Kid-Friendly Travel

The Mall of America in Minnesota is a huge shopping mecca for people all over the US... scratch that, the world. Part of the appeal, beyond having hundreds of stores under one roof, is that in Minnesota, we don't charge sales tax on clothing. So depending on the sales tax rates in your city, that could be a savings up up to 10% right off the bat. Many non-US residents are taking advantage of the weak dollar by coming here with empty suitcases and filling them up with goodies! (Better hurry, though, our dollar is coming back!)

If you do come to Minneapolis/St. Paul for your holiday shopping, turn it into a shopping vacation and bring the kids. There's plenty to do in our great city for the rest of the family while you shop till you drop! Click here for a list of our favorite local activities.

Of course, everyone is looking to save money this year, so here's a limited time offer from Travelocity to help you take advantage of a holiday shopping vacation... wherever you choose to go.







Copyright Stephany Wiestling 2006-2008. All rights reserved. www.kid-friendlytravel.blogspot.com

Early in my childhood, I lived very near downtown St. Paul. After moving to a small Iowa town, I realized how much I missed going to the museums, seeing a play or live stage show, and just being a part of a diverse and eclectic culture. Small towns have their advantages, to be sure. But spending the day downtown in any city can be a cultural boost to the ego, even for kids. Here are some of my favorite things to do with kids downtown Minneapolis.

If you can, plan your timing around a live stage show like Sesame Street Live, or Playhouse Disney Live, etc. We saw the Backyardigans Live on Stage at the ornate State Theatre and my 3 year old even commented on the ‘fancy building’.

There are plenty ways to take in a ball game. Vikings Football, Twins Baseball, Timberwolves Basketball, all have stadiums downtown. What kid doesn’t like a ball game, or at least the hot dogs?

If you’re coming in from out of town, stay at the Depot, a Marriott Residence Inn, and admission to the attached water park is included. In the winter, the adjacent building houses an indoor skating rink. The Depot is on the light rail line for an additional day at the Mall of America or Minnehaha Falls.

The new Minneapolis Central Library has a wonderful children’s area on the ground floor and a very cool area just for teens upstairs.

Minneapolis is a river town, so visit the Mill City Museum for a bit of fun and history. On Thursday nights in the summer they have outdoor live music for all ages. Take a walk on the Stone Arch Bridge to cross the mighty Mississippi river. A few blocks north is an area called St. Anthony Main, which happens to be Minneapolis’ oldest street. Here, you’ll find the oldest restaurant in the city called Pracna on Main. They serve kid-friendly food with a breathtaking view of the downtown skyline.

Walk through the skyways or down the pedestrian-only Nicollet Mall to Macy’s candy counter for a fancy treat. Kids always seem to remember the candy counter at Macy’s.

This list is far from comprehensive! What are your favorite things about downtown Minneapolis?

Copyright Stephany Wiestling 2006-2008. All rights reserved. www.kid-friendlytravel.blogspot.com

The Mall of America in Bloomington, MN is such a major attraction here, it actually made it as the icon for our state in the Great States Jr. board game!

Bloomington is a suburb of Minneapolis. It's so easy to get to both downtown St. Paul and downtown Mpls from here, that it's an ideal location to stay.

A new popular hotel is the Radisson adjacent to the Water Park of America, located just across the highway from the Mall of America.

• Inside the MegaMall (as the natives call it) shopping is great for you (no sales tax on clothes), but the Mall is all about kid-friendly things to do! Being all indoors makes this a year-round destination.
• Toddler Tuesdays offer special events in the morning, and discounts on lunches at most sit-down restaurants.
• In the center of the mall is Nickelodeon Universe theme park. Rides for all ages feature favorite Nickelodeon characters: Spongebob, Dora & Diego, the Backyardigans, Jimmy Neutron and more!
• Underwater Adventures Aquarium is an amazing walk-thru aquarium underneath the Mall located by the East Parking Entrance. Read more about it and watch a little video here...
• Weekends are busy, so use the valet service located on the west parking (by Nordstrom's) on the 4th level parking if you don't want the hassle. It's only $5, (it's customary to tip when you receive your car.)
• Lego Imagination Center is very popular with many age groups. You can find that near the South entrance.
• There are 3 food courts. 2 located on the 3rd floor (north side and south side) and 1 inside the Nickelodeon Universe park. Throughout the mall are restaurants ranging from pretzel stands to fine dining and everything in between. There is even a convenience store.
• Toy stores are abundant, if you like Nickelodeon characters.
• There's a family restroom near every entrance, and baby-changing stations have their own area in the regular bathrooms.

Overall, you can easily make a weekend of the Mall of America with small kids in tow, rain or shine! What do you like to do when you're here?

Copyright Stephany Wiestling 2006-2008. All rights reserved. www.kid-friendlytravel.blogspot.com

Here's a little video I took on some visits to the Mall of America at the Underwater Adventure aquarium under the East Entrance. You can read my full review here.




Copyright Stephany Wiestling 2006-2008. All rights reserved. www.kid-friendlytravel.blogspot.com

Aquariums just seem to be getting better and better all over the country. Our favorite one in the Minneapolis/St.Paul area is by far the Underwater Adventures Aquarium.

We live in this area and have purchased memberships. We end up going almost every week!! At bedtime my son wants me to "talk about the aquarium", which means for me to basically walk us through... "first we get our wristbands, then we go past the guy who doesn't take our picture, then we see the tortoises..." Because my husband's a chef, we talk about which fish we eat, and which ones we don't. Some of the kids behind us get a little freaked out, "Mom! they're going to eat it!" Oh well. Such is life.

The aquarium is really cool and worth every penny. I see many people want to rush to the underwater tunnel, but if you skip the beginning, you miss a lot of stuff. There are several animal statues (taxidermy-type) in life-like positions hidden all around. We've been there probably a hundred times and just today noticed a bobcat by the snapping turtle. If you take your time, it can be very educational.

Of course, the highlight is the underwater tunnel. You walk through lake and river fish (look up to see Spongebob in a fishing boat), the Amazon river, Shark Cove, and a coral reef. Shark Cove is the main attraction for sure. There's a great variety of sharks to see: sand tiger, black tip reef, white tip reef, nurse, and brown sandbar. There are other varieties of fish that you don't see often; guitar fish, sawfish, and wobegong, to name a few. Kids love the sea turtles and the stingrays, too. After you see the exhibits and make it through the gift shop, there's a play area. Come on a Tuesday morning, and there are extra things for toddlers to do. There's a shipwreck to play Pirates on, touch a real baby shark or ray, a new-and-improved sandbox to play in... it's really fun!

To see a little video I made, click here...

Afterwards, hit the food court for lunch and the kid's will be napping in the car in no time! Or, ready for the amusement park in the center of the mall... you decide. Here's a direct link to their site: Underwater Adventures Aquarium

Copyright Stephany Wiestling 2006-2008. All rights reserved. www.kid-friendlytravel.blogspot.com