Minneapolis, Minnesota is the largest city in Minnesota and nicknamed the “city of lakes” for its abundance 13 lakes, wetlands, Mississippi River and waterfalls. If you want to see what Minneapolis has to offer, here’s your guide to Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Located in the heart of Downtown Minneapolis, book your stay with Best Western Plus The Normandy Inn & Suites. The hotel is located just a short walk from a multitude of restaurants and nightlife, but if you don’t want to leave your hotel, simply go to the on-site restaurant, The Normandy Kitchen & Bar, to enjoy a drink or two. With a heated indoor pool, and the option to book two-bedroom suites, kick back and relax in the ample comfort of your stay.
Book your stay at Best Western Plus The Normandy Inn & Suites.
If you fancy yourself a Foodie, Experience the Twin Cities offers tours for breweries, distilleries and food. Four options include:
If you like arts, history and museums, Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA) inspires “wonder through the power of art. MIA enriches the community by collecting, preserving, and making accessible outstanding works of art from the world’s diverse cultures.” MIA offers free admission and everyone is welcome.
For architecture buffs, Minneapolis presents a 21 stop tour. Plan an educational and fun trip around the city and get a history lesson in all things Minneapolis! Hear and learn how the city was once the “Flour Milling Capital of the World”, see a National Historic Monument, find out where the first railroad to Minneapolis was built, and discover past contributions and achievements of African Americans to the city.
If you are outdoorsy, check out Hidden Beach, now known as Cedar Lake East Beach, located within Kenwood, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Minneapolis. Located on the east side of Cedar Lake, the beach gets its name for the winding pathways one must take to find. For this reason, Hidden Beach was once a secluded getaway for those of Minneapolis’ alternative culture who wanted a beach with a different atmosphere than one of the city’s more popular summer destinations. Thomas Sadler Roberts Bird Sanctuary was officially designated in 1936 by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB), at the request of the Minnesota Audubon Society. Primarily a sanctuary for migratory songbirds in the spring, the sanctuary comprises 31 acres. It has been designated an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society.
Sports fanatics will enjoy Minnesota; the State of Minnesota has a team in all five major professional leagues (Major League Baseball, National Football League, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League and Major League Soccer). Between the two days of the Regional Meeting, you can see: Baseball (San Francisco Giants v. Minnesota Twins), Hockey (Minnesota Wild v. Chicago Blackhawks) or Soccer (Minnesota United FC v. Vancouver Whitecaps FC).
Do you want to find hidden gems? Orfield Labs Quiet Chamber is the home of a space that was once dubbed “the quietest place on earth” by Guinness World Records. The lab is called an anechoic chamber, meaning there is no echo as the room absorbs 99.99 percent of sound. A typical quiet bedroom at night measures about 30 decibels; this chamber measures at -20 decibels. It is made of 3.3-foot-thick fiberglass acoustic wedges and double walls of insulated steel and foot-thick concrete. Also, don’t miss the University of Minnesota Shoe Tree which was a common hackberry until about 50 years ago, and since then hundreds of shoes and even two bikes have been hung on the tree’s branches. Walking along the Washington Avenue Bridge, you can easily see ice skates, hiking boots, slippers and signed sneakers dangling among the leaves. Beneath the bridge, mixed with the soil and litter, are hundreds of failed flings lying on the ground.