I am hoping to be in Minneapolis at the end of June 2009 - main purpose is to meet up for aweekend with friends but as I shall be travelling from Europe I want to stay for more than a weekend.
I%26#39;m at the very beginning of planning my trip - one issue is how long to stay in Minneapolis itself and where else to go (i.e. another US city or a more %26#39;local%26#39;trip)
I shall be travelling solo, I enjoy live music, theatre, art galleries, museums, gentle walks - I don%26#39;t much enjoy shopping or amusement parks.
I shall probably have 2 weeks to spend in the USA.
So, my first question is whether than is likely to be too long to be in Minneapolis? (And if so, any suggestions as to where else I should go?)
I have only visited the states once before, about 10 years ago, when I went to NY, Washington and spent some time in North Carolina.
i am starting to read up on the area (location is dictated by the party I%26#39;m going to)
Also - how practical is it to get around without hiring a car? I shall be on a Fairly tight budget.
I know this is a very open question - I am reading therest of the forum and no doubt will have more detaield queries as time goes more and I learn more...
Summer 2009 - general Advice
Some very genereal suggestions....
1) Define for yourself ';Minneapolis';....that is, just the city itself or the entire Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area.
2) Explore potential places of interest in St. Paul and perhaps some outlaying areas such as Stillwater or the Lake Minnetonka area.
3) The public transport system (largely by bus with one light rail link) and is mostly ';hub %26amp; spoke'; routes...with the two ';twin'; cities as the hubs. Many times to get from one place to another it will require several transfers.
4) Weather wise the end of June is still in the ';stormy'; period that transitions Winter cold to Summer heat. Waiting to transfer from one bus to another mean doing so in downpours...not always with the use of a shelter either. Which does not mean not using the bus system...just being flexible.
5) The very end of June also means the beginning of July and a few days later Independence Day on July 4, which in 2009 is a Saturday so sure to draw extra large crowds for downtown (either one) activities...as well as hotels more full than average. Lots to see and do though with things like ';Red, White %26amp; Boom'; in Minneapolis or ';A Taste of Minnesota'; food festival in St. Paul.
Four to five days would be plenty for just Minneapolis and even for St. Paul too but might be little short for getting out and about to scenic areas. For music, theater, art, etc... Minneapolis probably has the edge. For diversity of music and things to do sticking around until July 5th would provide lots of options.
Summer 2009 - general Advice
If you only have 2 weeks and go outside the cities, I would definitely rent a car. Here%26#39;s my dream itinerary for that amount of time:
3 days in the cities
3-5 days on the exploring the North Shore of Lake Superior (Duluth/Grand Marais/Gunflint Trail/Isle Royale)
The rest of your time meandering down to Chicago OR to the Dakotas (Black Hills, Custer State Park, Badlands)
It really depends on weather you%26#39;d like to see nature or great cities. The nice thing about heading down to Chicago is that you could easily take train/plane/bus down and do without a car. However, for scenic beauty, the Dakotas is a popular desination. Regardless, do plan to see the North Shore all the way up to Grand Marais.
I think you%26#39;ll need to decide what kind of traveler/visitor you are. Some people like to see a lot of things; others like to see one area and really get to know it and explore it.
That means for some people 3 days is plenty for Minneapolis (and the surrounding metro area); for others, they wouldn%26#39;t even be able to scratch the surface.
It also depends how tight your budget is. Traveling to other large cities in the upper Midwest of the US would add to the final tally substantially, compared with staying and exploring Minneapolis and perhaps northern Minnesota.
I would spend no less than 4 nights in Minneapolis. That would allow you time to hit the highlights of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Though sadly you would miss much of the more day-to-day cultural parts of this area. And I should point out that if you like theater and museums, Minneapolis is loaded. In fact, only one city has more theaters per resident, and that%26#39;s New York City.
I think the north shore of Lake Superior in northern Minnesota is a great option to visit that time of year. Spectacular scenery and the famous northern Minnesota small-town charm. State parks abound and there is no shortage of trails for hiking and biking. It really depends on how much of an adventurist you are and how far in advance you like to reserve lodging. It%26#39;s a popular destination in the summer here.
While in Minneapolis, you should set a plan to allow you to use public transportation (light rail and bus) or foot-power for the things downtown and in the immediate vicinity that you want to see and that Metro Transit (metrotransit.org) serves. For the things outside the city or in St. Paul, I would rent (hire) a car. And of course for any travel outside of Minneapolis and St. Paul, you%26#39;d need a car. In fact. the drive up Highway 61 (longer route but more scenic) might be one of your highlights if you chose this itinerary.
I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ll get quite a few varying opinions -- all created from different styles of travel. (Mine is to walk the fine line between seeing a lot and becoming guilty of drive-by tourism; I really like meeting the people and getting their opinions. And I really like seeing more than the stuff you find in tourism guides)
You may wish to spend a week in MPLS and then take Amtrak to Chicago and fly back to UK from Chicago.
MPLS and St Paul are fine midwest farming cities so a week there would be more then adequate. America is just too big for passenger rail service like you europeans enjoy, air travel covers our distances faster.
%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;MPLS and St Paul are fine midwest farming cities%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;
Katzgar, Seattle
Ya sure, and be sure to catch the morning farm report on %26#39;CCO (intoned in heavy ';Fargo'; accent.
tptr
Just so you know, Minneapolis and St. Paul are NOT farming cities. But people on the coasts do like to be snobs about the so-called flyoverland.
Here%26#39;s a plan for a great low-budget trip: Spend three or four days in Minneapolis. First, rent or borrow a bike and ride the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway, which follows parkways, lakes and the Mississippi River in a big loop that%26#39;ll show you all the best beaches, parks and historic areas. Rent a kayak or canoe at Lake Calhoun, see Minnehaha Falls, swim in Lake Harriet, go to one of the many free outdoor concerts and festivals.
You can go on super-cheap day or weekend trips with a local club, such as the River Ramblers, www.river-ramblers.org, who charge $2 per trip, or the Minnesota Rovers, www.mnrovers.org (no charge day trips, but $25 annual membership for overnights, and then you can borrow gear free). Otherwise, you do need a car. You can find out about tons of great places within a few hours at my web site, www.MidwestWeekends.com.
Then I%26#39;d take the Megabus (as cheap as $2 if you reserve early enough)or Amtrak to Chicago, which is such a fun town and also very friendly. If you take Amtrak (also cheapest the earlier you reserve), you should be able to stop along the way for no extra charge in such towns as Red Wing, La Crosse, Wisconsin Dells or Milwaukee, where Summerfest, which they call the world%26#39;s largest music festival, is June 25-July 5 on the shore of Lake Michigan. You can walk from the station to a cheap dorm room at Marquette University.
Rooms in Chicago are very expensive in summer, so reserve as soon as possible at the hostel in the Loop, which is really nice, www.hichicago.org. It%26#39;s two blocks from Grant Park, where Taste of Chicago is going on June 26-July 5. I%26#39;d rent a bike and ride the 18-mile Lakefront Trail and do all the free stuff.
Nearly every town has a fun Fourth of July celebration. That weekend also a good time to catch a powwow, which most Europeans love. You%26#39;d need wheels, but the Oneida are holding one near Green Bay, Wis.
Hope you have a good time here!
Beth at MidwestWeekends.com
seaburytraveler - great response and I love your Web site, many great ideas for tbagpuss (interesting screen name, btw). I%26#39;ll have to look into it for my girls weekends!
Minneapolis and Seattle are both great cities for very different reasons. But I%26#39;ll take our good Midwestern values and cultured standard of living any day over the expense, congestion and outstanding array of street people in Seattle. Honestly, I love both places (half my family lives there) but don%26#39;t even go there trying to compare the two, esp if your idea of us is fine farming cities.
The best things about visiting Minnesota are the Mpls/St Paul area, the vast natural beauty throughout the state and it%26#39;s proximity to many other Midwestern treasures. If you got to the states more often, I%26#39;d suggest spending the whole trip in MN. But since it sounds like you don%26#39;t, that%26#39;s why I%26#39;d recommend visiting more than one area. If you really don%26#39;t want to spend the money on a car/multiple locations, I%26#39;d suggest staying in downtown Mpls (convenient to bike trails/mass transit) and busing/training it down to Chicago.
Hi there, thanks for such prompt and detailed responses - It sounds as though I%26#39;ll be able to find lots to do, without extra flights elsewhere.
I think maybe I%26#39;ll look in to hiring a car for part of the time, to explore further out.
mpls is fun with all the lakes in the city. You can bike for miles if that is something you like to do. My suggestion is to hit Chicago. It%26#39;s the best city in the midwest for shopping, museums, restaurants and evening shows. Check out greatgirltrips.com for other ideas. They have itineraries for many cities in the US.
If you%26#39;re going to rent a car, you could drive up to Duluth on Lake Superior (2 1/4 hours), then continue east to Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Bayfield, Wis. (another 1 3/4 hours). You can%26#39;t beat Lake Superior. You could kayak into the sea caves, and the Red Cliff Band of Chippewa (Ojibwe) near Bayfield has a powwow over the Fourth, and both cities have great fireworks shows. In Duluth, you could watch it from Skyline Parkway.
And I was wrong about membership in the Minnesota Rovers Outdoors Club. It%26#39;s only $10 for people who live outside the Twin Cities, and you still can borrow gear.
Beth at MidwestWeekends.com
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