Most people’s response to my trip to Minneapolis was “Why? What’s in Minneapolis?” But there was a glint of hope in the few encouraging words from a fellow travel junkie who said “That should be fun.” Having no idea what to expect from Minneapolis, I set out with an excited curiosity to discover the Twin Cities had to offer.

Where to begin?
Of course I tackled some of the commonly known landmarks like the Mall of America. I’m not even afraid to admit that I was a bit intimidated to tackle the world’s largest mall (known to have more than 400 stores). With many stores that most of recognize, DSW, H & M, Macy’s, Frederick’s of Hollywood and a few I haven’t seen before, like a cute, chic, home decorating boutique Afternoon, the Mall of America is unique in that it houses an aquarium and a full amusement park, which is what took the cake for me.

The Social/Nightlife
Within my short stay I got to see a bit of nightlife in Minneapolis: a fun night at Imperial Room, after which I caught a glimpse of the city life vibe throughout the streets of Downtown Minneapolis. I was even pleasantly surprised to find a full club on a Monday night at Envy. I also heard of a new club New York, who supposedly plays NYC music.

Although happy hour is pretty common, something about Minneapolis’ happy hour was special. The opportunity to indulge in several dishes and drinks for the price of an entrée always makes me happy.  The site with the happy hour info www.thriftyhipster.com/minneapolis/
Which brings me to my next very important point…

The Food (oh, the food)
If I share everything we ate, you might judge me. So I’ll keep it to the memorable/noteworthy experiences:
@ The Loop: Cappuccino Martini- best of both worlds: a drink and a dessert;
Chocolate chippers- fresh baked cookies: crispy on the outside, light and heavenly on the inside and served with ice cream
@ Hell’s Kitchen- Tequila Mockingbird- I think it’s the homemade grenadine that made it special
Fish and chips- local walleye and sweet potato fries; served with jalapeño tartar sauce and chipotle mayo
@ Sebastian Joes- homemade ice cream that comes in numerous amazing flavors including:
REAL Oreo ice cream- not vanilla ice cream with Oreo pieces, ice cream that is full of Oreo flavor in every spoon; mint Milano- with whole pieces of Milano; Pavarotti-banana nutty chocolate chip mix; Raspberry Chocolate Chip; Cinnamon (may be better alone); and Emmaculate Confection

Honorable mention:
@ The Weinery (as seen on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives)- sausage wrapped in a pancake
@ Red Dragon- Wondrous Punch
@ Good Day Café- spicy ketchup

But it doesn’t end there….(judge if you want) lol
The ultimate food experience happened at the Fair, which also happened to be my first chance to visit the twin city St. Paul. From battered potatoes, foot long hotdogs, tacos, flowered onions, pork chops on a stick and big fat bacon to deep fried candy bars, donuts, funnel cakes, chocolate covered fruits, buckets of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and an endless milk stand, the fair was definitely a foodie’s dream come true.

Even beyond that, it was so beautiful to see what seemed like all of Minneapolis come out to enjoy the festivities. Definitely a family affair: all the ladies sounding like the mom from Bobby’s World, happy babies, and an overall vibe/feeling of happy in the air. Good clean fun, which I think is safe to say is a good representation of what I saw in MN overall. From what I saw the work/life balance is very important. And with such drastic winters looming in the near future, they show a sincere gratitude and appreciation for the summer months: lots of outdoor seating, enough bike riders to compete with car traffic and more lakes than one can imagine to choose from.

While there I learned so much that will stick with me much longer than any geography lesson I got in school. Now that I know what’s in Minneapolis I can tell everyone!

Who knew?
Minneapolis is the home of Target, 3M and General Mills.
The land of 10,000 lakes is where the L.A. Lakers started.

So much thanks to Toni for being such a great host and Tiffany for sharing all the Minne fun facts!

Disclaimer: This trip was during the summer. I’ve heard that winter in Minneapolis is a force to be reckoned with. For you brave souls ready to take on the cold head on, pack those extra layers. You’ve been warned

You can read about all of Miss Journey’s adventures on her blog www.missjourneysblog.blogspot.com

]]> http://sassywomenonline.com/blog/2010/04/02/what-in-the-world-is-in-minneapolis/feed/ 0 http://sassywomenonline.com/blog/2010/02/08/chi-town-blew-me-away/ http://sassywomenonline.com/blog/2010/02/08/chi-town-blew-me-away/#comments Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:47:32 +0000 Miss Journey fka Lady D http://sassywomenonline.com/blog/?p=764

Seeing the skyline from the plane, I was immediately excited about my first visit to Chicago. Driving through the city, I could definitely feel the old soul of the city and a sense of its rich history. With names like Oprah, Bernie Mac, R. Kelly and Kanye West associated with Chicago, I was excited to see firsthand what’s so special about Chi Town.

What captivated me most was the musical energy. Maybe I was on a high from Jade’s performance, but it is undeniable that music runs through the veins of Chi town. I got a chance to see just how serious stepping is when we caught a steppers party letting out_with couples dressed to the nines, fully decked out in furs and hats. After catching a quick glimpse during one of our nights out, I’m slightly obsessed with footworking. Going along with specific footworking songs or house remixes of popular songs, the dancers move so fast it looks like they’re in fast forward. It looks unreal. Even thought I won’t be attempting that anytime soon, I did pick up a little two step.

Like the Waffle House in Atlanta or a diner in New York, Taco Burrito King served as the perfect after party meal. One chicken and one steak (the better of the two) taco was all it took to fill me before collapsing into bed and convert me into TBK fan. Next was FlatTop, my first build-your-own-stir-fry experience. After conquering an overwhelming selection of sauces and veggies to add, I was more than happy with my creation: brown and white rice, noodles, bean sprouts, one edamame (out of curiosity), red and green peppers, chopped jalapenos, soy sauce, chili sauce, Asian BBQ sauce, FlatTop sauce and chicken, all topped with the most delicious pita bread. And I can’t forget my yummy Lava Colada. Of course no visit to Chicago is complete with trying the deep dish pizza, and I think we had one of the best. Our experience at Giordano’s was unforgettable. Our waiter Leo was great, the pizza was delicious, and I fell in love with my drink, The Chocolate Runway. I also finished my trip with a chicken salad sandwich from Potbelly’s, which was like all the toasted goodness of Quizno’s mixed with the personalized deli touch of peppers and seasonings added to my liking.

As a wide-eyed tourist, I got to see the Sears Tower (which is now the Willis Tower), The Bean at Millennium Park and the Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue. Because of the fog that covered the top of the tower, we weren’t able to go up to the Sky Deck…next time! I also saw Navy Pier from a distance, got a recommendation for Garrett popcorn and heard good things about Flirty Girls. Of course the Oprah Store is a must see; all things on the to-do list for my next visit because this was definitely not my last.

To see all of my pics from Chicago, visit Miss Journey’s blog.

The increase in travel fees, limited vacation time, and more conservative budgets can sometimes get in the way of a much desired vacation. However, oftentimes a simple change in scenery can provide the temporary escape that you may need.

Infected by the travel bug, I seize any and every opportunity for a new adventure. In this time when we have to be more creative with our time and finances, the “staycation” has quickly become popular. I’d like to share how you can give yourself the joy of a vacay within the boundaries of your hometown (and your budget).

Those of us in New York are fortunate enough to have an endless plethora of things to explore. However, in NY it is also easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the daily commute and the stress of the workday, not to mention overwhelmed by the daily demands of your personal life. With that hectic lifestyle one seldom takes advantage of the opportunity to admire the intricacy of the city that so many others come to witness.

I encourage you, for one whole day, to take a spectator’s perspective on a City Sights NY tour* **. For less than what you would spend on a roundtrip flight, you can view NYC from air (in a helicopter), water (on a Circle Line boat), and land (on a double-decker bus), granting you three unique views. Although you may already be familiar with the city, these tours open your eyes to things you may have never seen before, share information you may have never known, or simply just allow you a whole new perspective and appreciation for where you are.

This would be great for a family outing, a girls’ day out, when hosting out-of-towners, or as a solo adventure. This is also highly recommended for anyone visiting the Big Apple. It is nearly impossible to see NY in a short visit, but these tours do a great job of giving you a broad idea of what this city has to offer.

*City Sights NY offers a variety of tours, any of which are sure to be a great experience.

**If you are only interested in the helicopter tours, go directly to Liberty Tours to save $15.

credit: Piotr Bizior: http://www.bizior.com

As summer approaches and we stand in the midst of a weakened and unstable economy ( though things are beginning to look up), most of us are trying to find ways to escape the monotony of our daily grind. Since most of us are no longer in college and do not get an official spring/summer break, not only are we left with trying to find creative ways to vacation but now also faced with finding the time to sneak away for a bit.

Being the SASSY and frugally savvy sista’s and brothers that we are, this should be a small and relatively easy feat. I can understand that you may be unsure of where to begin and how to get the most bang for your buck. Check out this list of ideas and things to remember for quick, cheap and painlessly fabulous mini-vacation spots that can be just around the corner from where you call home.

Tip #1. Take the road less traveled. What I mean by that, is if you can travel by car do it! It will be the best and cheapest way to go. Although gas prices over the summer seem to always sky rocket, the price of fuel for a round trip destination will cost you up to 50% less than if you were to travel by plane. Also an added bonus is that you wont have to pay to check your luggage since trunk space is always free.

Tip #2. Stay close to home. Get on the web and research the largest cities closest to you in each neighboring state, then visit their official state website to check out the attractions they have to offer. You never know, the perfect vacation may only be a couple hours away.

Tip #3. Bundle your costs. If you must fly, leave on non peak days (Tuesday – Thursday). Try and book weeks in advance through a wholesale website such as Expedia, Hotwire, Priceline or Orbitz. Many of these sites are running summer promotions that can get you to and from major cities to other destinations for as little as $99 round trip. By booking your hotel, airfare and rental car prices together you can save a considerable amount of money.

Tip #4. Use your available discounts. Everyone loves to get something free but the next best thing to free is to get it discounted. Some discounts you may be able to use to cheapen your trip are student discounts, military (if your active or a dependent), AAA, government (you qualify for this discount if you hold a federal or state work ID) and many others. Take advantage of what’s available to you to get the most bang for your buck.

Tip #5 Split the price. If you have a group of really fun people who are all looking to get away, travel together. By splitting the cost of the trip you can save up to 25% on your accommodations if you travel with 3 or more people. Additionally, another alternative for group travel is vacation apartment rentals. They offer more space and are often priced per week instead of per night.

Tip #6. Ride the rails. Travel by train means that you must enjoy “getting there” as much as “being there.” Since it takes a lot longer than flying, you have to make transportation part of the experience. Don’t just think about hopping on a train to get somewhere. Instead, you’re going to the train! And, eventually, it will lead someplace.

Tip #7. Cruise it up. Weekend cruises can be very inexpensive and leave from ports that may be right near you. Discovery Cruise Lines offer several weekend trips to the Bahamas ( although a U.S Passport is required for this destination) which bundle the actual cruise and hotel stays for as little as $59 per person.

Taking these tips into consideration, here are a few cities you may look into traveling to that you may have never considered (well, unless you live near or in one of them. If this is the case, see tip #2):

Chicago, Illinois — Try the Navy Pier for shopping or if your a foodie, hit up the Taste of Chicago
Charleston, South Carolina – Get an old country feel with a coastal flair. Day trips to Daniels or Johns Islands could be great fun
Fort Myers, Florida — Take a visit to the wildlife preserve or its romantic beaches. (Bonus: Hotels on Sanibel and Captiva Islands  are offering a 20% discount on bookings ranging from a week or more. This special ends on June 13, 2009.)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — A foodie’s dream you can visit eclectic restaurants and sample the traditional cheesesteak or hop on a 90 min train ride to bustling NYC.
Baltimore, Maryland — Take in an Orioles Game or the local fun down at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor
Charlotte, North Carolina — See the orchids at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, the U.S National Whitewater Center or the roaring roller coasters of Carowinds.

If your in the market for a vacation, the most you can do is your homework. You will be able to find a destination that is just what you’re looking for while staying within your price range if you follow the above tips and keep in mind that less is always more. The less money you actually spend on traveling to your destination, the more money you’ll indefinitely have once you arrive. Share with me in the comments any other cost-cutting ways youve found to make your trips less expensive. Are there any other cities youve visited that you would recommend for someone looking to take a mini-vacation?

Wherever your travels may take you this summer or beyond, remember to be sexy, SASSY and safe while you do it!

“Sipping on my sangria, overlooking the massive valley of Granada holding tightly in its bosom the small, beautifully awkward, cobble-stoned streets, heart-wrenching flamenco, 16th century houses, and dominating Moorish castle Alhambra– towns and farms and land history possibilities spewing for light years… for one moment I’ve forgotten about the conquistadors… the election, the madness, the poverty, the war… I have no enemies… for one moment I have the luxury of closing my eyes and understanding that this moment is the meaning of life…::sigh::…yeah…” – Granada, Spain March 1, 2008

Granada was the Moorish capital during their domination of Europe from 700 A.D.-1492 A.D. The castle, “Alhambra”, is soaked in both triumph and tragedy as it is one of the largest displays of African conquest of Europe and the last stronghold prior to their defeat. The Alambra isn’t beautiful or feminine– it’s hard, daunting and masculine particularly against the lush and flowering valley that it’s cradled in. This amazing display of architecture, irrigation and sophisticated water system inspires one to question history. It makes one wonder why we never learn about the Moors who came up from North Africa to take over this place. What would happen if it got out that Black people were once powerful enough to have taken over Europe? History is all a matter of perspective unless it is experienced personally so for now all we can do is question. With its lavish structures and overbearing presence, it wreaks of a culture of greatness and dominance that Black people, all people, globally should know and experience.

Spain is also host to the very old, very intimidating but achingly vulnerable Almazteca in Cordova– the largest mosque in Europe. This place is so intricately carved, so haunting hollow that it seems as though you’re walking into a living tomb, a place where you could spend a lifetime and still miss something. It was taken over by Christians after the inquisition, and holds so many gold Jesus’ one forgets that he was just a simple carpenter who was more interested in healing than having..

Madrid is a city not too dissimilar from other European capitals. It is bustling, touristy, filled with shops and 18th century architecture; it is nice but not extraordinary. I preferred the smaller more obscure places such as the small, fishing town of Aguilas with its transparent water, humanesque street dogs, and homes built into mountains, with snakelike cobble-stone streets, sadly only kept alive by its cheap tourist trinkets.It is best to travel through the country via train, “Renfe” and the bus. You can move from one side of the country to the other for about $60 and really get to see the vastness and distinct climate and cultural changes. There are deserts and farmlands and almond trees that bleed across the countryside. There are crumbling castillos with small towns, where the people have been unmoved and content for generations—they follow you from north to south. Land travel enables you to experience Spanish life from a distance.

Like every other country Spain has its contradictions and its negatives. Aside from being a colonial empire that enslaved and murdered millions, it also is home to large group of African prostitutes. Being brown-skinned and walking around during the daytime I was an anomaly—something only seen on TV and therefore received long but innocent stares… the African prostitutes came out at night. Their softness and femininity having been consumed by a host of poverty and fight for survival… their eyes cold and hard as they aggressively go after single and sometimes coupled men… those were the ones who made it… who’d made to this land of “opportunity”… it’s a heartbreaking cultural reality but one that is never discussed in travel guides or books on Spanish culture…

Spanish life for the comfortable is simple. Eat, drink, siesta, family and love. They are tight-knit people who don’t care if they dance off beat to bad techno music, who are full of confidence; appreciate art, quality food, history, culture and love. Spain for the tourist can seem slightly xenophobic, especially for the Californian who is accustomed to Central American Spanish–the lisp can be a bit of a killa– but Spain re-inspires its visitors to see the beauty in simplicity– to enjoy the seemingly little things, and see that they are small blessings in the grand scheme of things and relearn the lesson that I’m constantly relearning and that is that borders are fiction.