Life, Love, and the Pursuit of the Next Great Vacation: Sending Some Love for a Wounded City

As the whole world knows by now, the cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul suffered a great blow last week with the collapse of the I-35 bridge. Even as a write this, my heart breaks for a city that I love and consider "home." You see, I grew up in the upper midwest, and have extensive family and friends in the twin cities area, so am there often. I know those cities (and their suburbs) like I know my own home-town, and I can only describe the moment that I turned on the TV as "terrifying."

The first 30 minutes of that evening, my heart was pounding out of my chest. The phone calls to and from family and friends verifying their safety were filled with a rollercoaster of emotions--heart-stopping, then relief-filled. The fear and anxiety I felt in those first 30 minutes were awful, so my heart breaks for the families that are still waiting for their loved ones to be recovered.

In light of everything that has happened, I thought these wonderful cities could use a little love. The twin cities are a FABULOUS location for a weekend getaway. Minneapolis and St. Paul have been hailed as the new New York, as the theater and arts scene are second only to the big apple.

Of course, the largest mall in the US finds its home in the twin cities, as well as the Twins, the Timberwolves, the Wild, and my passion--The Vikings--oh and that little known artist Prince who owns a hot club in downtown Minneapolis.

There is so much to do in the area--I've been going there my whole life, and I have not even begun to TOUCH everything!

So, on to the gorgeous hotel--one of my favs in the area--The Sofitel Minneapolis.

The name is a bit misleading because the Sofitel is actually located in Bloomington--great news since that is where the Mall of America is located. How perfect this would be for a girls-only getaway for shopping and martinis!

Rates aren't entirely in the budget category--$150 on a good day and ranging up to $300-ish for the executive suite--but it is FABULOUS, fun, and reasonably affordable for the level of luxury!