Where to Stay?

Staying a couple days this summer in Minneapolis. I can use Marriott or Hilton points and have the choice of staying Downtown at the Depot, Downtown City Center, St. Louis Park, or St Paul/Roseville. However, we plan to do a lot of sightseeing including the trolley tour, the Gangster tour, sculpture garden, Minnehaha falls, and local out of town trips, etc. So, I am thinking we will be doing some driving. Does it matter which location we stay? What would be best?

Where to Stay?

Hm, ordinarily I would tell someone to stay at the City Center (more central) location so you can experience downtown a bit more.

It depends on how many trips out of downtown (via car) you plan to make. The Depot location would make the escape to I-94 east (to St. Paul) and 35W or Hiawatha Ave a snap. You really only need to drive a few blocks to either 4th Street (35W or Hiawatha) or 6th Street (I-94 east). The hotel is on the east edge of downtown near those access roads so you are less of a risk to get turned around on the downtown one-way grid of streets and avanues (make sure to recognize the difference -- avenues run perpindicular to streets.

I would avoid the St. Louis Park location (too isolated and boring suburbia with mostly chains -- with a few exceptions) and St. Paul is OK but downtown SP is more confusing than downtown Mpls by far.

I would stay downtown Minneapolis. The choice you%26#39;ll have to make is whether you want a better location for seeing the downtown or one for easily driving out of it.

The Depot location isn%26#39;t all bad for sightseeing, though. Nice access to Mill Ruins Park, the Stone Arch Bridge, the old flour mill circuit/walk and St. Anthony Main. Also walking distance access to the light rail -- Downtown East/Metrodome station. That will take you to Minnehaha Park. Much easier than driving and parking. Exit 50th Street Station and cross Hiawatha Ave through the big tan wall%26#39;s gap.

It%26#39;s just that the City Center is closer to the majority of restaurants. The Marriott on 7th that is, not the Hilton.

The Depot and the Marriott on 7th are both nice hotels. The Hilton I find a bit far down Nicollet Mall for walking access to lots of the main things to see and dining areas. A few of my friends prefer that location, though.

Click this link and check out the downtown map (pdf). It will show you the locations of the hotels in blue type. Depot is near the Metrodome on the right, upperish side of the map.

minneapolis.org/page/1/area-maps-minneapolis鈥?/a>

there is a riverfront map also.

Where to Stay?

Thank you for this great information.

By the way, if you do decide to take the train to Minnehaha Park, note the day.If it%26#39;s a Saturday or a Tuesday, you could stop at the Midtown farmers%26#39; market just off the Lake Street stop and pick up some goods for a mini picnic at the park. Lovely place for one.

You get off at Lake Street, buy your treats, get back on the train and take it three more stops to 50th St/Minnehaha station. (Train tickets are good for two hours if you buy the standard ticked for $2.25 or $2.50; buy them at the vending machine on the train platform BEFORE you board the train). Good luck!

you CAN NOT get more central than City Centre Marriott - they%26#39;ve remodeled - ask for a corner room, high floor. Some are even bi-level suites.

You can take the light rail from airport to 5th street %26amp; Nicollet (2 blocks north of 7th street city center) Your only hassel is paying for parking.

Would you consider renting car from one of the downtown rental locations just for the day or days you need the car, or use the express bus from downtown minneapolis to st. paul, for the stuff you want to do there.

Scupture Garden is brisk walk or taxi

the falls can be visited by light rail

check out the views from the new guthrie theater it%26#39;s free to go in and up to the viewing platform even when there%26#39;s no shows going on

lots of dining options downtown Minneapolis.

Hit me up with any other questions - I%26#39;m a downtown resident.

Thank you so much downtown. We plan 3-4 days in Minneapolis, and then up to the northshore (based upon the recommendations of others here). So, a car will be needed at some point. But, perhaps renting and returning a car from somewhere else than the airport might be more economical if those first few days it is easy to get around the twin cities by rail, bus, etc. instead of a car. Do you know if there are car rentals nearby where it sounds like we are likely to stay (based upon your recommendation). Plus, I want to try and reserve beforehand so I don%26#39;t pay top dollar.

Any recommendations for casual restaurants nearby the hotel of course are also appreciated. We don%26#39;t want to do any chains or places that we could go to anywhere else. But, we will have a 17 year old with us and don%26#39;t plan on gourmet places either. So, casual is fine.

near the Hilton downtown there%26#39;s Avis, and National car rental. I%26#39;m sure there are others downtown too, all in walking distance.

You%26#39;ll avoid paying the extra airport rental tax.

For restaurants, be sure to hit up Hell%26#39;s Kitchen. They%26#39;ve relocated to a much bigger place, but are well known for breakfasts, and now serve dinners into the night.

Sat %26amp; Sun a.m. brunch is awesome at Ike%26#39;s downtown if you can make it. If you order pizza in one night, have it from Pizza Luce, and check out their non-pizza items too. They have an awesome cold-pasta salad with small bits of jalepeno kick.

Will you be in town for a Friday night? If so, I%26#39;ll recommend a place that I hit up once a month when I have out of town guests.

where are you staying on the north shore ?

got any hikes planned? there%26#39;s so many state parks and waterfalls to visit - you will have a blast.

My reply seemed to disappear in another thread on the Northshore. First, I think we will be in Minneapolis on a Friday evening.

In terms of the North Shore, the question I asked is whether we need advance reservations during the latter part of July? I am hoping we can drive past Duluth and stop when we feel like it versus having to make it somewhere. But, I don%26#39;t want us to be sleeping in a car because we can%26#39;t find anything. So, with the economy, etc. do you think we still need to book something in advance at Grand Marais, or similar?

One other question on the Northshore. I am confused about the wildnerness canoe area off the gunflint trail. It sounds like you have to make reservations now, get permits, etc. Is that right, even if you just want to do this for an hour or two?

Just one add-on; it can be costly to park downtown overnight. I think the Marriott City Center self-park rate is almost $20/day during the week (cheaper on weekends).

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area can be quite a haul. It%26#39;s about 5 hours from Minneapolis to Tofte/Lutsen on the North Shore. That%26#39;s where I always stay each year in the fall.

From there it would be 40 min to Grand Marais, and that%26#39;s the start of the Gunflint Trail, which would be alot longer. If you were going to stay a few days in the Boundary Waters, I%26#39;d say do it. But I think there%26#39;s so much else to do just on the shore.

Check out the AmericInn in Tofte, they have jacuzzi suites, pool, free wifi, and pretty good free breakfast. Right across the street, and directly on the lake is BlueFin Bay. Outdoor heated pool %26amp; jacuzzi, and stellar lake views from your room, but pricier.

You can drive past Duluth, but consider these sights on the shore:

Goosebury Falls

Split Rock Light House

Tettegouche State Park %26amp; Shovel Point

Temperance River State Park, and walk 30 min up the river - great river scenery

Oberg Loop Hike - seven scenic vistas

Eagle Mountain - the point is technaly in Boundary Waters, and you get free permit at trailhead - tallest point in MN

that should be a start, but there%26#39;s alot more to do yet.