Noting--ikea is across the street from MOA to the north. Hotel shuttles go there, too. DS gets the brocolli medallions and a salad. And mashed potatoes with lingonberry sauce (no gravy --it's not vegetarian). It's quite inexpensive. If you have a free ikea family member card you get free coffee. The lingonberry sofa is good.

Also both downtowns have am extensive skyway system. It's cool (warm, ha) to walk through in the winter. You don't have to go outside. Fourteen years ago I had a business trip to  Saint  Paul in March and used the  skyway from my hotel to the meeting. There were grocery places in it. It sky first trip away from do and I still nursing. I brought a hand pump with me and was  unsuccessful with it. I found  a farmers market outside my hotel in the skyway and bought a cabbage. Relief! 

Anyway the skyway is great to know about.

I didn't think to search Twin Cities, so I will bump that thread.  It'd be fine if someone merges.

I can add to the sports team list.  In addition to baseball and football, there's also the Minnesota Wild professional hockey team playing in Minneapolis.  The University of Minnesota has an excellent hockey team, and they also play in Minneapolis.

Oh, my thinking was if it's not too bad outside (say in the 20s), a 30 minute jaunt would not be so bad.


But in case anyone else uses this thread (or if we combine with the other Twin Citries thread), it would be a very cool thing for folks to know about. We have not gone yet but will this year.

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Also for others as a general thread, I'll toss out some other things:

The Guthrie Theatre is not to be missed. It's in Minneapolis. We go a lot. The Twin Cities is second only to NYC for the most theatre seats per capita. We have so many wonderful theatres in both cities. Such a lucky place to be for our famiky.

And along the same lines--the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra has one of the most talented oboists in the world. And now they are off strike, the Minnesota Orchestra is very good. We are lucky to still have Vanksa as our conductor. Two world renowned choral groups, the all male Cantus and The Rose Ensemble have their home here.

St. Olaf is in Northfield, not very far south. And their music program is amazing. Their annual holiday concert is in early December, but you must get tickets in the fall.  DS always has a stage production then, so we've not been. We'll go when he's in college. But Northfield is such a fabulous town--very Austin-like. The town doesn't allow guns. It's a crunchy place--and also home to Carlton College, a very selective place.

Another town nearby on the St Croix River is Stillwater. It's a favorite place of my family. It's filled with quaint shops. The river was frozen this year though May. There are bluffs there--and a wine cave inside the bluffs. It's best visited Spring through Fall.

It's only 10-15 degrees colder here than where you are typically.

Be brave!!

I don't care if it's outside--if you are here when the MOA Ice Castle is open, you should do it. But they're building on the land where they normally have it, so I'm not sure about this year.


http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/arts/2013/01/17/photos-ice-castles-mall-america

Will you stand next to me with a personal heater? 

Seriously, I am willing to do anything outdoors if I feel ok with my -30 rated full-length coat, boots with toe warmers, gloves with hand warmers, and hat.  I'm guessing that's not happening over Winter Break.

Star Trek exhibit - if it is modeled after the one in St. Louis ROCKS.  DS1 crawled off his deathbed to attend (this was the trip from hell that I think he had protracted anaphylaxsis thanks to an error in judgement on day one of the trip).

Other than that - I am totally with you on going when it's cold   I am secretly hoping for a December trip to NJ.