Minneapolis, Minnesota Three day Itinerary

Holy. Pandemic. Hell.

I think we can all agree that this has been a serious dumpster fire of a year. We’re currently in September and I'm still crossing my fingers daily that maybe we can at least get through Christmas without our planet turning into a reenactment of World War Z.

Back in July, after three months of quarantining and scavenging through grocery stores for remnants of pasta and toilet paper (to everyone at home currently building summer cabanas out of your unneeded TP hoards - I’m mentally glaring at you) Frontier Airlines decided to tempt my overall self control by advertising a deal of twenty-eight dollar round-trip flights to specific cities throughout the US.

Now, I know what you’re thinking - I in no way should have been traveling during a pandemic. I get it. But for a twenty-eight dollar round-trip ticket, my inner travel bug (that had already spent the last four months quarantining) was NOT about to say no to a deal and a mid-week trip.

Ergo, spawned my socially distanced three days in Minneapolis.

First of all, let’s talk about the airport experience.

I live in Denver, Colorado, and anyone who frequently travels in-and-out of DIA can second me in saying that our airport is normally a small journey within itself.

Between the constant construction and detours, long TSA lines, and shoulder-to-shoulder travelers on the underground train, it’s an experience. With that being said, this was the OPPOSITE of what Denver International was like during the pandemic.

When I arrived at the airport prior to boarding my flight, I was one of only two people in the TSA line at the time. TWO!! Frankly there wasn’t even a line at all. I just walked right through the body scanner and was on my way. I’m certain that this will never happen again in my lifetime, and holy shit, it was incredible.

The plane was spaced out, leaving the middle seat empty (hello, leg space) and I didn’t once have to worry about some sweaty middle-aged guy leaning against my arm on the tram. Overall, my plane experience during the plague was 10/10. 

What up, Minnie-apple?!

This was my first time traveling to Minnesota and I’m 100% glad that I made the spontaneous trip. Minneapolis in July was filled with emerald green trees, hot days, cool evenings, and just the right amount of humidity to make my skin thrilled to be there.

I landed in the city around 9 AM and since I only had three days to experience as much as possible, I was happy for the early start.

I parked my rental car downtown and decided to rent a Nice Ride bike, which conveniently popped up on my Lyft app once I entered the city. I had already planned to visit Mill Ruins Park during my trip, so I set that as my first destination.

The ride through downtown was gorgeous and felt like a much better way to experience the city instead of solely through the window of a car. But let me tell you, it was HOT. Like, ninety-eight degrees with no clouds, hot. I’m naturally very fair-skinned (proudly ginger AF) and immediately regretted my decision to not bring sunscreen. 

Regardless of the heat, Mill Ruins Park was a great place to walk around and read historical facts about Minneapolis and the flour mills that brought a booming industry to the area in the mid-19th century.

Unfortunately the museum was closed due to COVID-19, but it was still worth going for the self-guided tour of the area and views of the Stone Arch Bridge.

Dinner

After a day of exploring the city (and spending a few hours in my AirBnb’s pool, because holy hell that heat was a lot) I decided to explore Eat Street to grab a bite somewhere local.

If you’re ever in the Minneapolis area GO.TO.EAT.STREET.

Eat Street is a section of Nicollet Avenue downtown and is known for having over forty restaurants on one strip. The place is a HUB of ethnic food varieties. From Greek, Chinese, Ethiopian, Japanese, German, and American fare the options where both incredible and overwhelming in the best way.

I came across Black Sheep Coal Fired Pizza and was lured in by their open-air dining room and the smell of fresh-baked carbs.

I’m not normally one to turn down a slice, and it proved to be well worth the decision.

I ordered the Hot Salami & Chili Pepper pizza along with their house red wine. The pizza was fresh and delicious and the chilli’s had just the right amount of kick. Plus, finishing the day with red wine in a breezy dining room felt like the perfect way to bring in the evening on my first day of exploring the area.

Day Two

My first stop of day two was to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.

In full honesty, I didn’t know much of what to expect before going except that the garden was home to the iconic Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture that I knew I couldn’t leave the Twin Cities without a picture of.

The gardens did not disappoint. Along with the Spoonbridge and Cherry, the park also houses nearly fifty other art pieces that were well worth the time go visit. One of my favorite pieces in the garden was a tree that held forty-seven wind chimes, and on the breezy and overcast morning in July, it seemed to play the role of being the park's very own one-tree band.

It was relaxing and gorgeous, and I highly recommend stopping by if you’re in the area.

Next stop, Minnehaha Falls.

Oh.My.God.

I can’t stress this enough. Even if you only have one day in Minneapolis, make Minnehaha Falls a top priority on your list of places to visit.

The park was INCREDIBLE.

Being from Denver, our summers are very dry and increasingly brown. We get very little rain in the summer and by mid July our dusty western climate really starts to show itself off. But WOW. I was blown away by the amount of dense green trees and vegetation EVERYWHERE at Minnehaha Park. The whole park was lush and deep emerald.

The waterfall was roaring and breathtaking and filled creeks that could be followed for miles throughout forest trails. I picked a trail randomly and decided to get lost in the trees for a few hours.

Word of advice, any chance that you can get to have a moment alone with your thoughts in a natural setting, take it. Personally I find that few things are as soul cleansing.

I Like You, Minneapolis.

After Minnehaha Park, I decided to scroll through Google to find a local gift shop and came across the I Like You store near the Uptown neighborhood. The shop was precious! My partner and I do this thing where we occasionally tell each other “I like you”, instead of “I love you”. As in, yeah, I love you, but you’re also a pretty damn great person and I still like the hell out of you. So when I found the I Like You store I knew that it would be a perfect place to pick up a souvenir. 

I Like You is owned and operated by two lovely Twin City locals Sarah and Angela and showcases products from over 200 independent artists and crafters. Plus, the whole store screams Minnesota pride! From loon paintings to hotdish dish towels and Juicy Lucy fridge magnets, it was easy to find the perfect local take home.

Speaking of the Juicy Lucy,

I couldn’t travel to the hometown of the cheese stuffed burger without getting first-hand experience in the house it grew up in.

Now, I learned quickly while talking to locals in the area that there is a huge feud regarding where the first Juicy Lucy actually originated. Both Matt’s Bar and the 5-8 Club BOTH claim to be the inventor of this cheesy icon, and it seemed to depend on which side of town I was on as to which restaurant that residents would refer to as being the first or the best of the two.

I ultimately decided to try out the 5-8 Club because it was the closest to my AirBnb.

My first impression of the 5-8 Club was that it was divey. The restaurant had a smell that I can only describe as dust and silverware polish, the paint on the walls was chipping throughout, and there were no TVs or music playing in the background so the only noise to focus on was other chatting patrons, clinking glassware, and the sound of your own chewing.

But hey, some of my all-time-favorite meals have come from hole-in-the-wall dives, and I’m all for being pleasantly surprised.

I ordered the classic Juicy Lucy with American cheese, cheese curds, and a local cider they had on tap.

The burger was thick and oozing with cheesy goodness and the cheese curds had exactly the amount of squeak that you hope for when you’re this close to the Wisconsin border.

Overall, the restaurant definitely lived up to its internet hype. It’s a dive, but it’s a dive that I wouldn't mind visiting again if I’m ever in the area.

Day Three

On my last day in the city, I had a few hours to spare before catching my flight and decided to make the most of it.

For brunch I stopped by the French Meadow Café in St. Paul and ordered the salmon eggs benedict and a cappuccino. The café had a lovely outdoor patio and was located on a strip that housed several other local shops and boutiques.

Creepy antiques? Sign me up.

For my last stop before the airport, I was driving through a cute neighborhood in the Minneapolis area near Lake of the Isles and passed a kitschy antique shop that stood out from the road. Obviously I had to pull over to check it out.

The shop was called Hunt & Gather and is now on my list of most interesting antique stores that I've ever visited. The store itself has two levels filled with eerie vintage treasures and was a great place to get lost and waste some time before my flight. If you’re into creepy items that have a ton of history and could also possibly haunt your home for the foreseeable future, then this should be your go-to spot. There was even a room that exclusively had taxidermy, old dolls, and roughly used children’s toys hanging from every part of the walls. I may or may not have met a relative of Annabelle in there....I’m just saying.

Till next time, Twin Cities.

Ultimately, Minneapolis was a perfect post-quarantine escape and I’m already looking forward to my next run in with the twins.