I took a trip to Minnesota in the summer of 2016. This was another solo trip. I was there about one week. I visited the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul). I was able to enjoy several sites and activities. Here are some of the highligts.
Paisley Park
I visited the area shortly after Prince’s untimely death. I was able to visit Paisley Park and view some of the items that had been left by fans as a memorial to honor his memory. I was a Prince fan and loved many of his songs and the Purple Rain movie. I will admit though that whenever there was/is a debate about who’s the best between Prince and Michael (Jackson), MJ will always came out on top for me since he is my all time favorite❤. Don’t play with me about My Michael.
During the time of my visit Paisley Park had not yet been open to the public for tours, so I was only able to view the outside of the property. Shortly thereafter, the property began offering tours of the interior. At some point I hope to return for the full tour.
The Horse Races
I was able to attend the horse races at Canterbury Park. It was rainy that day but that didn’t stop the races. I had a really good time watching the horses and jockeys do their thing. I wasn’t brave enough to bet on any of the horses though. I don’t gamble. I have never even been to the casino (to gamble). I have been to several casinos to eat and to attend shows. One day maybe I’ll play the slot machine…but I don’t like to play with my money😁
Lake Minnetonka
If you have ever seen the Purple Rain movie you will recall there is a scene in the movie where Prince instructs Apollonia that she has to purify herself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka. So of course I had to make a visit to this Minnesota landmark. I love being in or on the water. I find it to be very peaceful, so I always seek out cruise tours when I visit cities where they are available. I enjoyed an amazing dinner cruise around the city via Lake Minnetonka. The food was great and the weather was really nice. The “captain” pointed out some homes owned by famous people. I believe we saw a property owned by Terry Lewis (from The Time), if I remember correctly it was either him or Jimmy Jam.
Shopping
Of course you can’t visit the Minneapolis area and not go the the Mall of America. I spent a day at the mall and did come away with a few good purchases. At this point in my life I had already become a mostly online shopper. I don’t really do a lot of designer store shopping. I was very excited when I found a Marshalls in the mall, that’s a little bit more my speed. I also shopped at a few different local shopping centers in St. Paul and found a TJ Maxx and Target (I love me some Target).
Stacy, Minnesota
I did some exploring around the city and nearby towns and stumbled upon a city that shares my name, Stacy Minnesota.
