Visiting Minnesota? Everything you need to know here!

[MuckOG]

I know this is kind of random for a message board but I am taking my 6 year old son to the Wild-Blackhawks game this Wednesday, Feb 8th. He likes the Blackhawks (no idea why, :/) and I'm wondering if anyone could give any insight on if there is a way to stand in a hallway to watch the players go by or meet the players after the game. I'm assuming he'd want to meet the Blackhawks but it would be cool for him just to see any of the players on either team. He's obsessed with hockey and we are from Nebraska so this would be really big deal to him. Any insight is appreciated. Thanks guys! Btw, my prediction for the game would be Wild 4 - Hawks 2

There is no hallway that I'm familiar with. I would say your son's best chance of interacting with a player is to hang out near their bench before and after the game when they are coming in and out of the tunnel to their dressing room.

 

[00xtremeninja]

I know opposing teams usually stay at the St. Paul hotel (it might be some other name now) and will catch a bus over in that neck of the woods to head back over. Especially since it is cold, I bet they will all be on a bus instead of walking. Could always try to catch them at the hotel as I have no idea where they would get on the bus by the Xcel.

 

[BigT2002]

I know opposing teams usually stay at the St. Paul hotel (it might be some other name now) and will catch a bus over in that neck of the woods to head back over. Especially since it is cold, I bet they will all be on a bus instead of walking. Could always try to catch them at the hotel as I have no idea where they would get on the bus by the Xcel.

Down below I would imagine. IDK. I'm sure they'll change hotels once the new ones are complete. The atmosphere downtown is going to change so much when you can't see the damn river from Eagle.

 

[WildNorway]

First time i was in Minnesota, i slept at Camp Ripley.

Beds, comfy but you have to share room with other. 7/10
Food, not very healthy, but good steak. 7/10
Outdoor interior, tanks, lots of old tanks. 10/10

All in all, 8/10. Would sleep there again.

 

[57special]

Ahh, the exclusive out of town getaway. Done in retro combat-chic, no less.

 

[57special]

Where is there good Korean food in town?

 

[#66]

Coming in for the Lets play hockey expo. Any recommendations for breweries or hockey related things to do or see?

I play too. If anyone has a rental or open skate.

 

[gphr513]

Coming in for the Lets play hockey expo. Any recommendations for breweries or hockey related things to do or see?

I play too. If anyone has a rental or open skate.

I can't help with the latter, but I can help with the former.

Here's a good site with a list of breweries in the MSP area: http://mspmag.com/search/location/taprooms/#letter_filter=all&ord=last_modified&page=1

Some of my favorites:
Surly - The flagship of Minnesota breweries right now. They have a really cool spot.
Dangerous Man - NE Minneapolis, it's in an old bank building, really cool setting
Indeed - Cool spot, with a fun patio
Insight - Really nice taproom

All of the above have very good beer. But it's really hard to go wrong with any brewery in the MSP area, I think.

 

[#66]

I can't help with the latter, but I can help with the former.

Here's a good site with a list of breweries in the MSP area: http://mspmag.com/search/location/taprooms/#letter_filter=all&ord=last_modified&page=1

Some of my favorites:
Surly - The flagship of Minnesota breweries right now. They have a really cool spot.
Dangerous Man - NE Minneapolis, it's in an old bank building, really cool setting
Indeed - Cool spot, with a fun patio
Insight - Really nice taproom

All of the above have very good beer. But it's really hard to go wrong with any brewery in the MSP area, I think.

Great... Thanks man.

 

[Fremitus Borealis]

Coming in for the Lets play hockey expo. Any recommendations for breweries or hockey related things to do or see?

I play too. If anyone has a rental or open skate.

Depends where you're staying, but most of the rinks in the area have open skates quite often; I'd just check google for the rinks and then look at their schedules. The only one I can speak to specifically is Parade Ice Garden in Minneapolis; open skate is every weekday from 11-1 and they have open hockey same time (but only MWF), if you were hoping to play.

 

[Lapa]

So, I'm likely travelling to Minnesota later this year. What areas do you guys recommend for hotels?

Are areas like Bloomington and Minnetonka far away from MSP? Many hotels I looked were in those areas.

 

[keppel146]

So, I'm likely travelling to Minnesota later this year. What areas do you guys recommend for hotels?

Are areas like Bloomington and Minnetonka far away from MSP? Many hotels I looked were in those areas.

I'd probably skip Minnetonka unless you find a good deal. Probably 30 minutes (car) away from MSP depending on location. Bloomington is basically right next to the airport. What you want to do/see might influence your location as well.

 

[Lapa]

I'd probably skip Minnetonka unless you find a good deal. Probably 30 minutes (car) away from MSP depending on location. Bloomington is basically right next to the airport. What you want to do/see might influence your location as well.

Seeing a Wild game is something I will absolutely do.

Twin Cities area would be my preference, I think.

 

[DANOZ28]

how close 2 the xcel center do you want to be? embassy suites is several blocks away but a nice hotel between $125 & 150 per night. during a wild game you could walk to alary's bar then take a shuttle. if not renting a car grab a cab / taxi and checkout grand ave. sometimes you could see a wild player at the wild onion. i like billys on grand. if you like ice cream grand ole creamery. south about 10 min on robert is rack shack bbq. if you enjoy hamburgers checkout shamrocks about 2 miles south of the xcel center on 7th. thats all i got.

 

[Lapa]

how close 2 the xcel center do you want to be? embassy suites is several blocks away but a nice hotel between $125 & 150 per night. during a wild game you could walk to alary's bar then take a shuttle. if not renting a car grab a cab / taxi and checkout grand ave. sometimes you could see a wild player at the wild onion. i like billys on grand. if you like ice cream grand ole creamery. south about 10 min on robert is rack shack bbq. if you enjoy hamburgers checkout shamrocks about 2 miles south of the xcel center on 7th. thats all i got.

Thanks for the suggestions. Gotta check these out.

 

[Dee Oh Cee]

Shamrocks rules. We go there before nearly every game for a quick app and drinks. They still have happy hour before the games while a lot of the places next to the Xcel cancel on game days, so it's a lot cheaper. Plus one of the better burgers you can get in the state.

But there are still a lot of good places down by the X too.

 

[DANOZ28]

i forgot to mention a hotel next to the xcel is the liffy / holiday inn. another bar walking distance from the embassy suites is the bulldog.

 

[57special]

Bloomington is kind of suburban bland...kind of charmless. Plus, there is a big freaking Ikea right there, which is probably the last thing you'll want to see when visiting here.

Anything near the Excel is likely to be pretty good, and not too expensive. Minnetonka is too far away. It's kind of nice suburban, but wouldn't recommend it for visiting.

Something near the train line would make sense....it hooks up with the airport.

 

[Minnesota]

Yeah, you'll want to stick around the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

I believe that's gphr513's neighborhood, so he's probably got some must-see recommendations around Dinkytown.

Generic User's stomping ground was/used to be Uptown IIRC, which is a fun place. He's probably got some nice bar/restaurants bookmarked in his rolodex.

 

[57special]

Uptown and Dinkytown are still a ways away from the Ex, though? Why not stay in St. Paul? Is it that boring?

 

[Lapa]

Thanks guys. I'm planning on being there to see the Jets @ Wild game on Oct 31st. I hope I can get tickets

We'll be staying in the Twin Cities area, hopefully close to the X.

 

[Fremitus Borealis]

Yeah, I'll join the chorus against Minnetonka It's just too far away (which is kind of why a lot of people live there though, I think). But even if you're renting a car, it wouldn't really be worth it.

Staying in that Holiday in right across from the X probably makes the most sense, though it could also be cool to stay somewhere else in Minneapolis or St. Paul to sort of force yourself to see the area. A lot of the surrounding suburbia area is sadly really boring, stripmall + McMansion country, but the "urban core" of the cities themselves is pretty cool, with lots of little restaurants, coffee shops, stores, etc. that you can check out on a quick visit. What I like the most about Minneapolis and St. Paul I think is how a lot of these places are kind of "neighborhood-based", if that makes sense. Reminds me of Europe a little bit actually, where you'll have a residential neighborhood, and then at seemingly random crossroads you'll have like a dozen small businesses.

Another thing to consider is outdoors stuff. You never know how the weather's going to be in late October, but it's quite possible it'll be 60 degrees and dry during your visit. Minneapolis and St. Paul have (literally) the two best city park systems in the whole country (they are consistently #1 and #2), and it's possible to rent a bike with a credit card at a number of drop off points and ride for miles on dedicated bike lanes/paths. If you did this I'd recommend starting around Lake of the Isles near downtown Minneapolis, riding around the three big "Chain of Lakes", and then take the Midtown Greenway bike path over to the Mississippi River down to Minnehaha falls, which has a light rail stop and could get you to the area of the X in about 20 minutes (train + bus). It's a great way to see a great cross section of Minneapolis without having to drive through it

 

[Lapa]

Thanks a lot for all the suggestions. That bike rental sounds interesting.

We're most likely going to be staying somewhere in downtown St. Paul, although near the airport is also a possibility. We're also going to be watching at least a few Wild games.

Will be staying there most likely somewhere around Oct. 28th until Nov. 5th.

 

[gphr513]

Haha, your trip to the US is the exact same days as my trip to London, funny

The following tips are decidedly more Minneapolis-biased, since as Minnesota mentioned, those were my stomping grounds for about 6 years. I barely know St. Paul, haha.

There's plenty to do in St. Paul, but depending on how long you'll be here, you may want to venture over to Minneapolis!

Dinkytown is alright, if you're looking for cheap beer and cheap food. College bar stuff. If that's your scene, head over to Burrito Loco in Dinkytown. Plenty of beer/drink specials, and good tacos/burritos. Mesa Pizza is another good one if you're looking for a quick/cheap bite to eat. Pizza by the slice, they have tons of quirky varieties. My personal favorites are the tortellini pizza and gyro pizza.

If you're up for waking up to watch soccer on Saturday or Sunday, I'd recommend heading over to one of the many pubs/bars in Minneapolis that show games. Brit's is the mainstay, it is a Liverpool bar. The Local is also cool, that's an Arsenal bar. The Nomad is a Spurs bar. All of them are fun, the people are always friendly and up for some banter!

I know you're a beer guy Lapa, so here's a list off the top of my personal favorite breweries that MSP has to offer, and that I'd suggest visiting:
Surly Brewing: Huge place, but usually very busy. Probably Minnesota's trendiest beer right now. Located right by the U campus.
Insight Brewing: Large taproom, great selection of beers, cool vibe. NE Minneapolis
Indeed Brewing: Smaller place, but the beer is excellent. Some of the best beer in MN right now, in my opinion. Their Rum King is one of my favorites of all time. NE Minneapolis
Dangerous Man Brewing: In an old bank building, pretty small, but bursting with character. Great beer here as well. NE Minneapolis
Lake Monster Brewing: This is a newer one, but I really dig it. Large place, never have trouble finding a spot. The beers are good, and the brewers are cool guys. Pretty much right in between Minneapolis and St. Paul
Bad Weather Brewing: One of my few St. Paul spots, this one is not far at all from the X. Really cool place, highly recommended.

There are sooooo many more, but that's what I came up with off the top of my head.

 

[Lapa]

Haha, your trip to the US is the exact same days as my trip to London, funny

The following tips are decidedly more Minneapolis-biased, since as Minnesota mentioned, those were my stomping grounds for about 6 years. I barely know St. Paul, haha.

There's plenty to do in St. Paul, but depending on how long you'll be here, you may want to venture over to Minneapolis!

Dinkytown is alright, if you're looking for cheap beer and cheap food. College bar stuff. If that's your scene, head over to Burrito Loco in Dinkytown. Plenty of beer/drink specials, and good tacos/burritos. Mesa Pizza is another good one if you're looking for a quick/cheap bite to eat. Pizza by the slice, they have tons of quirky varieties. My personal favorites are the tortellini pizza and gyro pizza.

If you're up for waking up to watch soccer on Saturday or Sunday, I'd recommend heading over to one of the many pubs/bars in Minneapolis that show games. Brit's is the mainstay, it is a Liverpool bar. The Local is also cool, that's an Arsenal bar. The Nomad is a Spurs bar. All of them are fun, the people are always friendly and up for some banter!

I know you're a beer guy Lapa, so here's a list off the top of my personal favorite breweries that MSP has to offer, and that I'd suggest visiting:
Surly Brewing: Huge place, but usually very busy. Probably Minnesota's trendiest beer right now. Located right by the U campus.
Insight Brewing: Large taproom, great selection of beers, cool vibe. NE Minneapolis
Indeed Brewing: Smaller place, but the beer is excellent. Some of the best beer in MN right now, in my opinion. Their Rum King is one of my favorites of all time. NE Minneapolis
Dangerous Man Brewing: In an old bank building, pretty small, but bursting with character. Great beer here as well. NE Minneapolis
Lake Monster Brewing: This is a newer one, but I really dig it. Large place, never have trouble finding a spot. The beers are good, and the brewers are cool guys. Pretty much right in between Minneapolis and St. Paul
Bad Weather Brewing: One of my few St. Paul spots, this one is not far at all from the X. Really cool place, highly recommended.

There are sooooo many more, but that's what I came up with off the top of my head.

Tortellini Pizza sounds interesting. I will definitely need to check these breweries. My poor liver