After spending a month in South Dakota, we drove one state over to the east – Minnesota – which was the 35th state we’ve visited on the road trip.
We didn’t end up doing Minnesota justice unfortunately, so we’d like to return there in the future. We both had work trips in the middle of our time there which restricted where we could get to, plus we both weren’t feeling great after our trips and so lacked energy to do much in Minneapolis.
It definitely seemed like it had potential though and we did find some fun stuff along the way, so here’s a list of our best and worst things from Minnesota.
Favorite Accommodation We Stayed At
Stephen – I can’t pick! The Hyatt Regency Minneapolis/Bloomington we stayed at was really nice and was good value. We had a one bedroom suite and there was a nice park and grassy area opposite the hotel for Truffles.
I also loved the Holiday Inn Detroit Lakes-Lakefront we stayed at. As the name suggests, it’s right on the lakefront and we had a lovely few days there despite being there just out of season which meant we missed out on the free kayaking the hotel offers in the summer.
Shae – Oohh… This is a tough one. I think ultimately for me the Holiday Inn Detroit Lakes-Lakefront wins purely on location. For the hotel itself? The Hyatt Regency. I also stayed one night at an Embassy Suites but as I was only there one night I didn’t review it or anything.
Favorite Meal
Stephen – We didn’t eat out a ton in Minnesota. In terms of service, I’d easily give it to the Holiday Inn Detroit Lakes-Lakefront as the server we had both nights we ate their was awesome. In terms of food, I’d give it to dinner from Naf Naf Grill which we had while in Minneapolis.
Although it’s not a meal, I’m ultimately going to give this award to the beer flight I got at Venn Brewing in Minneapolis. I had six great beers, the best of which was their Opulessence Orange Smash which is like eating a Terry’s Chocolate Orange – so delicious!
Wait! I apparently didn’t take any photos that night which is what I usually use to jog my memory of things we did in each place, so that’s why it initially slipped my mind. But best meal definitely goes to the dinner we had with Cate and Lori. Cate is one of our readers and we got to meet up with her a couple of times, plus Shae went trap shooting with her. That dinner was a wonderful evening with great food and great company.
Shae – By far my favorite meal was at Cate and Lori’s house. It was really special and they welcomed all 3 of us, Truffs included, with open arms and home. An honorable mention goes out out to the café in Orr, MN for their hearty breakfast options at a reasonable price but mostly for their fantastic donuts!
Most Disappointing Meal
Stephen – I can’t think of a meal that was particularly disappointing. I guess I’ll go for a beer for this one too – the beer I had at Urban Growler Brewing Company wasn’t at all memorable and I think Shae (mostly) felt that way about the Pride flight she’d ordered.
Shae – For what I was expecting, the Pride flight didn’t live up to my expectations. My most disappointing meal/drinks ended up being all alone and finding out my summer plans were changing abruptly. Nothing like crying in public, am I right? (I’m doing much better now!)
Favorite Free Activity
Stephen – The guided tour we got of the Cathedral of Saint Paul by one of our readers. It was great finally getting to meet Jim (Shae had met him before) and, strictly speaking, the tour is free although they do encourage donations (which we gave).
Shae – Definitely the tour with Jim at the Cathedral. I was going to say an honorable mention to the Headwaters at the Mississippi but apparently there was a fee for that. Oops!
Wait! I was just working farther down the post and remembered – I went to George Floyd Memorial Square and it was a tragic and beautiful memorial to his memory and those who’ve been lost to police and community violence.
Favorite Paid Activity
Stephen – It was a relatively quick stop, but probably Itasca State Park. This is where the Mississippi River Headwaters are – the place where the Mississippi River starts on its way down to the Gulf of Mexico. It starts at a lake and there’s a narrow section you can walk across which is the only part of the Mississippi River where you can do that.
Shae – My beary favorite paid activity in Minnesota was spending a day at the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary with the wild black bears.
Favorite Pet-Friendly Activity
Stephen – Venn Brewing. I didn’t actually visit there with Truffles myself, although Shae did take her while I was still away on my work trip. It’s pet-friendly inside and out, has friendly servers and excellent beer, so that would definitely be my local if we lived in Minneapolis.
Shae – Truffles and I bebopped around Blackhawk Park a few times and even brought Stephen along one morning when he was still jet-lagged as he isn’t a morning person normally. It was a great little walk around the lake.
Least Favorite Activity
Stephen – Being exhausted and sick when I got back from the work trip and so not having much energy or motivation to do anything in Minneapolis.
Shae – Having my summer plans change unexpectedly and having Stephen be away with work. When he returned he was sick and exhausted so we didn’t get out as much as we might’ve hoped.
Favorite Hike
Stephen – We didn’t really go hiking in Minnesota which is a shame as it seems like there are some great hiking opportunities there. The closest we got to doing that was walking down to the Mississippi River Headwaters at Itasca State Park.
Shae – We didn’t hike but we had a few walks. For me though my favorite day of movement was standing and walking around the two acres in the Magic Circle with the bears in Orr, MN.
Favorite Quirky Thing We Did
Stephen – Does going to the Mall of America count as quirky?
Shae – Stephen, I think it would’ve counted if we’d gone back to ride the roller coaster inside, I’m not sure just visiting is quirky. My vote for quirkiest thing was staying at Norman’s One Stop which was a rustic haven of nostalgia in Orr, MN.
Favorite Memory
Stephen – Walking around Blackhawk Lake in Minneapolis. I’d just gotten back from my work trip that morning. I hadn’t seen Shae and Truffles for a couple of weeks, so it was nice getting to spend time with both of them again.
Shae – That was a very nice memory for me too. I loved meeting Jim, Cate and Lori and Cate’s friend Nancy. I also loved getting to see my RAGBRAI friend Anna again and meet her husband, Josh. I made a new friend in Jess and hope to see her again for some photography in Maine this fall.
A very special memory was getting flowers delivered from Stephen at the hotel while he was still traveling for a week.
Funniest Moment
Stephen – I’m curious what Shae will put for this as I can’t think of anything particularly funny from when we were in Minnesota.
Shae – Ah, see you weren’t there for my funniest moment – although I was still trying to put Truffles and the cheeseburger even though that was the last state! My funniest memory was from going trap shooting with Cate and Nancy. The clay is released by voice command “pull” and I got so excited when I hit one I squealed and accidentally released another one.
Thing We Most Regretted
Stephen – Not doing anywhere near as much as we could/should have in Minnesota. It’s a beautiful state with tons of lakes, state parks, breweries, etc.
Shae – Definitely missing ALL THE THINGS. We didn’t even make it to the Capitol building despite being 15 minutes away for 2.5 weeks.
Something We Missed And Want To See
Stephen – Most of the state!
Shae – There’s a rich amount of indigenous history that I’d have liked to see and visit. There’s also the Duluth area that looked beautiful and had more fun places to drink and explore that I’d have liked to see.
Our Biggest Surprise
Stephen – How spread out all its attractions are. In many states, there’s a large conglomeration of attractions in certain parts of the state (often surrounding cities), but in Minnesota lots of things we were interested in seeing were spread out all around the state.
Shae – When we arrived it was mentioned somewhere or by someone how undeveloped most of the state is and that’s so true! There are pockets of communities and obviously a few big cities, but the rest of the state feels very wild.
My Minnesota Drinking Game Would Be…
Stephen – Take a drink every time you see a lake
Shae – Take a drink every time you see something about the Twins.
Summary Of Minnesota In 10 Words Or Less
Stephen – Pretty place; deserved more of our focused attention.
Shae – Probably more wild than I’d prefer but a pretty state.
Minnesota Cities We Visited In Order From Favorite To Least Favorite
Stephen – Minneapolis, Detroit Lakes, Orr.
Shae – Minneapolis, Orr, Detroit Lakes (bears win over lakes most days!)
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