Day trips from Minneapolis

My husband and I have to go to Minneapolis for a business conference in April. It will be our anniversary also and I thought we could take advantage and see some of that part of the country, but I don%26#39;t know what is in that area. Can anyone make a suggestion. Things like Mount Rushmore, National Parks, famous landmarks. Thanks

Day trips from Minneapolis

Of course, some depends on your interests and also what you define as a day trip. That said, here are some ideas generally...

April can still be pretty scattershot weatherwise on cold versus tolerable to be outside for extended periods, but you may consider the Stillwater area. Probably about 35-45 minute drive from downtown Minneapolis and will offer some historic if somewhat touristy small town life with shopping and restaurants.

Duluth is probably about a 2 hour drive from Minneapolis, so doable in one day or maybe a stay overnight in Duluth. Right on Lake Superior and has some tourist areas to visit on the lake with all of its boating and ships coming into harbor. As it%26#39;s north from Minneapolis, be prepared for some colder weather. If you like nature, also consider Gooseberry Falls State Park while in the area

Minneapolis itself (plus St. Paul), of course, offers various sites to see including theater, shopping (as in Mall of America among others), lakes and parks including the Mississippi River area, and more.

You may also want to look at www.exploreminnesota.com, the official tourism website for the State or www.minneapolis.org, the Minneapolis tourism agency%26#39;s website. You can explore ideas there that may be tailored to your interests.

If you like casinos, the Native American tribes have some within a hours drive of downtown, including Mystic Lake and Treasure Island. Las Vegas it%26#39;s not, but a gambling option. Mystic Lake has shows but no alcohol (my understanding from the negative aspects it brought Native American peoples) though Treasure Island does opt to serve, however. If you chose TI, you could also consider visiting Red Wing, with a somewhat similar feel to Stillwater for small town shopping/tourism life and also along the Mississippi River for beauty%26#39;s sake.

If you%26#39;re up to a 5 hour drive, there are also the Amana Colonies in Iowa, where you can visit the historical life of either Amish or similar. If not ready for a 5 hour trip and probable overnight stay, there are also Amish communities in MN not as far away. Site to check out Amana is www.amanacolonies.com.

There%26#39;s just a few ideas, feel free to make further requests.

Day trips from Minneapolis

Both Stillwater and Duluth are good suggestions. Duluth will take up a whole day.

If you want to watch eagles, drive down highway 61 along the Mississippi as far as Winona, then cross over to the Wisconsin side and drive back to town. You can do some shopping at Pottery Place in Red Wing on the way down. You can also stop at one of the lock/dams along the route, and there are some nice stops on the Wisconsin side. Wisconsin Friday night fish fry%26#39;s are pretty much legend and easy to find. You could also go as far as LaCrosse Wisconsin. Many of the towns along the river are old river towns.

If you are into Spam, their museum is in Austin, a couple of hours south. You could do that and return via Rochester, home of the Mayo clinic, or even New Prague, a great old Czech town.

As mentioned earlier, the weather could still be iffy in April

At any rate, please have a good time in our area.

tptr

Duluth is very cool but perhaps a bit far for one day. The drive south along the Mississippi and back north on the other side of the Mississippi is probably your best choice or a day in Stillwater which is perhaps 30 miles east of MPLS. Mount Rushmore is a 3 day trip at minimum.

It all depends on how much you want to drive, how much you like the outdoors and how flexible you are. Heading a bit south improves your chances of warm weather. I%26#39;ve had a great time in mid-April seeing the fields of pasqueflowers at River Terrace Prairie near Cannon Falls an hour south of the Twin Cities (you also could ride the Cannon Valley Trail and visit Red Wing on the Mississippi River, staying at a B%26amp;B there and eating at The Nortons) and in late April riding the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway trail right in Minneapolis; it takes a whole day, and you%26#39;ll go past the lakes, the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden, the historic milling district and Minnehaha Falls.

Kansas City is seven hours from Minneapolis and is lovely in April; listen to blues, eat barbecue, shop for antiques. There%26#39;s a Civil War re-enactment April 18-19 in nearby St. Joseph, where the Pony Express started.

But if you feel like exploring and the weather is decent, I%26#39;d head down the Mississippi from the Twin Cities, stopping in all the little river towns and returning on the other side. For special overnight stops, I suggest Hawks View Cottages in Fountain City, Wis., or the Wilson Schoolhouse Inn just outside La Crosse, Wis., and, in Dubuque, Iowa, either the Arts %26amp; Crafts Four Mounds Inn (get the Mississippi Suite) or the Victorian Hancock House, Richards House or Mandolin Inn. There%26#39;s a great river museum there and funicular railway. The historic little village of Galena, Ill., a very popular destination around here, is just across the river.

Hope you have a great anniversary visit --

Beth at MidwestWeekends.com

How long will you be here?

If you can, try to turn the outing part of your stay into an overnight trip. Then I%26#39;d suggest staying overnight on a North Shore lodge with a view of Lake Superior. They offer accomodations fitting a range of budgets and amenities. Hot tub with a view of the lake. It%26#39;s a beautiful drive up there. And there is no shortage of beautiful places to visit: Tettegouche, Gooseberry Falls, Split Rock, Duluth, etc.

For a day, you can easily visit the aforementioned spots along Hwy 61 south of the Twin Cities. That will show you a little of our state outside of the Metro area.

Of course, there is plenty to explore in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Great restaurants. World-class park system with infinite bike trail opportunities. Museums and theaters all over the place. Be sure to not just visit the downtown and assume you%26#39;ve seen Minneapolis. It%26#39;s a nice downtown (esp. with the riverfront area and the mill circuit walk). But the real beauty I find to be in the parks. The lakes chain and the Minnehaha Creek park trail to Minnehaha Park and the paths down to the Mississippi. Beautiful area. How many big cities have a waterfall in their city limits?

Red Wing for pottery/shopping, restaurants, pretty area.

Wabasha: where they filmed Grumpy Old Men, also to the Eagle Center there:

http://www.nationaleaglecenter.org/

Stillwater and Duluth are fine choices too.

see where the Mississippi begins:

dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/itasca/index.html

startribune.com/lifestyle/鈥?1283566.html