Minneapolis / St. Paul Area Hotels

Minneapolis, MN: Twin Cities' Double FeatureOkey dokey, oh yah, and you betcha: twin cities Minneapolis and St. Paul are like a two-for-one double feature. One offers sleek sophistication; the other offers down-to-earth sensibility--and since they sit side by side, visitors get the best of all worlds.The real deal: When you need your festive fill of polka, piano, and pierogi--as everyone inevitably does (just admit it)--Nye's Polonaise Room offers eight rooms of sauced sing-a-longs, dynamite dancing, accordion antics, and more than enough cabbage, kielbasa, and vodka to go around.Did we mention it's free? It's time to play ball--broomball that is! When the lakes freeze in winter, grab your uncle, your sister, your sweetie, all your friends, and that nice family you met on the plane on the way over, and play this more egalitarian form of hockey. All you need is a pair of boots, a ball, a broomstick, and an ability to laugh at yourself.Get out of dodge: Follow Highway 8 to Taylor's Falls, which sits pretty on the St. Croix River right by the Wisconsin border. The huge state park cliffs are absolutely phenomenal, and make the perfect backdrop for a play day consisting of riverboat touring, peaceful paddle boating, and happy hiking through an enchanted evergreen forest.Where the locals go: In St. Paul, the drive along Summit Avenue runs perpendicular to the river, and showcases some of the area's oldest and grandest homes, including the governor's mansion (so long, Jesse Ventura). At the top of the hill, The University Club offers incredible sunset views.Good to know: Had enough of the Great Outdoors? There's an indoor skyway system that connects all of downtown Minneapolis, providing a sheltered, climate-controlled way to avoid the goose bumps associated with winter chills or summer-storm-sculpted frizzy hair.Break-the-bank dinner: Located just across the hall from each other, Manny's is a meat-eater's dream steakhouse, and Oceanaire is a seafood celebration. Luckily for all patrons involved, the kitchens work in tandem, so you can mix and match from the menus all you want.Day after break-the-bank dinner: Melt all your cares away by dipping your greasy spoon into a piping hot mug of morning coffee during brunch at The Uptown Diner, where the young and the checkbook-less stand in line to dig into the daily dish and swap stories of the morning after.Place we love, even if it's touristy: For your cultural fix, Minneapolis's most nationally known attractions, The Walker and The Guthrie, will not disappoint. This theatre and art museum have both been recently renovated and sport a brand-spanking-new feel filled with the latest trends to hit the artsy edge.