Where are the best places to visit in Minnesota?|113550

I_m wanting to do some traveling, and I_d like to find out what residents of Minnesota like to do. I haven_t decided where exactly I_d like to go, just somewhere in Minnesota, preferably near a big town but not necessarily right in one. I_d like to know of any great restaurants (preferably non-franchise) and any great spots to visit. I don_t mind if they_re tourist attractions or just locally known hidden spots. Anything you can provide will be great! Thanks!

The north shore of Lake Superior has some rugged coastlines and beautiful vistas. A hike into the interior along the north shore gets you to Gooseberry Falls, one of the most beautiful scenic areas of the state.

Minnesota is famous for its lakes. You can visit several of them right in the heart of Minneapolis and St. Paul, with beautiful walkways and bikeways. I_m not as current on best restaurants but I believe there are several in the Nicollet Mall downtown pedestrian district of Minneapolis.

Garrison Keillor_s nationwide radio program, a Prairie Home Companion, is broadcast live each Saturday night from the Fitzgerald Theatre in downtown St. Paul. You can probably order tickets in advance. It can be a great _ unique Minnesota experience.

A lot of Minnesotan_s like to fish and hunt. They fish in the summer, and in the winter on the ice. They like to ride thier bikes, there are lots of great state trails, one is SE Minnesota, by Laneboro, that is a great one. A lot like to Ski and ice skate in the winter. They like to shop. Many like going to theater. In the winter they like to ride snowmobiles, they have a lot of designated trails thoughout the state. Or there are tons of great state parks. Duluth area is nice too, if you want to go see the north shore!

If you_re looking for a bunch of great restaurants (both franchised and not) you should check out Grand Ave. in St. Paul. You_ll find (almost) anything your palate desires.

It really depends on the type of activities you want to do. Minneapolis/ Bloomington has the Mall of America and IKEA for shopping. There are many museums/historic sites in the Minneapolis/ St. Paul areas. There are plenty of lakes and parks for outside activites all over Minnesota. Southeast Minnesota has the Mississippi River and beautiful bluff country. Some towns to visit there would be Winona, Wabasha, Kellogg, or Lanesboro.
Try www.exploreminnesota.com for things to do, places to stay, etc.

MN is a beautiful state. many lakes, parks, the southern part is more populated . here is a link to the travel bureau up there
http://www.exploreminnesota.com/home.asp��

Is a good free breakfast important to get you to stay at a hotel?|153090

I work at a little inn and the owner keeps cutting back on breakfast. He has even mentioned getting rid of it entirely. We currently serve Costco bagels (with cream cheese), costco muffins, sliced apples and oranges, grapes, OJ, Folgers coffee, and tea. Do you think this is an acceptable breakfast? Our rates range anywhere from $69 (a special during the off season on a weekday) to $250 for a nice room with a view on a weekend in the summer.

I Searched on this site and got the Cheapest Hotel,Check it out,it also had Discount Coupon Codes for Expedia,Orbitz,Travelocity,Priceline, Kayak,etc.

http://freetravel4ever.blogspot.com

The _free_ breakfast price is built into your room rate already. So, most guests are wising up and going to hotels that offer breakfast as an option, like in a restaurant or room service. Also some guests have become more germaphobic this year, with H1N1 floating around. Eating off a free buffet breakfast seems dangerous to some. With all of the dietary restrictions there are out there, the definition of _good_ will vary greatly between guests. Best to have options, but drop the breakfast if there are local restaurants around, and drop your prices accordingly. Everyone is trying to save a buck.

It sounds OK. I think it could use some hot options, like at the very least bread for toast, or packets of oatmeal.

I think breakfast is one of many important services for a hotel to offer. If someone is staying at a hotel, they may not be familiar with restaurants in the area, and even then breakfast or brunch places tend to have slow service. Busy tourists or business travelers may not have time to go out for breakfast. A continental breakfast is the least a hotel can offer - I would expect no breakfast only at the very cheapest motels.

There might be other ways to save money on breakfast. For instance, buying fruits that are in season - in the spring and summer, apples and grapes are imported from Chile and can be a lot more expensive.

It_s not something that is a requirement when I stay at a Hotel or whatever, but it_s definitly nice. If it_s one place over another though, the one with free breakfast will usually be my choice. You should maybe suggest breakfast just on weekends or something, and not everyday. Then you could get an idea of what to expect if you were to eliminate it or not.

PS that is a decent breakfast. I wouldn_t complain

No it is not important,I have found that most of the bagles,muffins,or donuts are usually stale,and I don_t eat fruit.So I just get a cup of coffee and go on down the road to a Cracker barrel for a full breakfast.

The last thing I want in the morning is the crap that most hotels put out and call breakfast. If I am on vacation, I want to be able to order what I want, not what someone is willing to put out for free.

How much is a meal at the two restaurants in the Clarion Hotel Anaheim; disneyland?|162828

I was planning on going to disneyland in May and am staying here, there are two restaurants on site and I was curious how much I would expect them to be for lunch and dinner.. any help is appreciated!!

I dont know about that hotel, but if you plan on eating in any of the sit down restaurants in disneyland you might want to make reservations in advanced, esp the Blue Bayou! May isnt that crowded for Disneyland, but the restaurants can be.

My husband and I are considering moving to the surprise area of Arizona?|136165

I am seeing a lot of foreclosed and short sale homes. What is the actual cost of an 3br 2ba home there? How is the job market? (construction, security and nursing?). We are planning a trip out there in July so we can get a sense of the HEAT! we are in Maine now and we hate the snow, darkness and ignorance! Any advice?

East Coast = Liberal
Arizona= Still Conservative
Arizona=Pro Gun
East Coast=Anti Gun
East Coast=Anti Freedom in matters such as self defense
Arizona=Self Defense is still common without going to jail

If you grew up in the East my money would say you would be better off to stay out East

Best option is to firstly get a real estate brochure and information.... ive linked a site for you who is actually the organization for foreclosures and will send you all the information property wise.

Then contact them and ask them about the area... they are wanting you to go with them over any other companies and so will help you alot.

Of course go and visit the area too and find out from the locals what its like :)

Best of luck and hope the move goes smoothly.

What are the apartments in that private area in Chicago called?|128448

Now I can_t seem to locate this area on a map, but I_ve gotten stuck there before and its hard to find your way out. The entire area in downtown Chicago is full of fancy apartments with doormen and such and is elevated to where if you walk around that area you come to a bunch of terraces overlooking Chicago. There are stairs that bring you down to parking areas and such and I remember a grand staircase like park area somewhere nearby. Can anyone find this area on a map?

Look just east of Michigan Ave and west of Lakeshore Dr., north of the Chicago River. Also, it can be just about anywhere just west of Lakeshore Dr. north of where I mentioned above.

Maybe you_re thinking of the area along E. Randolph.

What are the very best places to go in Chicago on a relatively limited budget?|127758

I_m thinking about heading to Chicago this weekend, and I_m looking for some things to do. I_ll be driving from Ann Arbor, MI. I_m very interested in doing some photography as well as sightseeing, so what are some of the highlights of the city I should explore?

Downtown Chicago
Navy Pier
Lakefront
Millennium Park
Buckingham Fountain at night is beautiful
They have free trolley rides mostly at all these locations.

Hit the lakefront, north of where it_s busy. I_d start around the area of Montrose or so; there are some beautiful parks up there, and some picturesque slabs of rock bordering Lake Michigan. You could get some great photos out there.

If you_re looking for a really great Thai restaurant which was pretty cheap last I looked (full dinner for about $20/person), check out Pingpong. It_s on Broadway a little north of Belmont.

There_s a nice little Guatemalan restaurant at Roscoe west of Damen that_s cheap. The actual intersection is Roscoe and Hoyne. Just down the street from where I used to live.

There_s a great Mexican restaurant called Tecalitlan on Chicago avenue way out west, I want to say between Damen and Western. You can eat there with drinks for less than $20 a plate, too.

Will_s Northwoods Tavern, on Paulina and George, is a good small bar for a drink. Relatively cheap booze. I also like Fizz in that area, and they have surprisingly good food.

This weekend is the start of Taste of Chicago where you can get some good food and free music, but get there early to beat the crowds. You_ll also have to park somewhere and take the train in, unless you want to spend a bunch of money on parking.

There is a lot going on along the lake - North Avenue Beach is the hot spot. Or head up Michigan Ave / State Street for the standard shopping.

Architectural Boat Tours are also great for sightseeing.

The website I write for put together a top value attractions (places where you get a lot for your money) round-up with spots like Millennium Park, the Magnificent Mile, and the Oak Street Beach.

There_s also a list of attractions that are always free, which is a good thing to know about. For instance, the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Photography, the Lincoln Park Zoo, and Navy Pier. All free!

You can find the whole rundown here:

http://www.smartertravel.com/travel-guid��

Grant Park (Buckingham Fountain), Millennium Park, Navy Pier, Oak Street Beach, North Ave beach, as well as other parks scattered across the city are very photogenic. The area around the Museum Campus (Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, Adler Planeterium) is especially nice. Also just riding on the elevated train can give you a good photographic experience. The various trains pass through all of the neighborhoods of Chicago. The museums will cost you if you decided to go in, and the train is about $2 a ride, less if you buy a visitor_s pass. You might also want to check out Wicker Park. It_s hipster heaven but there are still some parts that are OK.

There are other parts of the city too that are good to explore (like Pilsen), but I don_t recommend a new-to-Chicago tourist go alone, but take a local friend. Not because it_s especially dangerous, but you could get all turned around and lost.

Pick up a copy of Time Out Chicago Magazine when you get here. It lists all of the inexpensive things to do, from inexpensive restaurants, to free comedy shows, etc. and it even tells you how to get there on the bus so you don_t have to go broke riding cabs.

I would recommend SummerDance, Millennium Park and the free days at the Museums (Tuesdays, sponsored by target) There are also new free exercise classes on Saturday Mornings in Pritzker Pavilion in Milennium Park. And the Gay Pride Parade is in BoysTown (Wrigleyville) on Sunday at noon. That is all free.

I don_t like Lincoln Park Zoo because so many animals die there and it isn_t kept up well. If you really want to see a zoo go see Brookfield Zoo.

You can read more about the events I recommended at the link below.