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Trip Ideas
Family Weekend Getaway
Vacation or staycation, Minnesota’s Sweet Spot offers fun for all ages. From nature centers to bike trails and a museum, you’ll find a little something for everyone to enjoy in St. Louis Park and Golden Valley. Pack up the kids – and the dog! – and prepare for an amazing getaway!
Included in this Itinerary
Saturday
Morning
Fuel up for your adventures in Minnesota’s Sweet Spot with brunch at the Good Day Café! This award-winning eatery in Golden Valley is known for their cinnamon rolls and sticky buns, apple soufflé pancakes, omelets and French toast. They also offer an array of coffees, juices and smoothies to complement your meal.
Afternoon
Schaper Park Challenge Course
Bring out your inner ninja warrior at the Schaper Park’s outdoor fitness challenge course. The course, designed for ages 13 and up, includes obstacles that participants navigate over, under, around and through as they race the clock. You can even race against one another in the 40-yd dash. For the slightly less adventurous, there is also an all-inclusive play structure designed to meet the needs of kids and families of all ability levels.
Hikers and bikers will enjoy the fact that the Luce Line Regional Trail runs straight through Schaper Park. A nine-mile section of paved trail travels from Theodore Wirth Regional Park, through Golden Valley and on to Plymouth. Traveling west, Medicine Lake forms a backdrop to wooden bridges that overlook the Bassett Creek marshlands. To the east, the trail links to the Minneapolis Grand Rounds Scenic Byway trail network and skyline views of Minneapolis. Most of this section of trail is paved, making it a great place to walk, bike, and even rollerblade!
Evening
Treat the family to some pie – pizza pie that is! Parkway Pizza is billed as the “Best. Pizza. Ever.”  Enjoy handcrafted Minneapolis-style pizzas (think thin crust cut into square pieces), pastas, hoagies and salads, with vegan options and craft beer on tap. Dine in or get yours to go!
Then it’s back to the hotel to relax in the hot tub while the kids make a splash in the pool.
Sunday
Morning
Start the morning off with artisan baked treats at Honey & Rye Bakehouse. This rustic chic bakery serves amazing cinnamon rolls, scones, croissants, coffee cake, banana bread, cookies and more! They also serve a variety of teas and coffees.
Pavek Museum
Then it’s off to the Pavek Museum to view one of the world’s most significant collections of electronic communication. The museum features over 12,000 sq. ft. of antique radios, televisions and broadcast equipment and provides instruction in the science of electromagnetism and sound. Popular items in the Pavek’s collections include an AEG Magnetophon tape recorder, an RCA Theremin, a Spark Gap Generator, and a Philco Mystery Control Radio.
REM5 VR Lab
After getting a blast from the past, zip into the future by going across the street to REM5 VR Lab, a state-of-the-art virtual reality lab offering fun, immersive experiences for the entire family. Swim with whales, visit the Eiffel Tower, paint in 3D, fight a zombie apocalypse, play baseball or even become a space pirate! Enjoy your own private gaming pod, play the latest games and munch on tasty snacks such as flatbread pizzas and mini donuts. Adults can even enjoy a craft beer from our local brewery, Steel Toe Brewing.
Afternoon
Westwood Hills Nature Center
Go exploring at Westwood Hills Nature Center, a 160-acre natural area featuring marsh, woods and restored prairie. More than 3 miles of trails and walkways provide hikers with can’t-miss opportunities for leaf peeping, birdwatching and wildlife spotting. The preserve is home to many animals, including deer, turtles, fox, mink and owls. Nestled within the preserve is Westwood Lake, a 64-acre lake that’s stocked with bluegills. Rent a fishing pole from the Interpretive Center and head over to the fishing pier or rent one of their canoes and go for a paddle. Kids will love running along the floating boardwalk that crosses over the lake. Be sure to stop into the new $12 million, eco-friendly Interpretive Center. It’s full of interactive exhibits, such as a display on pollinators and the important role they play, as well as live animals, including a flying squirrel, a red-tailed hawk and a barred owl.
Evening
After your walk in the park, it’s time for dinner at Wok in the Park, a modern Asian fusion bistro serving fresh Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and French-inspired food. Wok in the Park features simple, handcrafted recipes that put a fresh and unique twist on classic Asian cuisine. Everything they serve is prepared fresh in house, using the highest quality ingredients, from whole garlic to real lemon, local produce (when in season), sustainable seafood and more. Vegetarian and gluten-free options abound, most dishes can be made vegan upon request. Be sure to check out the cherry blossom mural that covers the walls. It was designed by Japanese artist Kazuta Kuroki.
Don’t want the weekend to end? Cross the street and bowl a few frames at Texa-Tonka Lanes. In business for over 30 years, they know how to keep families entertained.
When it’s time to say goodbye, we hope you’ll leave with fun memories that the entire family will cherish.
This is just a sampling of what you might do in Minnesota’s Sweet Spot. View our Experiences to help plan your trip!