco is numero uno when it comes to Tex-Mex (their shrimp tacos are heavenly!) As evidenced by block-long lines, locals love the lobster rolls of the Smack Shack and Fro Yo Soul for something sweet.
WHERE TO STAY
Enjoy the excitement of downtown without the chaos of sleeping in the city by staying at the Minneapolis West Country Inn & Suites. Avoiding the hassle of traffic and noise is your best bet for a good night’s rest, and this affordable option is located a convenient 15 minutes from downtown.
HOTEL HIGHLIGHTS
After a multimillion-dollar renovation, the sleek new design of Minneapolis West is contemporary, fresh, and clean. The decor is modern, yet the hotel maintains the cozy feel of the Country Inns I remember from family road trips long ago.
Each of the rooms are equipped with free high-speed Internet and the hotel features an indoor swimming pool, fitness center, lending library, and a fabulous breakfast buffet (fresh waffle bar, anyone?) making this an easy choice for your home away from home.
Minneapolis West Country Inn & Suites by Carlson
The outdoor bonfire pits are a hotel highlight, offering up a great place to unwind under the stars after a long day of sightseeing and exploring Minneapolis. Don’t forget the marshmallows!
WIN A GETAWAY
We are giving away a FREE, two-night stay (for two!) at ANY Country Inn & Suites in the United States and Canada! Enter to win the opportunity to get away this summer by following these easy steps:
- Visit Country Inn & Suites by Carlson and check out the list of all their locations. (If you live in Minnesota and the greater Midwest, I highly suggest you head straight to the stunning Minneapolis West page!)
- Get a feel for your favorite amenities and features available across the nation.
- Let me know in the comment section below your favorite features of the hotel and where you would like to stay if you win! (Your email will NOT be published or visible when you leave a comment.)
- Share the Facebook post below and spread the word about the #CountryInns getaway giveaway!
Oh man, I really wanted to move to Minneapolis when I came back to the States but my husband & I chose Indianapolis just because the cost of living was so much cheaper. But man – Minneapolis is calling to me! I’d definitely be down to swim in one of the pools & then head out to explore the city later!
The wrong “-apolis” Polly!! I hope you have settled down nicely in Indiana, Minneapolis will always welcome you if you decide to relocate, again! Thanks for entering, good luck!
Who doesn’t love a giveaway?!? I’d go the one at Sea-Tac so I could Park’n’Stay when flying out of Seattle.
Such a good idea, the comfort of being close to an airport is a huge plus!
Makes me want to go there tomorrow!!
Let’s go!! I can always use a Minneapolis getaway myself 🙂
It does look like a lot of fun to go to there! The Minneapolis West Country Inn & Suites looks like a very nice property too. Who ever wins this giveaway is going to be very lucky!
My family used to throw birthday parties at the pool over at Minneapolis West years and years ago, I wished it looked like it does now way back when! It’s gorgeous! Thanks for stopping by, Nancy!
Minneapolis looks so fun!
Great guide – the street food would definitely be the first thing I’d check out!
It’s incredible how many options there now are on the streets! Thanks for reading, Laura!
Awesome – I don’t really know much about Minneapolis so thanks for this – the lake activities are probably where I’d be found!
The lakes are what makes Minnesota forgivable during the harsh winters– we love playing hockey and ice fishing on the frozen lakes and ponds during the months we can’t enjoy the warm sunshine!
Minneapolis looks like a great place! I’ve never really considered visiting the states, but I keep reading about all these cool places! I would love all the street food and art! 🙂
The great thing about the States is how diverse each region is throughout the country. There is something special about each state that’s worth a visit!
What a great, comprehensive guide! Thanks for this 🙂
Thanks, Crystal. It’s easy to write a place near and dear to your heart 🙂
I would stay at the one in Salina, KS because that is the midway point between our home and the in-laws in Texas. I like that they have a pool and a free hot breakfast in the morning.
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Thanks for sharing, David! What a great way to spend a stay a weekend away visiting family! Road trip!
I have some friends who are from Minneapolis and I’ve wanted to visit for awhile now. You’ve convinced me! Thanks for sharing 🙂
That’s great, Lauren! I hope you get a chance to visit during the summer!
Free breakfast is totally a winner! There are too many great locations to choose from. Love Minneapolis!
I think I’d choose Nashville!! My hubby and I have been there a couple times but actually never together. We love music and I have some good friends there too. A hotel close to Broadway with free breakfast and a pool sounds perfect to me ?.
Well since Jess recommends the Minneapolis West, I would choose that one! I saw they have 24 hour coffee, cookies, and candy…for real, that sounds like heaven!
Would love to visit here someday!
The indoor pool and on-site restaurant at the Minneapolis West location would make this the perfect spot for a kid-free staycation! My husband and I have left our kids overnight once in 6 years. Always making excuses not to spend the time or money on ourselves…we talk a lot about a weekend just to do everything and nothing, together!
So cool! I’ve always wanted to go to New York, the Country Inn in Long Island City looks really nice! Gotta love the free cookies while pregnant 😉
wow who knew Minneapolis was so fun! what a great guide
Sher
I would stay at the Orlando hotel on International Drive. My favorite feature is the warm cookie at the front desk. That’s a small but very welcoming thing to do.
I would go for Asheville Westgate. Asheville is one of my favorite places, and the last time we were there it was just to spend the night while we were moving from South Carolina to Kentucky. I am definitely looking forward to spending a full weekend there again sometime this summer!
I love the pools! It’s hard to choose just one place I would want to stay. It maybe somewhere local here in Minnesota or we may want to venture down to Illinois!
What an awesome giveaway! Of course I would stay at the Country Inn & Suites in Duluth for some fall leaf viewing and geocaching. Although Minneapolis is pretty awesome, too 🙂
I’d love a weekend getaway to Duluth! I love that the hotel has a water slide! I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’d love to travel somewhere further away but we don’t have money for airfare:(
A great complimentary breakfast is an awesome amenity and a pool is always a winner with the kids! We’d love to head back up to Duluth and stay at the Country Inn and Suites Duluth North, but the Minneapolis West is gorgeous too!
I love the Country Inn and Suites in Duluth. It’s right on the bluff before you start descending into Duluth. I stayed there years ago and I’ve love to visit again. My kids would love that indoor waterslide!
What a wonderful guide to a beautiful city. Your enthusiasm for travel and writing style makes me want to go there someday and, perhaps, see the Minnesota Twins play at Target Field. This retired old pitching coach truly enjoyed your article!
SO glad I stumbled across this post! Minneapolis looks like fantastic and fun city- I am pretty far from there; here in Southern California but hubby and I have been talking about having a little getaway. San Diego is only 2 hours away from us and I am delighted to learn there is a Country Inn & Suites right there! That’s definitely perfect for our little mini vacation and I love the spacious rooms, complimentary breakfast, and fitness center. Thanks so much for the opportunity- I feel excited just thinking about the chance to relax in the San Diego sun!
What a beautiful and lovely city…. I also enjoy this awesome prize…. I could really use a little vacation right now!
I would love to stay at Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Gatlinburg, TN. I love love love the Free hot breakfast
I would love to go and stay at the Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Baltimore North, MD! We love Baltimore and Inner Harbor and when we were done seeing all the sights we could go back to the Inn and swim in their pool and wake up the next morning to a hot breakfast. Now that vacationing.
Look at the pool the Country Inn & Suites has in Plymouth, MN! Gorgeous! I don’t know where I’d stay. Maybe I’d stay local to the Twin Cities and give myself a mini-retreat to get some work done!
North Charleston for the win! “Explore Beaches and Downtown Charleston from Our Hotel” what more could you want? Oh, free breakfast. Check!
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I would love to stay at the Country Inn & Suites by Carlson, in St. Charles, Missouri! My favorite amenity is the free high-speed internet access!
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