Rice Park

Charles Schultz, the creator of the infamous Peanuts comic strip and its characters, was born in Minneapolis in 1922 and grew up across the river in St. Paul.  As one of the Twin Cities most famous sons, statues of his creations were erected in Rice Park in downtown St. Paul in the early 2000's.  

This small park, has the Peanuts characters in some of their most famous poses in bronze.  Snoopy, Woodstock, Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and more are all here to get their picture taken with you, and it's free to do.  

If your a fan of Peanuts, you should definitely make a quick stop here when in the region and say hi to your favorite one.  You never know...they may talk back!

"Damn Good Food" at Hell's Kitchen

Hell's Kitchen in downtown Minneapolis grabbed my attention because, well, first of the name and then the sausage toast on the menu. That's right, sausage bread. As per their website, "a deliciously dense bread made with our own homemade bison sausage, toasted walnuts, black currants, black coffee and spices. Try it...those who do usually love it enough to order an entire loaf to take home." It's served with whipped butter as well as house made peanut butter, apricot jelly and blackberry jelly. This is delicious. Seriously. Yummy.

As Hell's Kitchen was bringing breakfast back to the Twin Cities, we clearly had to try their breakfast offerings. So we ordered the Classic All-American Breakfast, two eggs, hash browns and your choice of maple-glazed bison sausage, thick-sliced bacon, or a slab of slow-roasted pit ham. I ordered the pit ham, and was very happy I did! Yum!

We also ordered the baked penne in creamy garlic sauce, topped with mozzarella cheese and chicken. Very yummy. (You can add sausage or shrimp if you prefer.)

Aster Cafe

Walking down Main Street along the waterfront in Minneapolis, there are many dining options to choose from. Aster Cafe has charming outdoor dining and is dog friendly. Make sure to ask for a table on the patio, it has beautiful views and it's great for people watching.

We ordered the roast beef, roasted red pepper, mozzarella sandwich, served on a brioche bun, which was moist and a delicious combination and perfect on a warm summer afternoon and served with chips.

We also ordered the chorizo, queso fresco, potato, chimichurri flatbread pizza. The flatbread was an interesting combination. Potatoes on a pizza was a delicious surprise (admittedly, we were skeptical and curious going into this one).

The Main Cafe on Main Street in Stillwater

Walking down the main street in Stillwater, MN, we were looking for breakfast and with few options open early in the morning, we found our way into the Main Cafe. This great little spot is a hit with the locals (while we were dining, a local police officer, and at least two other locals were also eating breakfast).

We ordered their seasonal special, the strawberry chocolate chip pancakes. The chef makes the pancake batter fresh every morning and mixes in the perfect amount of chocolate chips. The pancakes are fluffy and sweet and topped with super fresh, sweet strawberries that the chef has left untouched.

We also ordered the daily special of two eggs, two bacon strips, hash browns and toast, which was exactly what you would expect from a home cooking cafe on the main drag in town. Everything was cooked perfectly and there was way more there than we could possibly eat. But everything was delicious and our waitress, the only waitress for the entire restaurant, was pleasant and answered questions as well as chatted with us.

Walker Sculpture Garden

Take some time out of your trip or your day to visit the Walker Sculpture Garden, where you'll find the famed Spoonbridge and Cherry, among other works. Here is also the Alene Grossman Memorial Arbor and Flower Garden, which is a beautiful walk.

Take your time walking through the gardens and take in all of the pieces. If its a nice day, take a picnic lunch with you.

Wabasha Street Caves

A local hidden gem of St. Paul, the Wabasha Street Caves gives visitors a unique view into the history of the city, especially focusing on the history of nefarious gangsters.  Originally used to house a mushroom farm, by the 1920's the caves became a speakeasy during the period of Prohibition in America.  Infamous gangsters, such as John Dillinger, were regular customers.

Over the years, the caves have changed purposes ranging from just storage to a disco.  Today, in addition to giving historic tours, as well as ghost tours, the caves can be rented out for private parties.  The tour guides are very informative and give various stories of the history and myths of the caves.

The cost of the attraction is only $6/person and is well worth your time.  They only give tours a few times a week, so be sure to check their schedule at www.wabashastreetcaves.com to ensure you figure out the best time for you.  Also, it's cash only, so make sure you have it with you as you don't want to miss out on this while searching for an ATM.

Sea Life Aquarium

How many people can say they have an Aquarium located in their local mall?  Unless you live in the Twin Cities, you probably can't.  At the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN, in the basement is the Sea Life Aquarium.  

Originally built in 1996, you'll get various exhibits with your entrance fee.  You'll be able to walk through a world of Jellyfish as well as a "tunnel" to make you feel as if you're in the water with the creatures.  In here, you'll see various sharks, sea turtles and numerous types fish and other sea life.

If visiting both the Aquarium and Nickelodeon Universe in the mall, you should definitely get the combination pass that is offered to save you some money.  This is an aquarium worth seeing, so if you happen to find yourself at the Mall of America, take a visit.

Nickelodeon Universe

When most Americans think of the Twin Cities, one attraction usually comes to mind, the Mall of America, which is right outside of the cities in Bloomington, MN.  In the very center of the mall is an amusement park, Nickelodeon Universe, which features various rides in the theme of different Nickelodeon shows and characters.

There are various pricing structures for admission to use the park's rides, but the one I'd recommend is the unlimited ride pass.  Otherwise, unless you are only doing one or two rides, you won't be getting your money's worth.  The other option is the combination pass with the SeaLife Aquarium in the basement of the mall.  If you're planning on visiting the aquarium, it's best to get the combo pass.

The rides are much more tame than most theme parks, but the indoor nature of it makes it quite unique.  The "Pepsi Orange Streak" allows you to ride around the entire park area, giving you a nice view of the park and the mall.  The "Fairly Odd Coaster" was my personal favorite as the spinning nature of it was very different than any other roller coaster I've been on before.

Mall of America

If visiting Minneapolis, a must visit is the Mall of America. While the mall itself is like any other mall, except with mall gift shops, there is an aquarium in the basement and an amusement park in the center.

Part of the third floor is called South Street, dedicated to high class restaurants, and it looks like your walking down a neighborhood street.

If you're a Twins fan, or a Vikings fan, there are lots of shops to find jerseys, t-shirts and paraphernalia.

CRAVE, Mall of America

Along South Street in the Mall of America is CRAVE, a local chain that has expanded by the want of locals. The chic atmosphere and variety of the menu makes CRAVE the perfect choice for dining that will please everyone in your party.

When we sat down, we were handed the regular menu, a sushi menu, the wine list, and Monday's are burger night, so there was a burger and shake menu on the table, also.

We ordered the special 1881 Sirloin steak, wrapped in bacon and topped with slabs of herb butter and served with mashed potatoes and asparagus. The sauce, the butter, and the potatoes, were delicious. The steak was cooked perfectly. And, well, its wrapped in bacon. What more can one ask for?

We also ordered the roasted chicken and penne (without the goat cheese). Again, the chef nailed the sauce, it perfectly complimented the dish, and the taste of the pine nuts brightened the dish without making it heavy or adding an additional, unnecessary flavor.

Historic Fort Snelling

Nestled away near the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport is Historic Fort Snelling right on the Mississippi River. The fort was originally built in the 1820's and held its status as an important American fort all the way through World War II.  For the weekend we went, it was World War II weekend, so the staff was all dressed in that era's uniforms and told stories of what the fort's purpose was during the time.

There was also a rifle and gun demonstration with various types of guns being fired with live ammunition on the grounds.  This was done with top-notch safety standards to ensure all spectators weren't in any danger.  There were single bullet rifles fired along with machine guns which pleased the crowd, especially the children.

All in all, it was an enjoyable day at Fort Snelling and for anyone with an interest in American war history, it's definitely worth a visit.  You never know what you may learn.  One thing we learned was that many of the German POW's that were brought back to America were brought here.  Because they liked the region so much, many chose to stay rather than be brought back to Germany.

Black Forest Inn

If you're looking for something different for dinner, try Minneapolis's Black Forest Inn, serving German inspired dishes. The restaurant is decorated in an old world German style, with paintings, and more.

We ordered the Paprika Schnitzel (top), which was a pork chop coated in a sauce with meat and bacon and served with spaetzel, a German tradition. It was so good. The sauce mixed nicely with the spaetzel as well with the pork chop itself.

We also ordered the Wiener Schnitzel, which is veal, breaded and pan fried and served with spaetzel and brightens up with a spritz on lemon.

Black Forest Inn also serves traditional German beers, including seasonal beers. I ordered the Sünner Kölsch, a beer from Cologne, Germany that is light but is not an ale or a lager but is cold brewed like a lager. It's bubbly and refreshing and perfect for summer.


For dessert we ordered the Black Forest Torte, a light and fluffy chocolate cake with a light icing and cream cheese icing filling with cherries that was the perfect ending to a unique dinner.


Everything at Black Forest Inn was delicious and it was much more low key than other restaurants in Minneapolis. There is also outdoor seating and a bar available.