Where I’ve Been in Minneapolis and Solo Travel Tips

If you’ve been keeping up with my Instagram lately, I’ve been sharing my solo travel adventures in Minneapolis for forever! The city is incredibly underrated, and after meeting such incredible people while I was there, I wanted to showcase the best of it’s culture, art, and downtown charm. Because I’ve been getting questions about where I’ve been in Minneapolis, here is my photo travel diary along with my travel tips while I was visiting by myself. I hope that it not only inspires you to travel somewhere new, but to take a chance on US cities that are outside tourist destinations. Enjoy!

Where I’ve Been in Minneapolis

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MINNESOTA STATE FAIR 2018

Solo travel tips:

• Make sure to bring cash! Although this is common for any state fair, I personally forgot to bring spare cash with me during my trip and got left out on trying some amazing food.
• Take photos to help you remember which street you went. The last thing you’d want to do is get lost in the most populated state fair! Not only did I get a map in the information desks, I also took photos periodically of the booths and buildings of where I walked past in order to help guide me back when I needed to go to the correct entrance way.
• Arrive early. It was inevitable for me to arrive in the evening due to my flight time, but I would arrive in the morning hours to get better photos and to have a leisurely time with shorter lines and lesser crowds. One block of the fair can take as long as 20 minutes, so be prepared for walking a lot!
• A reusable water bottle is a must! If I knew beforehand, I would definitely have brought an empty water bottle inside the fair to refill ice throughout the afternoon. Because water and food is a little over priced, a spare water bottle would help with saving money.

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DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS

 

Solo travel tips:

• • Minneapolis’s Light Rail train is accessible and efficient! Because I didn’t rent a car while I was in the city, I really counted on the light rail and Uber during my trip. The route schedules are punctual and very accessible to many of Minneapolis’s landmarks and popular spots, including downtown! With a train ticket valued no more than $2, it makes the city super travel-friendly for people on a budget.
  • Warehouse/Hennepin Ave is central to many of Minneapolis’s concerts and venues. I didn’t realize how lucky I was to stay in such a central location, but Hennepin Ave is walking distance to many of Minneapolis’s popular buildings, landmarks, and murals. If you want to know where I stayed, click here.
  • Take a morning walk/bike ride during the weekends. The industrial and urban landscape in downtown is preserved with so much of Minneapolis’s history. During the weekends when there’s not a lot of crowds, it’s worth strolling around the parks and checking out the different areas within the district. My personal favorite area in downtown was biking through the Father Louis Hennepin Bridge.

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UPTOWN MINNEAPOLIS

Solo travel tips:

• Local food spots are everywhere! If you love dining and trying local restaurants and dishes, you’ll never have to worry about eating at a chain restaurant in Minneapolis. Needless to say, I loved the food options while I was in the Uptown area. Plus, the amount of bars, cafes, and coffee shops here are plentiful! The price ranges vary, so you can find affordable places to dine. When I was there, I ate at The Bad Waitress Diner and had a great experience!
• Uptown Minneapolis is low-key and charming. When I think of uptown areas, I think of huge contemporary buildings and crowds of people shopping from one designer store to the next. Uptown Minneapolis didn’t give me that impression when I was there. Although it’s a very chic place to be, it has a more “small town” feel. I much prefer it over other Uptown areas, like LA’s! So, I would save the shopping experience when you’re in Mall of America instead.

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MINNEHAHA REGIONAL PARK

Solo travel tips:

• Minnehaha Park is accessible to the Light Rail. If you want to be in the outdoors, Minnehaha Falls is one of the most accessible parks to visit! At the Minnehaha Falls station, it takes a short walk to reach the top of the waterfall!
•  Walk past the main bridge. There are multiple bridges in the park area. If you go past the main bridge, you can find some secluded areas for photo-taking!
• It’s swim-friendly! Although I personally didn’t swim in the river, I was surprised to see how many families were swimming with their children while I was there. From all the park areas I went to, it’s refreshing to see a regional park that offers swim-friendly areas to visitors. Pun intended.

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I hope you enjoy my photo diary and travel tips in Minneapolis! Where would you go in Minneapolis? Let me know in the comments. Share my blog post if you find it helpful and follow me along my other social media platforms for more travel adventures. Until next time!