Getting Away, Staying Near: Staycations In Twin Cities
When you're tired of the bitter cold and the monochromatic white color scheme that reaches as far as the eye can see and you find yourself in need of break, but can't spare the time and/or money to get away from MN, you can opt for a "staycation." A staycation is getting away from home and work and having a little vacation in your own city or a nearby area. While staycations can be taken at any time of the year, a winter staycation is a nice break from the monotony of the gray skies and mounds of snow day in and day out.
The key to a staycation is to pick an area or topic that you want to explore. Then, do a little research and find out what's going on in or nearby your city. Next, pick a hotel close to the action that can serve as a home base for your mini vacation. Schedule out each day with activities and meals, just as you would a vacation far away from home. Try new restaurants and visit areas of the city you've never set foot in.
When you stay in a hotel and visit places you haven't before, it won't feel like your city. And you'll view your area in an entirely different light. In fact, this is fun to do even if you can spare the time and the money and go far away from home.
Depending on the interests and ages of your family members, your budget and your time available these suggestions might be helpful in your planning process:
- You could choose to spend all of your time at the Mall of America. There is no shortage of fun for families and I'm not talking about shopping. You'll find rides at Nickelodeon Universe, mini golf, Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium, flight simulators, LEGOland and more. And there are plenty of hotels within walking distance too.
- If you haven't had enough of the cold white stuff, head a little ways North to Taylors Falls, MN, and go skiing, snowboarding and/or tubing at Wild Mountain. Of course, you could stay closer to the Twin Cities and opt for a ski staycation at Buck Hill in Burnsville or Hyland in Bloomington, etc.; you'll find hotels near all of these areas.
- Or do a Downtown St. Paul tour and make your home base the elegant and historic St. Paul Hotel. From there it will be a cinch to visit the MN Science museum, MN Children's Museum, MN History Center, MN State Capitol and more.
- And what about a Minneapolis Arts Tour? There are plenty of fantastic kid and parent friendly choices very nearby: Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Guthrie Theater, The Walker Art Center, Children's Theatre Company, the Weisman Art Museum and more. The perfect place to stay during this foray into the arts is the Le Meridien Chambers Minneapolis Hotel. It's a veritable art gallery itself.
These are just a few ideas to help you start planning. I bet you'll have no trouble at all coming up with a tailor made staycation in the Twin Cities. Once you get started planning, be sure to check other articles here at the CBS Minnesota Best of Section where you'll find lots of reviews of restaurants, activities, events and destinations.
Anna Berend is an attorney and the author of Motherly Law Blog. On Motherly Law, Anna writes about legal issues that affect families and offers tips and resources that pertain to those legal topics. On occasion, inspiration strikes and Anna writes about something totally unrelated to the law.You can find Anna at motherlylaw.com, on Facebook at Motherly Law and on Twitter @MotherlyLaw.
