Family Vacation to Minneapolis
If you follow along on my Instagram stories, you'll know we just took a little weekend getaway as a family to Minneapolis! Jason and I both grew up going there with our families because it isn't too far and there is a lot of fun stuff to do at the Mall of America. We decided it was about time we take the girls, and a good way to test out traveling as a family of 5. We had SO much fun and made so many good memories. Traveling with kids is exhausting and a lot of hard work and there were a lot of meltdowns, but it was so worth it!
CAR RIDE
The car ride was WAY better than I anticipated. The girls did so great, and I think Zara only cried for 10 minutes out of the 16 hours of driving. We really couldn't have asked for a better drive. I made sure to pack a bag full of activities like an etch-a-sketch, stickers, books, ipads, learning books, dress-up games and a sequence frame. Most of the things I got new from the dollar store so that they would be excited about having new things, and a few items I ordered from Amazon (you can find them in my storefront under Kids Items). I'm so glad I had that to keep them busy! I also packed a ton of snacks like Larabars, Fruit Bars, Cheese, Yogurt, Pretzels, Goldfish, Crackers and squeeze Pouches. We stopped for meals, but it was nice to have these when the girls just wanted something to snack on. I also took this into the hotel with us so we had snacks on hand for the weekend too. We stopped every 3ish hours so I could feed Zara, or grab food or gas and the girls could run around and stretch their legs. I think this helped a lot with them not getting too antsy!
HOTEL - RADISSON BLU
We decided to stay at the Radisson Blu that is attached to the mall. We have been Radisson Rewards members for years, so we know the perks of staying at a Radisson hotel, plus it would be so convenient with the kids to be attached to the mall. It totally exceeded our expectations! We got a one bedroom suite, so it had a sitting area with a pull out couch, a dining area and a separate bedroom. The dining area was so nice because we often just brought dinner back to our room. If you have kids you know that trying to eat at a restaurant is basically impossible and isn't relaxing or enjoyable for anyone. Eating in the peace and quiet of our own room was so nice!
We got their camping package, which made our stay extra special for the girls. When we walked in they had a small kids tent set up with a log pillow, canteen mug, journal, card games and a star nightlight inside. The girls played in that tent whenever we were in the room, plus we got to take it home with us! We have it set up in the basement now and it's letting the girls use their imagination and go on camping trips together. It's so cute!
We are Radisson Rewards members, so we got a free breakfast in the rewards member lounge every morning. The spread was incredible and the girls had so much food to choose from. That same lounge serves food and drinks throughout the afternoon and evening as well, which is nice when the girls needed a quick snack while we were back at the hotel or for Jason and I to grab some candy once the kids were in bed :).
They also have a huge pool with so much sunlight coming in that the girls loved swimming in. They never wanted to get out! We spent time hanging out in the lobby as well in these beautiful hanging chairs. Every detail of the hotel was so pretty and practical. The restaurant was also stunning, and breakfast was served there on the weekend.
The highlight for sure was that it was like a 5 minute walk from our hotel room to the mall. I couldn't believe how close it was! You walk right into Legoland and Nickelodeon Universe, which is exactly what we were going to be doing with the girls. The convenience was great when Rosie was napping because Everly and I or Jason and Everly could run over to the mall and go on rides or go to Legoland while Rosie napped.
I would give this hotel a 5/5 for sure and highly recommend staying here if you have a family!
SEALIFE
Our first stop with the girls was Sealife. We hadn't taken them to an aquarium in years, and there isn't one in Winnipeg, so we knew we had to check it out. My favorite part was for sure the water tunnel, where you are surrounded by all of the fish and sharks swimming around and above you. The girls also thought this was so cool. They also loved seeing alligators, which they always read about in their books, and the jellyfish which Everly learned about in preschool. Their favorite part though was the stingray tank! It's at the very end and the girls could have watched them swim around for so long.
