The race is completely flat, as far as I'm concerned. I've read repeatedly about the incline up…read moreSummit Ave. around mile 20. But other than about a short hill a block long, I don't recall any other "hills". (Keep in mind, this, coming from a San Franciscan.) The tour of the lakes was a treat, as was the various neighborhoods the course wound through. Out of the 35+ races I've done, this is my favorite, thus far. I'm a big fan of well-organized races that are smaller and more low-key. But I forget how a huge amount of support can help. I have never done a race with this many spectators lined up from beginning to end, cheering for YOU. After awhile, you zone out--especially in those latter miles when all you want to do is finish--but whether you realize it or not, their enthusiasm certainly keeps your morale up. Thank you, MSP, for your Midwestern hospitality!

I had a great experience running the Twin Cities Marathon this year-so glad I signed up!…read more Email updates were helpful and timely, my corral placement (there were 3 and I was placed in 2) was fair, and I love that I didn't need to enter a lottery to enter like I had to for Chicago last year. The expo (held at the St. Paul RiverCentre this year) was busy but pretty well-organized, if you knew to head past all of the booths to the packet pick-up. Participants had to self-scan their bibs to activate the timing chip, but that only took a second and there wasn't much of a line. Wide variety of cool running apparel/gear and marathon essentials sold, along with lots of freebies (yay Clif bar samples, Caribou coffee, and other swag). I found this expo much less stressful than Chicago's. The race course is absolutely beautiful, taking you from downtown Minneapolis to St. Paul. After some hard-core googling for previous marathoners' accounts of this race, I psyched myself out about hills, especially on Summit Ave. My take on this after running the race: don't worry! There are some hills, but nothing crazy, and the course is quite flat for the most part (and there's an downhill finish that makes you feel amazing crossing the finish line). Running around the lakes was probably my favorite part. Crowd support was amazing (lots of funny signs, kids offering high fives, and nice spectators offering hugs/water/donuts/beer/fruit/etc.), and the volunteers made the race go super smoothly! Powerade/water stations were labeled clearly and staggered appropriately every few miles (along with port-a-potties), and the post-race refueling options were great (bananas, fruit cups, chocolate milk, soup, coffee, water, chips, nut rolls, etc.). Got an emergency blanket, and the finisher medal and long-sleeved tech shirt I received are pretty and of good quality, too! I also love that as a spectator or runner, you can sign up to receive mobile text notifications on up to 3 runners-that way you know when runners pass certain points and finish the race! My results were also available by the time I got back home from the race, and the photos should be up within a few days. (Instant gratification is my fave!) Would definitely return to attempt a PR on this marathon. Highly recommend for marathon newbies or veterans!

FUN for all ages! I've always loved this historic carousel. It's beautiful, fun and has such a…read morerich history. AFFORDABLE at just $4 for ~ 5 minute ride. A true gem in our community with 68 beautiful horses and 18 scenic paintings to enjoy as you ride. Open 11am- 4pm on days they're operating. May1-Labor Day, open Thurs-Mon. Sept 7-Oct 27, open Sat and Sun only. Free on these dates 5/27, 6/24, 7/29, 8/26, 9/30 But beware they will close if temps go below 45 of above 95 F. Accessible to wheelchair riders who can sit in chariot seats. Convenient location right next to Como Zoo, Marjorie McNeely Conservatory and Como Visitor Center. Parking can be so difficult on the weekends, but luckily they have a free shuttle service from farther parking lots on Saturdays and Sundays from May 24 through August 17. Free shuttle service runs from 9:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and are wheelchair and stroller accessible too.

Beautifully restored carousel with charming music! Went faster than I thought so was fun even for…read morean adult. Great staff (senior citizens)!

AXE MASTER The ride…read moreformerly known as Paul Bunyan's Log Chute is charming, unique and LONG! Nickelodeon Universe might have 4 major roller coasters, but I think the overall best ride at Mall of America's indoor park is the simply named Log Chute. This is a log flume made by Hopkins and remains one of the mall's original rides from 1992 that has retained its title (and appearance) despite the rest of the world changing around it.  Even though his name is no longer attached to the ride, you can still find a huge Paul Bunyan statue inside the ride's beautiful mountain façade. Speaking of which, Log Chute has some terrific indoor sections rivaling those of Timber Mountain Log Ride @ Knotts Berry Farm and Splash Mountain(s) @ various Disneyland(s).  Here, the water level is set and carefully monitored to ensure no one gets drenched, because ultimately this ride is still in the center of a shopping mall. Fun fact: this is the longest duration ride in the entire park at a whopping 5-1/2 minutes!  Most of that time is a mixture of thrills and sightseeing, the latter giving you excellent views of Nickelodeon Universe and the surrounding foodcourt.  There's two conveyor belt lifts and two drops, the second of which is 40ft; both are fun. Fiberglass logs seat up to 4 riders in-line and most notably do not have seatbelts or a lap bar.....so hang on and don't stand up.  The final lift has a colorful lightshow and it brings you eye-level with people walking around the mall.  It's awesome to see the reaction of shoppers who don't realize there's a log flume, like, right there. Remember to wave! Keep an eye peeled for a red stadium seat halfway thru the ride; this is in honor of Harmon Killebrew - former Minnesota Twin - who hit a 520ft home run at the old Metropolitan Stadium which used to occupy the land Mall of America now sits on. There's a matching plaque for home plate over by SpongeBob Rock Bottom Plunge, so it makes more sense in context. Log Chute undergoes several seasonal makeovers throughout the year, including Halloween (the "Fog Chute"), Valentine's Day (the "Love Chute"), Christmas (the "Yule Log Chute") and even April Fool's Day (the "Kenny Loggins Chute"). All A+ puns, dad approved. Even the 20ft Paul Bunyan figure gets outfit changes: for Halloween he's been a pirate, Jim Hopper from Stranger Things, Hulk Hogan, and during the holidays, you can find him sporting a Santa hat and singing lumberjack Christmas carols. Festive, ya sure! * TL;DR * Not only is the classic Log Chute the best ride inside Nickelodeon Universe, it's one of the most distinctive water rides in the entire country. Of all the attractions inside MoA, their venerable log flume was without a doubt my favorite.  Not even the forced Nickelodeon rebranding could touch ol' Paul Bunyan - a beloved figure around these parts - and his loggin' chute. He held his (big) axe and stood his ground! Log Chute gives a ton of bang for your buck with detailed dark ride sections, a not-so-hidden easter egg, a great winding layout, a wonderful sense of humor and decent thrills, all done under a giant glass dome.  It's absolutely one of a kind!

It's a lot drop ride. It's similar to RipSaw Falls being a…read morewater based log drop. It was pretty fun! The drop didn't seem too intense and there wasn't an overwhelming splash back on my trip. It's a water ride, but I didn't come off of it completely soaked, which was nice.

I attended the Twin Cities in Motion Kids Indoor race at this venue. I found that parking in the…read moreUniversity Ramp made it very easy to get to. The venue is a bit older which adds charm to the venue. The entrance is a little hidden and hard to find if you are not familiar to it, but it is right off University, just not very well called out. The lobby does house a lot of athletes who have done significant things (championships, olympics, ect...). The main part of the venue has a nice sizeable track. There are stands for spectators which is not large but not tiny. For the event we were at it was definitely sufficient.

I've lived in Minnesota almost my entire life, and this was my first year at the winter Carnival…read more Always raved about, and I have to say I was a bit disappointed. It's in a small tight area with a ton of people. It's crowded and really not much going on. The huge ice castle this year was neat to see, other than that there were a few food stands with crazy long lines, low key live music, and a parade that consists mostly of people riding in the back of their trucks waving at on lookers, pretty boring. I think many people enjoy this 'carnival' as more of a nostalgic avenue. The people you go with is what will make or break your time here. If you can all have a good time together it will be a day well spent, otherwise you're kind of freezing yourself outside just to say you attended. However, the highlight of going would definitely be when the St Paul hotel sells their famous hot chocolate on certain days, and that was delicious - not super sweet, but smooth, creamy and chocolatey. ;)

If you, like me, grew up in the Midwest watching the Mighty Ducks, attending the St. Paul Winter…read moreCarnival has probably been a long-held dream. We made my childhood dream a reality this past winter and visited Rice Park on the night of the parade. Getting to the park from Minneapolis was easy - we hopped a free light rail ride and then walked the short distance from the station to the park. The streets and park were packed - we ended up walking along the parade to get to the park and tried to snag a spot to see the storming of the castle or whatever the legend is. Sound was echoy and it was hard to follow but there's a lot of fire blowing and everything ended with fireworks. It turns out our spot along the square was the perfect vantage point for the fireworks; they were directly overhead. The lighted "ice palaces" and sculptures were probably the highlight, and we discovered after the fireworks that a seemingly endless line to nowhere was actually the line to sit on an ice throne and have your picture taken. The line was halted during the skit, presumably because the fireworks launch from behind the throne. The night we went there was a Prince cover band; they pulled a good crowd and you could still feel how much it united the community being so soon after the Purple One's passing. Refreshments-wise there wasn't a whole lot going on, though most people seemed to have a beer in hand. Lines were long and prices were high for any booth we passed. There's not a lot of information or signage so it was a little unclear if there were any activities to participate in or if there were costs involved. I think a lot of people grow up coming to this festival and it's mostly locals; you know what to do because you've been doing it your whole life. While we had a good night, it's probably something I don't need to do again now that I've crossed it off my list, but I'm glad it's such a hallmark for residents of the Cities.

This event was very fun! I attended a weROW and spin class. The classes were high energy and the…read moretime went by fast. The seminars were an added bonus with experts sharing information on staying fit while traveling, how to use essential oils and several other topics. I also enjoyed the game expo set up and spent way too much money, but it was ok because I was shopping with amazing local vendors.

This was my first year experiencing Fit Fest. The fitness classes and seminars were pretty awesome…read more I went to the R.I.P.P.E.D class taught by Tara and got a great workout. I would have never tried this type of class at my gym, but I'm so happy they offered it at Fit Fest. They also had vendors, like juice shops, and fitness clothing. Free massages and acupuncture was available too!

KIDS AT HEART Anyone…read morefrom 2 to 92 can have a blast at Mall of America's indoor theme park. Located in the center of the USA's largest mall is Nickelodeon Universe, a sprawling 7-acre amusement park covering 3 floors.  It's open year-round from 10am to 9pm with reduced hours on Sundays, and tickets can be bought online or in-person. I came here once in 1998 as a kid (back then it was called Knotts' Camp Snoopy) and in 2026 I returned with my wife and kids of my own.  Despite a colorful rebranding in 2008, this place seems frozen in time and looks virtually the same as when I visited 28 years ago.  Wow! We took advantage of specially priced "toddler Tuesdays", where kids admission is only $16.  A full day adult wristband is $52 but specially marked 'deal days' bring this down to $42.  Important note: if you have a kid under 48", you can go on rides with them as a designated chaperone and not have to pay!  This is HUGE and saved us $40 since my wife got to ride for free. There's enough attractions inside Nick Universe -- 26 in total -- to fill up an entire day.  I've delved into each of the major coasters plus the outstanding Log Chute (legitimately one of the best in the country) with separate reviews, but here's a brief summary. * Pepsi Orange Streak: a custom steel family coaster with a mesmerizingly long train, and one of the OG rides here * Fairly Odd Coaster: a chaotic spinning coaster with a decent amount of G-forces (beware the slow dispatch times) * Avatar Airbender: a brief U-shaped ride with a funky surfboard train and spinning seats * Spongebob Squarepants Rock Bottom Plunge: an intense roller coaster with 3 inversions that nearly scrapes the glass ceiling * El Circulo del Cielo: a large Ferris wheel delivers a relaxing ride and offers great views of the park * Shredder's Mutant Masher: an inverting 'Frisbee' ride with a Ninja Turtles theme, great for teens * Log Chute: a STELLAR log flume with a super long ride time and wonderful Paul Bunyan theme that doesn't soak you My 5yo son loved the Big Rigs, Crazy Cars, Diego's Rescue Rider, and Guppy Bubbler.  Our 2yo daughter enjoyed the Adventure Bay kids play area but kept her distance from most of the rides.  Swiper's Sweeper was a surprise hit, a 'whip' style ride where small cars on an oval track drift around tight curves. Staff were ~incredibly~ friendly and cut us plenty of slack when I brought my son with me on a couple rides that weren't part of the Toddler Tuesday discount wristband (oops!)  They waved us through and said, "don't worry about it, have fun!"  Big kudos to them for grace and understanding; this went a long way towards a 5* day. * TL;DR * It's always 72° and sunny inside Nickelodeon Universe, perfect conditions for fun. This amusement park is home to a plethora of rides including 5 roller coasters (1 kiddie, 3 moderate 'thrill' coasters, 1 'extreme' coaster), a Ferris wheel, bumper cars, a fantastic log flume, a drop tower, a swing ride, a dark ride shooter, and lots of smaller attractions. While I can't comment on the quality or cost of food within Nick Universe, I do feel that we got a great value for admission.  We felt safe and the ride operators we encountered were very kind.  The natural sunlight gives this park wonderful energy year-round. If you've got kids (or if you're an adult who really likes rides), I highly recommend spending a day at Nickelodeon Universe!

This was pretty cool! A theme park in the mall, what a…read moreconcept! It's Nickelodeon themed, so it definitely appealed to my inner child! They have plenty of rides for all ages. I didn't go on the roller coaster to kill some time. It was a blast! I could easily spend a whole day here!

Such a great experience for game day! Nestled across the highway from mac-groveland, this was an…read moreepic experience. It was easy to park on the streets for free, and many others did as well to avoid the parking lot fee at the stadium. They had a pre-game party on the lawn which was so fun! There were samples of beverages, games, and plenty of information booths. There are multiple entrances to head into the stadium. The stadium was epic! There is a huge Brewhall on one end of it, which was incredible, and they had lots of other food stations as well to choose from. We enjoyed the cheese curds! Lots of shops as well to get some gear. Evening games are gorgeous as the sun is setting just past the stadium. There is truly not a bad seat in the stadium! We were high up, but it was good so we were able to see the whole field. Staff were friendly and helpful too. Lots of fun chants to yell during the game, and of course waving your towel! Quite a crowd getting out of there but many traffic guards to help. Definitely worth a try!

First timer to Allianz Field. Was attending a company event with the family where my hubby's…read morecompany is a huge sponsor of MN United. They sponsored a picnic dinner for family outside the stadium. There's a huge pre- party area nearby for pre-game music and booths and some fun interactive experiences. I grabbed a free clear bag from Hyundai. We also checked out the kids playground area on the east side of the stadium. Loved it. Great for kids to get the wiggles out before heading into the stadium. The game was full of excitement. We sat behind the north side goal tender area. I did a nice lap around the stadium, grabbed drinks, ice cream and a souvenir for the kiddo. The only negative for me was one of the refs that had some very bad calls and the bugs. It was very buggy, I felt itchy quite often and maybe because they are constantly watering the grass so it's the only place the bugs are attracted to in the area since it's been so dry.