Trip Report

Minnesota

Twin Cities and Duluth

 We spent a week in July 2007 at “home” in MN visiting grandparents. We traveled all about with my parents and three children under age 5. If you’re flying into MN, I recommend flying into the Lindbergh terminal (the main airport) or the Hubert Humphrey terminal (generally used for charter flights etc.)

Here’s our day by day itinerary!

DAY 1
Destination Focus: Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, St. Paul, MN
Details: The Como Zoo and Conservatory is a great place to visit with small children. Admission is free but donations gladly accepted. The zoo is small enough not to overwhelm the preschool and early elementary age. Make sure you see the Sparky the Sea Lion show which is put on daily. The conservatory has beautiful plants and flowers for all ages to enjoy! We grabbed lunch at the zoo and after our fun day headed to Snuffy’s Malt Shop (244 Cleveland Ave. S.) for the BEST burgers and malts!

DAY 2
Destination Focus: Lake Superior, Duluth, MN
Details: Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world and worth the 2 hour drive north of the Twin Cities! On the way, stop at Tobie’s in Hinckley for the best pastries you have ever had! (You can eat a full meal there but why bother?) In Duluth, enjoy walking around Lake Superior, take a swim if you don’t mind the cold water and enjoy the scenery! We all enjoyed the Train Museum and the kids loved being able to go inside the different types of trains and train cars! Make sure you grab a bite to eat at Grandma’s. (Sponsor of the world famous Grandma’s Marathon held every June).

DAY 3
Destination Focus: Lake Harriet, Mpls. MN
Details: After some heavy duty sight seeing the previous 2 days, everyone was ready to relax at one of Minnesota’s beautiful lakes. We spent the day at Lake Harriet, swimming, playing and building sand castles. We could not pull the kids from the water! When in Minnesota it is a necessity to spend time at the beautiful lakes. Many have public areas with roped off areas for swimming and great sandy beaches the kids love. Lifeguards often come on duty at 11am. At all the lakes the parking areas is usually right by the swimming area; some parking lots charge a small fee but you can often park on the street for free. For those of you who have a little more energy, Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun have biking and walking paths around them. There is plenty to do at Lake Harriet for all ages and all levels of physical fitness. Check the schedule at the band shell as there are often free concerts in the evenings!

Day 4
Destination: Mall of America , Bloomington, MN
Details: Of course you must pay a visit to the largest Mall in the United States. You could spend days here: lots of shopping, restaurants, an aquarium, a Dinosaur Museum, movie theater, Lego Land…..need I say more?

There is a brand new hotel right next to the Mall called The Grand Lodge and Water Park of America. It features an indoor water park with surf simulator, raft rides, children’s pool, sports activity pool and more. Every kid’s dream for a hot, humid day or to spend the afternoon after sightseeing. Admission to the water park is free for hotel guests. They also offer free shuttle service to the Mall. Phone #977.757.5433

Day 5
Destination Focus: Minneapolis
Details: We started out the day with a trip to the Sculpture Garden. This outdoor Garden offers free admission and is on Hennepin and Vineland (across from the Walker Art Center). The kids love looking at the wide variety of sculptures and everyone’s favorite was the giant spoon with the cherry on it! If you need to escape the heat head across the street to the Walker Art Center! If you are ready for some more outdoor beauty, head to Minnehaha Falls to enjoy the beautiful water falls! There are lots of hiking trails for hikers of all abilities. For dinner we headed to St. Paul to Café Latte (www.cafelatte.com). GREAT food and fun atmosphere located on Grand Avenue. The best part of Café Latte? DESSERT! Don’t miss the opportunity to try one of their fabulous cakes!

Day 6
Destination: More lakes
Details: Of course the favorite thing for the kids was swimming in the lake so we went to Lake Calhoun to enjoy some more swimming. For those of you who enjoy volleyball, there are outdoor courts here to enjoy!

Next time we go I hope to visit one of the many museums or catch one of the Children’s Theatre Company’s shows!

TIPSTER: Grab a Twin Cities Reader (weekly paper about what is going on in the city) when you get into town to see what is going on that week. You can find these everywhere and they are free. Great to find out about special events, free concerts etc.


Don't Miss:

Our Top 3 Family Highlights:
• Lake Superior (and all the other fabulous lakes),
• Minnehaha Falls
• Como Zoo