We can choose to have a day in the twin cities in August. What should we not miss before we head home? Dh has limited mobility with neuropathy pain, walks with a cane.
What so you like to do?
Art? Minneapolis art institute or the Walker
History? Minnesota Historical Society in St Paul
Swedish institute for a bit of both and has a cafe
The high cathedral to consumerism - Mall Of America
The JJ Hill house- I dont know the hours
Mill City Museum for local history
If the weather is bad you could spend a bit if time in the conservatory at the Como Park
Eat lunch at El Burrito Mercado in St Paul
I don’t know if there are still paddle boat rides on the river
If it is the last week of August, there is the state fair but that might be too much for him
Great suggestions, @Snowball City I was also going to say State Fair, but it is quite a lot of walking and crowds. I would also avoid Mall of America for the same reason. I do like the MInnesota Historical Society as well. If you like baseball and good ballpark food, it’s fun to gp to a St.Paul Saints minor league game. There is stuff to do at the city lakes, like Calhoun, Como,… Also, Minnehaha Falls is a nice place to visit.
But — the food! If you skip the fair, you miss the cheese curds and Pronto Pups!
My top two suggestions would be Mall of America and the State Fair, if it’s on. A wheelchair would make them doable. I bet Mall of America has them.
Thanks, everyone!
The Wabasha Street Caves runs a ‘Gangster Tour’ which requires very little walking and covers an interesting part of St. Paul history. You could also look into the Lake Harriet bandshell concert schedule.
Sculpture garden at the Walker is nice.
The Twin Cities have a thriving theater scene. The Guthrie is one of the nation’s top “regional” theaters presenting high-quality, big-budget, original productions. At the other extreme the Fringe Festival (Aug 3-13) specializes in the offbeat, obscure, and avant garde. In between are many small professional companies of varying quality, but all in all there’s a lot worth seeing.
The Cities also have a thriving craft beer scene. Most of the breweries have their own taprooms, some with pretty decent food.
And speaking of food, there’s also a thriving restaurant scene, everything from a diverse array of small, inexpensive ethnic eateries to some nice farm-to-table places to upscale fine dining. Also numerous farmers markets which at that time of year will be overflowing with fresh local produce. My favorite is the Saint Paul Farmers Market in the Lowertown district, in business for 150 years selling 100% locally grown products.
There are also many outdoor fairs and festivals that time of year. Aug. 11-13 is the Irish Fair, a free event at Harriet Island in Saint Paul (on the Mississippi River) billed as the nation’s largest Irish festival—food, music, Irish dance, products.
If you like the outdoors and a little physical activity, you might consider a guided canoe or kayak trip on the Mississippi. The stretch from St. Anthony Falls in downtown Minneapolis through the Gorge (the only true gorge along the entire Mississippi) to Minnehaha Creek is especially scenic. Good chance of seeing bald eagles and blue herons, right in the heart of the city. And once you’re on the water, no walking! If you’re less physically inclined, there are also cruises along the river, leaving from Bohemian Flats in Minneapolis or Harriet Island in Saint Paul.
Hey I like seeing all the St. Paul love in this thread! Having grown up in St. Paul (and visiting frequently still) it seems to get lumped in with Minneapolis too often.