Brother Adam Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 Hi Phatmassers, I am headed to the Twin Cities (St. Paul, Minneapolis) for vacation this coming week. Do any of you (other than homeschoolmom, Thess, and Jon) live around there? Anyone want to put us up for a few days ;) Here is what we have on our itinerary. Any other ideas? Anything that isn't worth it? National Shrine of St. Paul http://www.cathedralsaintpaul.org/ Mall of America http://www.mallofamerica.com/ The amusement park at the mall The aquarium at the mall. Minnehaha Park and waterfall http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=252 Loome Theological Booksellers https://www.loomebooks.com/index.cfm? Como Park Zoo & Conservatory http://www.comozooconservatory.org/ Minn Zoo http://www.mnzoo.org/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ardillacid Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 Valleyfair go to mass at St. Agnes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arfink Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 For myself, I'd avoid the mall, not worth it IMO. I also second going to St. Agnes. I would also highly suggest you see the Como Conservatory. Unfortunately I do not think my parents will want to house you for a week. :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitneyelizabeth Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 I would actually say the mall is worth it--it's cool to be in an amusement park INSIDE a building...the mall itself is ginormous, so don't plan on like a serious day of hardcore shopping or anything...it's easier to just wander around and pop into whatever store looks interesting. Also, definitely try to get to a Mass at St. Agnes--gorgeous church, truly angelic music, boss awesome homilies (The Cathedral of St. Paul and St. Mary's Basilica are also fantastic.) Having been to both Como Zoo and the Minnesota Zoo several times, I would honestly rank them about equal...slightly different selection of animals, but lots to see at both. I've been to the Como Zoo a couple more times 'cause it's free. Valleyfair is super fun, but I would say it is probably very much like Six Flags or Busch Gardens (minus the animals) so if you have either of those in your home state it may not be worth it. I would recommend looking into Fort Snelling--there's some cool history there and we've always enjoyed it I don't know if you're a theatre person or what your budget looks like, but Pride and Prejudice is playing at the Guthrie this summer and that's always a fun cultural experience. There's also got the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, which is free and fun to wander around in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arfink Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 YES YES, THE MIA! Go to the MIA! They have a wonderful Japanese collection. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Adam Posted July 28, 2013 Author Share Posted July 28, 2013 We have a 6,5,3, and 7 month old with us, so theater is right out. Thank you for the recommendation of the MIA and Fort Snelling. We have Michigan Adventure locally which has a sweet waterpark and amusement park in one. The Valleyfair website also promotes an abortion related group and giving proceeds of ticket sales to them. Since Como is free, we will head there, though we do have a zoo membership here that would get us 50% off at the other zoo. We will be there Tuesday - Saturday. We found a place to stay the one night we were looking, Monday night. We plan on hitting up Chicago, will stay with friends on Monday in Milwaukee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschoolmom Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 (edited) I'm afraid we aren't able to host you this week either. I'd go to Como over MN Zoo. They're both great, but (as was mentioned above) Como is free, the Conservatory is right there and there are rides in the Como Zoo Town. However, if the day you wish to go to the zoo is rainy or cold, go to the MN Zoo-- it has a lot more indoor animals. (They also have a ton of outdoor things as well.) Terra Firma recently told me about Loome and tells me it's great. Stillwater is a little bit of a drive from the Cities (definitely not too far out of the way, though), but your kids will probably get bored there. If you do go over to Stillwater, Leo's is a nice place for lunch (outside seating, kid-friendly food) http://www.leosgrill.com/ Fort Snelling may be hit or miss. I know that they've cut their open hours back in recent years due to budget cuts. It's interesting, but if you have a fort like it somewhere closer to home, you may wish to wait a little bit. (I do think it's pretty cool, though.) We have a fairly nice Children's Museum in St. Paul. http://www.mcm.org/ We also have a very nice science museum http://www.smm.org/ (but I would recommend the Children's Museum for younger families like yours.) If it is raining and you need a place for your kids to run around and play, Edinborough Park in Edina is wonderful. http://edinamn.gov/index.php?section=edinborough-park If you are in St. Paul, Grand Ole Creamery is a yummy place for a treat. (I think it's fairly close to Como Zoo, too.) And I notice from the website they have a new store In Mpls. (Yay!) http://grandolecreamery.com/web/ Mall of America-- Hmmm.... The amusement park is fun and has lots of rides for little kids. It gets pricey quickly, though, of course. The aquarium has changed ownership in the last year or so and I haven't been recently. It's fun, but if you end up at the MN Zoo, they have a nice aquarium there, too. Imho, shopping is shopping. I try to avoid shopping at the MoA if I can. It's fun to walk around, but it can be boring for kids (just like any other mall). Edited July 28, 2013 by homeschoolmom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhuturePriest Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Hi Phatmassers, I am headed to the Twin Cities (St. Paul, Minneapolis) for vacation this coming week. Do any of you (other than homeschoolmom, Thess, and Jon) live around there? Anyone want to put us up for a few days ;) Here is what we have on our itinerary. Any other ideas? Anything that isn't worth it? National Shrine of St. Paul http://www.cathedralsaintpaul.org/ Mall of America http://www.mallofamerica.com/ The amusement park at the mall The aquarium at the mall. Minnehaha Park and waterfall http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=252 Loome Theological Booksellers https://www.loomebooks.com/index.cfm? Como Park Zoo & Conservatory http://www.comozooconservatory.org/ Minn Zoo http://www.mnzoo.org/ Meet the Franciscan Brothers of Peace. Seriously. Do it. They're amazing. Tell Brother Conrad that Miles said hi and I'm looking forward to seeing him next weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sojourner Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 (edited) I would second HSM's recommendations. We were just at Loome today with our 3YO and he got bored very quickly. They moved out of downtown Stillwater and are now operating out of a pole barn on a farm. The location is great for them because they have room to spread out, and they have a fantastic selection of books, but it is not kid friendly. There are chickens outside. And in the barn next to the pole barn there is a rustic chapel. It's a unique spot. If you do go to Loome, you really should going to Stillwater and walk around. There are some unique stores, and my kid really enjoys Teddy Bear Park. The MOA is fun but pricy. The aquarium is so-so. We like to visit the Lego store too. The Walker Art Museum has a great outdoor sculpture garden. It is not far from the Basilica of St. Mary (which is also worth a visit). If you go on a nice day it's really fun to walk around the garden, and it's very child friendly. You might consider a riverboat tour. There are a couple of companies that do these in the area. If any of your kids are into trains, there are a couple of nice train museums that you could go to go. We have enjoyed both the Jackson St., Roundhouse and the museum in Bandana Square (I don't remember its name off the top). I have heard good things about the Mill City Museum but have never been there myself. Edited July 28, 2013 by Terra Firma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ardillacid Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 the museum in Bandana Square (I don't remember its name off the top). I concur Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrossCuT Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Definitely go to mass at St. Agnes. That is my home parish but Im not biased or anything http://www.stagnes.net/ If you were here through Fall/Winter you would have been able to go to a choral mass sung by the St Paul Catholic Choral which is AWESOME! Also the MOA is pretty great! Its a fun place to walk around (bring your walking shoes) and the amusement park can be fun for a few rides with the kids (depending on how much money you want to spend) Also another free place to walk around which is really pretty is Hariet Island. You can look at the boats, walk along the river, and even go see some huge artwork (Like the cherry spoon!). Como Zoo is a fantastic choice. Most people I know feel it is MUCH better than the Minnesota Zoo because Como is free! They also have a kids theme park area, a beautiful tropical conservatory, and a huge carousel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrossCuT Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 (edited) Also, another GREAT family friendly place is Canterbury Park Horse Racing! The admission is pretty cheap and the kids get to watch the horses race as well as see them close up at the watering gate. They also have funny races like ostriches, camels, zebras, and wiener dogs! http://www.canterburypark.com/ When my friends and I go, we like to go to the watering gate and pick out a horse that we like best. Then we cheer for them when their race comes up and see whos horse wins! You can do real betting or just for fun better. Like, the loser buys the winner a pop! :hehe2: Edited July 28, 2013 by CrossCuT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschoolmom Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Yeah, the Sculpture Garden is nice and kid-friendly. Canterbury is fun, too (and as CC said, they have goofy races. We went once just for the ostrich races...) But if it's sunny, you will probably be sitting in direct sun. Just be aware. St. Paul Saints baseball games are fun and family-friendly, but your younger kids may be too little to sit that long. I've heard great things about the train museum at Bandana Square http://www.tcmrm.org/ (suggested above). Mill City Museum in Mpls is a great field trip for older (school-age) kids. Not very fun for littles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Adam Posted July 28, 2013 Author Share Posted July 28, 2013 Thanks for all of the recommendations everyone. It gives us a lot to go on as we decide what to do this week. It's quite something that we really are not that far away from Minn (10 hours) and we have never been there before since there is a lot to do. We have been to DC, Missouri a lot and up to Maine. Nearly everything is within 30 minutes of our hotel which is great. I'm also excited that I get to meet my old phatmass friend, Jon, who doesn't post here anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIWW Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 (edited) HI, Knowing you are a large group, I'd recommend looking at something like the Extended Stay type lodgings in Bloomington, MN, which is accessible to Transit, it is mid way between Minneapolis & St Paul, andvery close to the Mall Of America, which of course the kids will love.. I live here and there is definitely lots for families to do in the summer.Enjoy your trip. Edited July 28, 2013 by TIWW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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