I know this is going to be really surprising for you to hear (insert sarcasm here), but we loved our time in Minneapolis. From city life to lakes and rivers and trendy restaurants to goat farms, there wasn't a thing about Minneapolis we didn't like. It felt like one of the safest cities we have ever been in, at least the areas we were in and especially the North Loop area. Our last week was packed with all of the remaining things we wanted to get in before we had to leave.
Fun!
Kayaking
The weather on our last day in Minneapolis was gorgeous and I somehow talked Eric into renting a double kayak so I could do more sitting and less paddling. We headed to the largest lake in Minneapolis, Bde Maka Ska, which means White Earth Lake, and rented our kayak from Wheel Fun Rentals. The kayaks are first come first serve and when we got there around 1 pm, there were still plenty of kayaks left. So, off we went!
There are a bunch of different waterways connecting the lake that were not only beautiful but also fun to kayak through. Did I mention that Cody came with us? I thought he would be nervous so I put him on my legs in the middle of the kayak. He immediately jumped to the side and hung his little paw in the water most of the ride. He knows how to be cute! I think he was trying to help Eric steer since his mom was seriously slacking. He also really loved sticking his head over the side when we slowed down to check out all the fish.
There were quite a few people on the lake in standup paddleboards, kayaks and sailboats but there was always plenty of room, even in the waterways that connect the lakes. Overall, we had a great day on the lake! Definitely one of the best ways to spend a hot day in Minneapolis.
Rapha Farms Goat Tour
Rapha Farms is a 4.5-acre homestead west of Minneapolis that specializes in natural goat milk soap that is sustainably sourced from their own goats. It was hard to contain my excitement on the drive over to the tour, spending the morning with goats! What could be better?!
From the moment you arrive at the Farm, you can tell how much Karen, the owner, loves the goats and how much they love her. We are used to visiting Farm Sanctuaries that rescue animals where a lot of the goats are terrified of people. Not these goats! They ran right up to us and were even head-butting each other to keep the attention on themselves.
We started the tour by milking a goat and getting background on how the farm started and how they decided to start making goat milk soap. It's one of those stories that makes you feel like having the farm was definitely fate.
Then, we went outside to feed bottles to the baby goats. Did you hear that? FEED THE BABY GOATS THEIR BOTTLES!!! I can't; it was just too adorable. When the bottles were empty the goats were clearly disappointed and let you know by jumping on you non-stop.
Karen continued to tell us stories about her, her family and the goats while we walked down to a creek. Sometimes leading, sometimes following, the goats stayed close to us throughout the walk, only veering off to grab a leaf from here or there or pull branches down from a willow tree.
My favorite goat was Ivy, the one that wanted all the attention to herself and was headbutting other goats non-stop. She clearly liked me also because she would wrap herself around my body as you can see above. She even walked me most of the way to the creek. Karen told us that she was the pushy one that did things on purpose to get in trouble, and get attention. Remind you of anyone? If you said me, you stop that! I was talking about Jasmine!
The tour ended with us going into the house to see where the soap-making happens. The room smelled amazing. There are so many different scents of bar soap as well as body butters, bath bombs, liquid soap, deodorant, lotions, lip balms and so much more. They even have vegetarian options. We ended up picking up some soaps, anti-itch lotion and a lip balm and now I can vouch that they are as amazing as they smell.
This was probably my favorite thing I did in Minneapolis. If I lived there, I would for sure volunteer on the farm and we will definitely be back. Not to mention, all of my gifts will be coming from Rapha Farms for a long time!
If you want to learn more about Rapha Farms, including how they got started, you can visit their youtube channel. Watch the video with the goat that keeps turning off the light, I just can't with that. Even if you can't visit the farm, you can shop online. Supporting a small business with sustainably sourced products, what could be better!
Food and Drinks!
The Freehouse
The Freehouse is a restaurant in the North Loop with the slogan "From Breakfast to Beer". We could see the restaurant from our window and while we looked at the menu a couple of times, we thought it just looked average. Over the time we were in Minneapolis, we would see the restaurant packed. Since the outside area looked pretty cool, we decided to give it a shot. We were very impressed!
I ordered the Salmon with Beurre Blanc, Eric ordered the Short Ribs in Chimichurri Sauce, We also ordered a raspberry tart for dessert. The food was flavorful and melt in your mouth. I ended up ordering one of their signature cocktails, which was good but sweet (The Hibiscus Cosmo) and Eric ordered one of the beers they brewed themselves which he was very happy with. We definitely learned what all the hype was about!
First Draft
First Draft is a bar with a self-pour, pay by the ounce system. There are 54 taps of beer, wine, cider, coffee and kombucha. Something for everyone! Most of their taps are sourced from Minnesota and others are from across the US.
Each person gets a wrist band that you scan at the taps and then pour away! It seems like you are limited to 40oz, not sure what happens after that. Can you ask them to re-up it? Are you done? We never got that far to find out.
My favorite was Loon Juice's Rose, Eh? Cider. Amazing, and I really hope I can find it outside of Minnesota.
They also have a kitchen inside the taproom featuring food from Plucked Minneapolis. You order on your phone and they bring the food right to your table. They describe themselves as a southern-fusion chicken joint and specialize in fried chicken sandwiches. AND!! They have vegan chicken! Eric went with the Fried Chicken Sandwich flavored in the Nashville Hot style. I got the Original Plant-Based Fried Chicken Sandwich. Perfect bar food!
Back to Number 12 Cider
It was hot! They have frozen cider! We sat outside, played cards and greatly enjoyed the frozen cider. We tried Raspberry, Pineapple and Boysenberry. Boysenberry was our favorite but they were all delicious.
What We Didn't Get to Do
Perhaps the biggest thing I wanted to do that we couldn't was seeing a show at First Avenue. A rock and dance venue with a sidebar that has been around since 1970, this place has history, which has helped launch the careers of many famous people including Prince. It was also in the movie Purple Rain! They hadn't yet reopened since COVID but we will hit it up on our next stop for sure!
Where We Stayed
North Loop. Best Area Ever. We stayed at ElseWareHouse where the owners book stays in the guest suites through Airbnb. The apartment was big and comfortable with a great view of the main street. It was the perfect spot in the perfect area. We couldn't have picked a better spot.
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Minneapolis, we will be back for sure! Now on to NYC where we will get to see lots of family and friends over the next two months.
Until Next Time.
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