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[amlithist]

I'm thinking about attending a conference that overlaps my spring break--not a problem, I just need the time away, and the conference looks OK.  Left to my own devices, I'll probably end up in the office during break anyway.  So, I'm thinking of asking my husband to go along; we can road trip it, take our time, visit some relatives for an evening/day on the way home, and generally goof off for a week (the conference meets for 2 1/2 days).

What's there to do for a non-academic spouse in Minneapolis in March (or at any time of year, for that matter)?  I've never been there and don't know anyone who has. I'm in St. Louis, so comparisons could help.  And we're both pretty low-maintenance; again, it'll be nice to just get in a car and drive and get out of town for awhile, but if there are things to do besides sitting in the hotel watching cable, that would be nice, too.

[mystictechgal]

Minneapolis is filled with things to do.  There are two excellent zoos to choose from if you like that sort of thing.  They have a number of museums.  The downtown area is quite nice--and, yes, they have a statue of Mary Tyler Moore tossing her hat into the air.  There's a fairly nearby gambling casino on a reservation there; it's called Mystic Lake.  Lots of parks and open woodland in the area.  Winter sports should still be going on in March, so there's skiing (downhill and cross-country), skating, etc. available.  The sky stays blue duing the winter in MN and the folks there like winter.  They do not shut down for it.  I believe there is still at least one place you can rent horses for a ride (but it may have closed down--I think that area was going to be developed).  There are some nice areas along the river to walk.  Lots and lots and lots of restaurants.  Oh, and of course, The Mall of America is just a short distance from the airport.  The restaurants there are good, and there's a whole bunch to see even if you don't plan to buy anything--definitely worth sticking your head in.  Here's a link to their convention center site: http://www.minneapolis.org/

Definitely take him along.  He'll have no problem whatsoever finding something interesting to see and/or do.  Minneapolis.  One of my favorite cities in the world.  But, plan to rent a car.

[magistra]

I found a couple good bookstores.  Does that answer your question?

Seriously, there's lots of stuff.  It looks like a very livable city -- a nice downtown, good shopping, great restaurants, very cosmopolitan.  Some interesting museums.  There's a little of everything, and even just wandering around and enjoying life would be fun.

It'll be cold, though.  I went in April and there was still snow on the ground.

[jwormold]

I was just in Minneapolis this past weekend!  I had a great time: there's really good food, great museums, good shopping (no sales tax on clothes and shoes), and it's just a lovely city.  I'm ready to go back already!

Definitely check out the Walker Art Center: they do really good exhibitions.  The Minneapolis Institute of Art is comprehensive (like the Met), and has amazing things.  The presentation is very uneven, however, but there are really significant objects in the collection.  You just need to overlook the poor layout, idiosyncratic installations, and occasional wrong labeling (and if you're not an art historian it probably won't bother you anyway). You also get lovely views of the city.

Skip the Mall of America: I was surprised, but there aren't any stores really worth going to (I checked actually before going this weekend, and seriously, I can shop at the Gap at home, even in VAPville). The Shoppes at Maple Grove were nice for more upscale chains and there's good shopping downtown.  There was a huge used bookstore on Nicolett.

I was amazed at how good the food cab be in Minneapolis.  I had a spectacularly good meal at 112 Eatery (downtown), with one of the best made martinis I've had in a very long time.  For the quality of the food and service, it was very reasonably priced (I had a martini, a glass of cava, an appetizer, and foie gras meatballs and tagliatelle for $40 + tip).  Yes, get the foie gras meatballs!  They serve dinner late on Fridays and Saturdays, but if you want to eat earlier, you will need reserations.  It is absolutely worth it !  Try the Bradstreet Crafthouse (in the 601 Graves hotel) for excellent cocktails as well; the bartenders really know their stuff.  Brassa is good for excellent, simple sandwiches and the like.  There's a lot of good information on Chowhound for MSP, too, if you want specific recommendations.

I got a really good deal on a hotel via Priceline ($59 for the Hyatt Regency, which has the best fitness center I've ever seen in a hotel!  The whirlpool was awesome), and there are lots of appealing, nice hotels downtown.  Next time I go back I'd like to try the W or the 601 Graves.

[quasihumanist]

A second recommendation for the Walker Art Center here.  If it's not too chilly, have a nice long stroll in the sculpture garden across the street.

[madhatter]

Minneapolis in March will be cold and quite possibly snowy. People will be out and about doing winter-type exercise and sports. If that's your thing, I'd recommend taking a walk around Lake Harriet or Lake Calhoun. Great views, great people-watching -- beautiful urban retreat. If it's cold enough, various lakes and parks will be converted into outdoor ice rinks. If the cold is not your thing, though, then I would skip these, as you will be miserable. You could take your car for a spin around the lakes or along the Mississippi on the parkways. That's a nice outing.

There are some fine museums and theaters -- the Walker Art Center is renowned for modern art, and the Guthrie is a top-quality regional theater. I mention these two together because they are both near downtown Minneapolis and both are in new modern buildings that are destinations in and of themselves. In particular, the Guthrie has a "Bridge to Nowhere" observation deck that will give you a breathtaking view of the city, the Misssissippi, and the falls of Nicollet.

A block from the Guthrie is the Mill City Museum, another new museum that is dedicated to the history of, well, flour. It's actually very entertaining, and it will make you hungry! Avoid if you are on a no-carb diet. The Bell Natural History Museum at the University of Minnesota is also worth checking out, although I'm not sure if they are open now.

As for shopping ... well, the Mall of America is A Very Big Mall. If you live in a place with malls, skip it. Otherwise, if you need to stock up on the products of America's many fine chain retail establishments, you will find them all here. For more quirky, independent shopping, check out the Linden Hills neighborhood, 50th & France, Hennepin between 24th and 31st in Uptown, or the Grand Avenue neighborhood in St. Paul.

You might be entertained (and befuddled) by the skyway system in downtown Minneapolis. Designed for inclement weather, this is a maze of second-story enclosed bridges between the various buildings downtown. It sprawls for blocks and blocks, following no particular pattern, taking you through all of the downtown's major architecture. Visit during normal business hours on a weekday, and you'll see an entire economy suspended above the street -- shops, restaurants, everything you would need.

Dining options are quite varied. I second the recommendation for Chowhound -- you can get (and read) the top choices of very discriminating locals. Particular ethnic strengths are Vietnamese and East African. The local/organic/chef-owned trend is very strong in MSP, and there are many small innovative restaurants (like the aforementioned 112 Eatery) scattered around the city. A particular favorite of mine is just across the street from 112 Eatery, a unique establishment called Saffron that provides an upscale interpretation of Middle Eastern flavors. You might also like the restaurants run by Minneapolis' James Beard award-winning Tim McKee (La Belle Vie, Barrio, or Solera.) All are excellent.

Also related to food, Minneapolis has a bevy of excellent gourmet grocers and cheese shops. Check out Byerly's in St. Louis Park, Kowalski's (several locations), and Surdyk's Cheese Shop (attached to a big liquor store) in northeast Minneapolis. Lots of great stuff, if you like that sort of thing.

[sikora]

For food, google "eat street" in Minneapolis.  Although I live here, I still don't know much about the area. I've never been to the Walker,  etc. Too poor, and for a long time, too disoriented to do much exploring. I still get lost driving, esp. in Minneapolis.  But I've been treated to some excellent food.  In my family, we have a running joke about going out to lunch on Sunday and being the only white people in the restaurant.  Sounds like a racist statement, but it's often true, with the diversity here. The only European restaurant we've been to this year is Greek.  Ever had Ecuadorian food? Lake Street.  

Some one very kind treated me to a great Ethiopian dinner earlier this year :)

Upon edit.  It will be cold, possibly single digits, maybe up to the 30s, unless something freakish happens.  Expect snow on the ground.

[scampster]

If you are there over a weekend and you all are NPR fans, you could also catch A Prairie Home Companion.

[offthemarket]

the museum of the Minnesota Historical Society.  It's mighty cool.

[amlithist]

Wow, thanks, everybody!  I was sort of wondering if I'm nuts to think about going this far north in March, but you've convinced me!  And seriously, mid-March here in St. Louis can vary from 85 degrees and tornadoes to 65 and beautiful to 33 degrees and an ice storm, so really, what's to lose?  (Maybe I could get snowed in and have to stay up there into the following week?  Hmm....?)

And yes, we're big PHC/Garrison Keillor geeks, so I definitely thought about going up a few days early to catch the show!

Thanks again!  Now I'm excited!

[alleyoxenfree]

Top choices, in no particular order:

1) IIRC, Garrison Keillor is a partner in a bookstore in St. Paul called Common Good.  There is a good coffee shop upstairs.  http://www.commongoodbooks.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp

2)  Louise Erdrich also has a bookstore.  http://birchbarkbooks.com/

3)  Walk around Lake Harriet, one of the prettiest lakes right in town, not far from downtown. 
http://minneapolis.about.com/od/healthsportsrecreation/ss/harrietwalk_2.htm. 

4)  A favorite spot is the Conservatory at Como Park.  The rainforest exhibit is a toasty and light-filled place to be on a chilly day, and they have amazing, humongous trees, more types of ferns than you knew existed, and usually a specialty exhibit, like entire rooms of tulips or poinsettia.  The conservatory is attached to the zoo.  And if the weather is good, there is also great walking in Como Park. 

5)  Another favorite spot is the gift shop and displays at the Center for Book Arts, which is near the Guthrie theater. ....http://www.openbookmn.org/

6)  Eat at the Holy Land Deli on Central Avenue, the best hummus, chicken kebabs, baklava, everything you can imagine.  Or at Pop! in the Johnson Street neighborhood just north of downtown.  http://www.poprestaurant.com/
Both reasonable and fantastic.

[knitwitphd]

Oh so many excellent suggestions here! I may a displaced southerner in Minnesota and while it may still be really cold and snowy/icey/slushy here there is still lots to do in March.

The little community by Lake Harriett is called Linden Hills and has three amazing places to each Cafe 28 (local and organic), Zumbro (fantastic breakfast and brunch place also organic and mainly local), and Rice Paper (amazing Asian fusion). In addition there is an awesome children's bookstore called the Wild Rumpus that is not to be missed (live chickens and cats wonder around). And there is a wonderful store called Natural Home in addition to a bakery, an ice cream shop (discounts in the winter based on the temperature outside), and lots of other lovely little knick knack shops to pop in and stay out of the cold.

The U has the Weismann museum which is very small but Free and has a couple of amazing paintings that are permanent exhibits.

The conservatory at Como park is also free and the little neighborhood just up the street is St Anthonys. It also has a lovely collection of little places to pop in and out of.

One of my favorite places is the Global Market http://www.midtownglobalmarket.org/ it is a fantastic place to sample international dishes at very reasonable prices. There are tons of little international 'shops'. It's a wonderful place. Quite often on the weekends there are bands playing in the center court and you can sit and enjoy some fun music and people watch.

If you want to go to a Keillor show I highly recommend going on Friday evening when they do the run through. It's very relaxed and is hysterical! Then you can listen the next day on the radio and see how they change the show.

I second checking out "eat street" lots of good ethnically diverse restaurants.

There are tons of exhibitions, expos and on the fly activities that happen in Minneapolis make sure you check out what is going on http://www.exploreminnesota.com/festivals-and-events?gclid=CMPs5tyhg54CFQEhDQod2x7cpw

If you would like a little history and historical culture then you should check out the American Swedish Institute. http://www.americanswedishinst.org/ASI/Home.html

There is a great shop off of University where one could spend hours looking at stuff that has been salvaged from old homes etc (and it's next to a fabulous place called Cupcake, that sells real food but specializes in you guessed it cupcakes).
http://local.yahoo.com/info-24308740-art-architecture-incorporated-minneapolis
http://www.cup-cake.com/

If you have time spend some time on Grand Street in St Paul. Amazing little sets of shops and eateries. If you knit there is a great place called the yarnery.
http://www.grandave.com/
http://minneapolis.about.com/od/shoppingstyleservices/a/grandavenue.htm

Finally if you want to go out of the City for a little trip I highly suggest going to Stillwater. It is a wonderful little town with the most amazing collection of Antique bookstores. There are some lovely bed and breakfasts and other shops and restaurants. It is less than an hours drive from the Cities.
http://www.ilovestillwater.com/

Minneapolis is not the easiest city to drive in, bring your GPS. Parking in the city can be pricey so be prepared. Once you are out of the heart of the city driving is easier and parking is usually free.

Feel free to PM if I can be of any help. I've only lived here a few years but I've spent quite a bit of time exploring!

[alleyoxenfree]

Yes, driving in Minneapolis is easier once you bring GPS and realize two oddities.  Sometimes things aren't well-signed because they assume everyone is local and knows without a sign, and sometimes freeway exits go off in the opposite direction from the one you expect - for instance, you might exit in what seems a southerly direction to get going north on a connecting freeway.  This is perhaps a bad description, but in other words, use a map or GPS, and read signs carefully.

One other tip if you have never made the drive north.  There are very few places to get gas just off the freeway between Iowa and the Minnesota line.  Why this is, only Iowans know.  You must drive into towns and many of the towns are so small there will be no gas station.  Gas up and drive early in daylight.

[corny]

I lived in the Twin Cities for 7 years, though it's been a while since I left (sigh...). I will echo, again, the recommendation to go to the Walker if you have any interest in modern / contemporary art. It's at the top of my list whenever I go back.

If you like poking around in used bookstores, Magers & Quinn on Hennepin just south of Lake is pretty great - I always end up with piles of books I didn't realize I needed. It's smack in the middle of Uptown - which madhatter mentioned - and which is a nice area to just wander around in, assuming it's not twenty below zero. Or even if it is, really.

If you're in St. Paul and looking for breakfast, check out Bread & Chocolate and Cafe Latte, kitty corner from each other at Grand and Victoria - another great wandering around place mentioned by madhatter. They're both owned by the same people and have great pastries (chocolate croissants, cardamom cake, yum). Cafe Latte also has a cafeteria-style restaurant with salads, soups, sandwiches - many of which are very good - and fantastic cakes. Alternately, if you like super delicious diner-style breakfast (pancakes and eggs etc.), go a few blocks away to the New Louisiana Cafe at Selby and Dale. Packed on the weekends but worth it. They make the world's most delicious breakfast burrito (in my opinion). The owners used to have a place in Uptown too, but I'm not sure if it's still there.

Oh, and about finding places to stop driving up from Iowa: alleyoxenfree is right, there's a weird dearth of towns between Des Moines and the state line (below Des Moines, I'm not so familiar with). You can stop in Ames, about 40 miles north of DSM, or at the Boondocks truck stop (seriously) about 30 miles north of Ames. Then there is basically nothing until Clear Lake / Mason City, maybe an hour and a half further. Stop at the cluster of gas stations and fast food restaurants just off the highway at Clear Lake - Mason City is 10 miles from the highway. Then you'll be set until Faribault, at least.

[hestia]

Unless global warming has totally changed winters in MN, do be aware that it is seriously cold there.  Make sure you bring appropriate winter wear, and know that, if you're planning on driving, car batteries can die within a few hours of being left in the cold.