I lived in Minneapolis for 3 years before moving back home to Nashville at the end of 2016. I went to visit again earlier this month and had a ball. My blogger business partner Kay Elle and I threw our first Minneapolis Blogger Xchange on Friday, March 9. Minneapolis is really a great place, but if you’re not used to the cold, I recommend visiting for the first time late April through early September. Minneapolis has two seasons a long winter and a short summer. The short summer is beautiful and the city truly comes alive.
We arrived in Minneapolis via Southwest Airlines on Thursday evening. Although it was early March, the ground was covered with snow as a snow storm hit 2 days earlier. We went to get obligatory cheese curds by the University of Minnesota. Cheese curds are a midwest staple and very few cities do it better than Minneapolis. We had the pleasure of staying at the Radisson Red Minneapolis. The Radisson Red is a hotel chain geared towards traveling millennials. The Minneapolis location is the first location in the US. Radisson Red will certainly give you a high-tech hostel/apartment vibe and it’s certainly vibrant and fun. They have a cute cafe at the bottom of the hotel with great expressos and wraps.
The rooms in Radisson Red are loft style and very modern. My favorite part of the hotel is the large selfie wall in the lobby. It’s basically a photographic guest book during your stay. Our event was Friday evening at Mercy Dining Room. After the event ended, we went to Seven which is one of my favorite weekend spots. (see my latest post for the Blogger Xchange recap). Seven has a fabulous rooftop with a nice DJ and the food is good too. They specialize in sushi and steak. Once again, I recommend going when it’s warm to be able to enjoy the great rooftops that are downtown.
Our trip ended with a great brunch on Saturday at LUSH. LUSH has drag brunches and bingo every Saturday and Sunday. The staff is nice, bottomless mimosas are always flowing and the food is good. I love going there because you get a show with your meal and it’s always a fun, friendly and inclusive atmosphere. Since my trip was short, I didn’t get to do everything I wanted. Some of my other favorite Minneapolis spots include Minnehaha Falls. I highly recommend Sea Salt Eatery. It’s only open in the summer, but you can get a nice beer and enjoy some good seafood near the falls or in the middle of the park. Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and Mill City Museum are also fun and educational. Minneapolis is a very walkable city and has alot of free outdoor attractions that are family friendly.
If you like the cold or are brave enough to endure it, winter can be fun too. Minneapolis has alot of great winter activities from ice fishing, snow tubing, outdoor skating and more. Have you been to Minneapolis before? Do you prefer going in the winter or summer?
love,
Leigh
