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Thursday, August 22, 2013

a guide to minneapolis // part 1 : things to DO

hey everybody!
today, over on the healthy living summit website, there is a 'blip' about me & the bike session i will be leading in a few weeks. hop over to see! 

like i mentioned last week, the healthy living summit is coming HERE {minneapolis} in less than THREE WEEKS!
i am super excited. i really do love this city!
i know that a lot of folks are coming from out of state & many {most?} have never been here before.
so, i will be putting together a few 'tour guides' of all the awesome things we have to offer.

todays post : things to DO 

1) check out a twins game at target field
target field is one of the newest {and raddest} ball fields in the country. the views are amazing. the food is pretty good. and the tickets are affordable {the home run porch is my favorite place to sit!}
if you are looking to catch a game, the schedule is here. {also, post on the HLS facebook page to find someone that wants to go with}
bonus : the field is downtown, so you can walk, take the light rail or ride a nice ride bike!

2) visit a farmers market
we have some of the best markets in the country {are you seeing a theme?!}
on thursdays and saturdays there is a market on nicollet mall {a half block from the hotel}
saturday morning, you can head to the mill city farmers market, which is right on the river! you can walk the stone arch bridge and get amazing views of the city!
also on saturday morning is the minneapolis farmers market {this one is huge, but in my personal opinion, mill city is the one to go to!}
if you want to venture away from downtown, there are tons of farmers markets on saturday and sunday {fulton, linden hills, kingfield, midtown}{if you want to know more, let me know!}

3) drink some beer
small, local breweries are popping up EVERYWHERE in minneapolis. most do {free} tours on saturdays. and lots have food trucks, live music and open tap rooms on thursdays and fridays.
go here for a huge list // map

4) go to the library
the central library downtown is BEAUTIFUL! and massive. you are free to go in and walk around. they also offer tours!

5) rent a bike // canoe // paddleboat and tour the chain of lakes
minnesota is known as 'the land of 10,000 lakes.' people now think its actually closer to 15,000! right here, in minneapolis we have a bunch of lakes & trails that allow you to be right next to them.
we have a 50-mile trail system called 'the chain of lakes.' there are walking & biking trails. most of them also allow you to rent boats by the hour. you can stand up paddle board, canoe, kayak ; you name it. being on or near the water is a great way to see the city!

6) take your picture next to mary tyler moore
did you know that the MTM show was based here in minneapolis? there is a statue of her in her iconic pose {throwing her hat, of course!} and its right on nicollet mall! here is the address.

7) see a midnight movie at the uptown theatre
the uptown theatre is in the uptown neighborhood of minneapolis. its near lake calhoun & there is tons to do. shopping, bars, places to eat, ect. my favorite part of uptown is the theatre! its newly renovated and beautiful! they show indie movies and always have a saturday midnight showing. more info here.

8) hang out at the walker & see the cherry
the spoon & the cherry is a landmark in minneapolis. bonus : its in the sculpture garden at the walker art center. both the museum and the gift shop are a must-see. the spoon shares its space with 30+ other sculptures, so be sure to look around. its a nice walk from the hotel. {you can always rent a bike ;)}
here

9) smile with charlie brown & snoopy
did you know that charles schultz was from here? there are HUNDREDS of amazing peanuts sculptures around the city. you can try your luck & find some on your own, or check out this guide.

10) go bowling at brits
brits pup is right downtown & offers $5 lawn bowling every saturday and sunday. its first come, first serve & a bunch of fun. info here.

tell us : have you been here before? 
if you are coming to HLS, what is on your must-see list?
and if you live here, what do visitors NEED to check out?