Things To Do
Cream & Amber
Riise found this cute coffee shop/bookstore when she bought her condo in 2019. We had our third date here. After Casey proposed we made a craft with a local artist, Fiction Reshaped. Great paninis and can always find a great book! Accessible to all!
Bogart's Doughnut Co.
A quintessential Minneapolis Donut shop. The Browned Butter Glazed is Riise's favorite. We ate donuts with friends the morning before Casey proposed. They make their own soft-serve ice cream that is super delish! They also have a location in St. Louis Park. Accessible to all!
Westwood Hills Nature Center
A great place to hike and the Nature Center is amazing! Accessible to all!
Unmapped Brewing Co.
One of our favorite breweries in the West Tonka area. Lots of space and a variety of beverage choices. They recently opened a coffee shop next door. A couple of doors down is a fabulous empanada restaurant. We celebrated Riise's birthday and our engagement with friends here in February 2023.
Shish
A frequent favorite of Riise and her family for the Mediterranean breakfast and Chai lattes. Grand Avenue has lots of cute shops! Grand Avenue has free parking!
Minneapolis Farmers Market
Riise worked here for 6 summers and a few cold winters for Bar 5 Meat & Poultry. This is the largest open-air farmers market in Minnesota. It is a vibrant community of farmers and people looking for local and seasonal food. The Mill City Farmers Market is also a great one!
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
The arboretum is a little bit of a drive outside of the Twin Cities, but it's more than worth it! This is one of our favorite places to go together in all seasons. We make a special trip every year to see the holiday lights. This was also the location for our official engagement photos.
Como Park Zoo & Conservatory
The Como Zoo and botanical gardens is completely free to visit. It's a great place for the whole family to spend a few hours. The park outside the zoo is where Casey proposed to Riise.
Nicollet Island
Believe it or not, about 140 people live on a small island in the middle of the Mississippi. Nicollet Island is one of Minneapolis's downtown neighborhoods. It's just under a mile to walk the perimeter of the island, and you'll experience some beautiful views while you do.
Fort Snelling
One of Casey's early favorite places to hike and run in the Twin Cities. Fort Snelling is a beautiful state park just east of the airport. If you walk around Pike Island, you can see the place where the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers converge.
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
The sculpture garden is free and open to the public. The iconic Minneapolis Cherry and Spoon sculpture can be found here (if you don't have any idea what that is, you should definitely check out the sculpture garden!).
Minneapolis Institute of Art
The Minneapolis Institute of Art is free and open to the public. Riise and Casey went here on an early date in February of 2020 and again to celebrate two great friends' getting married.
The Bakken Museum
The Bakken Museum is a reasonably priced option for the whole family. The museum features hands-on exhibits on science, technology, and the humanities. It's also located right on the shore of beautiful Lake Bde Maka Ska.
Minnesota Zoo
It's a little bit of a drive outside of the Twin Cities, but the Minnesota Zoo is incredible! If you can stay up past sunset, the zoo hosts a Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular every October. (Whatever you expect Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular to be, it will surpass expectations).
Mill City Museum
An incredible and interactive museum overlooking the Mississippi River. Visit and learn about the history of Minneapolis and its connection to flour milling. Fun Fact: Riise owned a condo for three years on Betty Crocker Lane in St. Louis Park. You can learn more about the history of Betty Crocker at this museum. Bonus Fun Fact: Casey and his mom, Jamie, visited this museum and watched the last ever barge pass through the St. Anthony lock on the Mississippi.