Minneapolis!

Matt and I just got home from a great vacation in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  We really had no expectations or idea of what we were going to do.  We chose Minneapolis because Matt had some hotel points that got us 3 free nights and it was somewhere neither of us had been.  It was almost too far to drive, in fact if we go again we said we would fly.

We loved Minneapolis!  When we got there we found our hotel and relaxed for a bit.  Then we got in the car and drove to Minnehaha Park.  What a beautiful place!  We went straight to Minnehaha Falls. 

Right across from this observation area to view the Falls was a stand to rent bikes of all kinds.  You could get a single bike, a surrey that looks like a golf cart, or a deuce coupe.  There were bikes that could hold entire families with everyone pedaling.  The first bike we got was a surrey.

That was a workout!  We rode around the park and got to a place where you could go down to the falls and walk around.  The kid at the bike stand said we could leave our bike and walk around so we did.  It was incredible!  I love waterfalls!  There was a trail you could walk all the way to the Mississippi River.  Amazing! 

When we climbed the stairs back up our bike was gone!  We walked back to the stand with our heads hanging.  The guy said someone had seen our surrey and thought it was left so they returned it thinking they were helping out.  Ha!  We found that all the people we encountered were extra nice.  The guys said why don’t you try the deuce coupe you might like it better.

He was right!  It was just a little bit easier to pedal.  After we returned our bike we drove around Minneapolis and then made our way back to our hotel.  Across the street from the park are really cute older homes.  What a great spot to live.  There were hundreds of people out riding bikes, running, walking, skating, reading, eating, you name it.  Minneapolis is a very active outdoorsy city.  Everywhere we went people were outside.   

Wednesday was going to be the hottest day so we decided to do indoor things that day.  We started at Mall of America.  Wow!  It’s huge and you could easily spend days there.  There is an entire amusement park in the middle! 

We walked the entire mall in about 5 hours.  Then we went to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts for a few hours.  We were pooped after a day of walking so we went back to our hotel and rested before dinner.

Thursday was another fun day.  We went to the Mill City Museum at the old Gold Medal Flour Factory.  I knew I would love a museum dedicated to flour and all things baking, but I think Matt enjoyed himself too.  They did a really good job making it fun and interactive.  Plus, the views from the observation deck were incredible!  St. Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River was right there and the Stone Arch Bridge.  We walked across the Stone Arch Bridge and ate lunch. 

After lunch we headed over to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.  It was a great place to rest in the shade!

Overall, Minneapolis is a great town!  I don’t know if I would like it so much during the winter but I definitely recommend it during the summer.  Even on the hottest day it was in the low 90s but not nearly as humid as Kansas City.  There was so much to do that was free or relatively inexpensive.  We really want to go back again sometime.

Now this wouldn’t be a family post without a picture of our sweet little girl.  Pickles stayed home with her Uncle Joe.  We were so grateful that my brother was able to come over and stay with her and check on her.  He sent us this picture.

I don’t know if you can tell but she is giving him the stink eye!  She doesn’t care for people in her house.  Even if she knows and likes them.  When we got home she was very excited to see us!  She even gave Joey’s knee a lick, I think she secretly likes him.