Minneapolis, MN: Where to stay? What to do?

If you've been following me on twitter or instagram, you know that my twin sister Anna and I went to Minneapolis, MN to celebrate our birthday. Why Minneapolis? Anna lives in Seattle, I live in DC area. We've traveled quite a bit individually and it's becoming harder and harder to choose a new place that's relatively in the middle, doesn't cost a ton of $$$ and has fun things to do.

A few of my friends suggested Minneapolis, and after doing a bit of research I convinced Anna to trust me and to fly out for a long weekend....not realizing it'd be SUPER COLD. Well, the weather gods were on our side and the weather was surprisingly pleasant.

Once we purchased our tickets, the next big question was where to stay? Luckily, Marriott City Center graciously agreed to host us! The location was perfect: downtown, 25 minute light rail ride from the airport, near Nicollet Mall, entertainment and shopping. The suite had TWO floors. I'm not even kidding: the bottom floor had a living room, the upper floor was the bedroom and the bathroom. The bathroom had dual sinks (I know I sound like I'm on HGTV), a bathtub and a bathroom. It was quite the luxury!

Our view of Downtown was beautiful even if the first night all we could see was snow and rain. Yes, it was snowing at the end of March.

If you are lucky to stay in one of the suites, you have access to concierge lounge where you can get breakfast on weekdays, happy hour and light dinner on most nights. Lucky for us, however, Amanda who is a Destination Sales Executive for Marriott treated us to breakfast on Friday. Smoked salmon, French toast, and sirloin eggs Benedict were just the few of the dishes we tried. Not only was the food freshly made and delicious, the service was superb. And did I mention we started the day with a Bloody Mary?
 

Of course we could have lounged around our hotel suite and watched TV, but that's not how I travel. I like to see the city, visit museums, and do a bit of shopping.

Below are some of the highlights of the things Anna and I did while in Minneapolis. Don't worry, the where to eat post is coming up next week.

Walker Art Center

Conservatory

Brave New Workshop, Weisman Art Museum, Macy's Secret Garden, Shopping in Uptown

Walker Sculpture Garden & Mall of America

Disclosure: Marriott provided us with a free room and breakfast. We paid for everything else (flights, food, entertainment, etc.). All opinions are my own. Special thank you to Kristen Montag,  Lauren Mahjoubi and Amanda Ducach.