Events and things to do! (still in flux, so check back)

Friday

Check back for more events--we'll be adding to the list soon!

Saturday -- Wedding Day

 FYI - we are thinking of cancelling the walk on Saturday morning due to tight timing...but if you were really jazzed about it, email Becky and we'll set it back up again!  We have to start around 9am, to make time for other stuff that day - but if you want a walk, it's totally on!

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Wedding! (4:30 PM - late)
      The wedding and reception are at Schaar's Bluff Gathering Center in Hastings, MN.  Check the website for information about a bus or carpool heading there from the cities!
We have to be out of the Gathering Center by midnight, so it won't go too-too late.

Sunday

Morning (11:00AM - 1:00PM) -- Bagel Brunch!  Chris and Becky's Apartment

     Don't run off just yet!  We'd love to spend a little more time with you.  We're hosting a bagel brunch on Sunday morning.  We'll provide delicious bagels, cream cheese, and other fixings -- as well as fruit, juice, and coffee.  Stop by to have some breakfast and say hello!  This will be hosted at Chris and Becky's apartment, which is at 2719 Pillsbury Avenue South #3, 55408.  The place is small but we have a couple porches, a backyard, and an expansive upstairs, so we'll be ready for a crowd.

Becky and Chris' A-list of stuff to do

*Take a walk - there are so many lakes and park spaces!  In Minneapolis, try Lake Harriet or Cedar Lake, or drive over to Theodore Wirth Park and explore the Quaking Bog.  Downtown Minneapolis also has a great path that goes on both sides of the river. Start at the Stone Arch Bridge. And St. Paul's riverfront is also a pleasant place for a stroll.

Want a more vigorous hike? Our favorite place is Afton State Park, about a 45-minute drive east of Minneapolis on I-94, with paths along the high bluffs over the St. Croix River, across wide open prairies, and through old oak forests. 

*Visit a museum - both the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Walker Art Center are wonderful places to explore. The MIA is free and the Walker charges a modest fee to visit the museum.  If you go to the Walker, make sure to check out the outdoor installation piece called "Sky Pescher", the Cowles Conservatory, and the Sculpture Garden (all free entry).  In the mood for something more playful? Try the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul.

*Ride a bike - Minneapolis has been rated one of the best cities for biking nationwide, and you can have an enjoyable ride using exclusively bike paths -- no need to worry about cars!  You can rent bikes by the hour from the Midtown Greenway Freewheel Bicycle shop and Calhoun Bike Rental. Or stop at one of the NiceRideMN kiosks sprinkled around the city and pay $5 for 24 hours of access to their commuter- and beginner-friendly bikes, available at stations across both Minneapolis and St. Paul!  Ask Becky for details about NiceRideMN. 

*Eat some food - there are so many delicious restaurants and cafes!  

At breakfast, try Common Roots at 26th and Lyndale, in Uptown,  for bagels and coffee, or Maria's Cafe on east Franklin Avenue for Colombian specialties like cornmeal pancakes and huevos rancheros.  

Coffee is generally good here, but Dunn Brothers Coffee and Caribou Coffee are local chains.  

For pastries like melt-in-your-mouth croissants, go for Rustica Bakery, over by Lake Calhoun (their apricot soleil is our favorite), Salty Tart in the Midtown Global Exchange, or Patisserie 46 in South Minneapolis.  For pizza, we like Punch Pizza (locations in Northeast, near Lake Calhoun, by the University, and in Highland Park, St. Paul) and Pizza Nea (Northeast).  Those are Neapolitan-style pizza-pie joints -- more traditional American pizzas can be found at Pizza Luce and Galactic Pizza.

Feeling adventurous?  Try Fasika, an Ethiopian restaurant on University Avenue in St. Paul, or Jasmine Deli on Nicollet for fabulous (and cheap) banh mi sandwiches and noodle soup.  

Want an outdoor dining delight? Head over to Minnehaha Falls Park and get a fish taco from Sea Salt -- they also have a good drinks list and ice cream from local joint Sebastian Joe's. French Meadow Bakery and Cafe, just south of 26th and Lyndale, has a nice array of appetizers, dishes, and drinks - and their patio seating is  very pleasant. Or stop by at the Tin Fish in the Lake Calhoun Pavilion for a variety of treats to eat right on the lakefront.

As for beer -- it's everywhere!  Local favorite breweries are Surly (love their Furious pale ale), Fulton, Summit, and Flat Earth. For a nice brew-pub experience, try Town Hall Brewery near the University's West Bank, or the Herkimer in Uptown.