A Friends’ Winter Getaway in Minnesota’s Winter Spot

A winter weekend spent outdoors with friends sounds like the perfect plan. Here’s how to make the most of the snow in Minnesota’s Winter Spot!

Explore by Day

• Friday
• Saturday
• Sunday

Included in this Itinerary

• Attractions
• Food
• Outdoor Activities
• Drinks

Friday

Afternoon

Theodore Wirth Regional Park

Begin the afternoon at Theodore Wirth Regional Park, a 740-acre destination and THE place to go for winter sports. Grab a fat tire bike and set out across the miles of snow-covered trails. The Loppet Foundation grooms and maintains three singletrack fat-tire biking and snowshoeing trails, with options from easy to advanced. Minnesota Off Road Cyclists manages additional fat biking routes that range from intermediate to extreme.

Prefer cross-country skiing? Theodore Wirth provides World Cup-class skiing across miles of groomed and single-track ski trails. Skate-style and classical skiers alike can choose from a range of settings, including open stretches with spectacular views of downtown Minneapolis and wooded routes overlooking scenic lakes.

Evening

Dinner brings you to Punch Bowl Social for serious foodertainment and real-world funning. The venue is celebrated for legendary punches, craft beverages served with or without booze, and scratch kitchen fare for foodies, including shareables, salads, tacos, burgers and sandwiches. There are also plenty of ways to play: try ping pong, billiards, bocce ball, Giant Scrabble, Giant Jenga, bonzini, foosball or bowling. Karaoke fans can take over the singing room, while a vintage arcade offers another kind of throwback fun. On weekends, the venue stays open until 2 am.

Saturday

Morning

At the West End, Hope Breakfast Bar serves a broad selection of sweet and savory breakfast dishes alongside a coffee bar and cocktails. Menu possibilities include the Elvis French Toast, Salted Cinnamon Roll Waffles and Bourbon Smoked Salmon Toast. Add the house-made mini donuts, tossed in cinnamon and sugar and finished with powdered sugar and chocolate ganache, for a shareable treat.

The ROC

After brunch, head to the ROC in St. Louis Park for open pond hockey on the outdoor covered ice rink. Hear hockey sticks clash and pucks strike the wooden boards as you take to the ice. Rental skates are available.

Afternoon

Brookview

Next, visit Brookview Golf & Lawn Bowling for winter disc golf. With two 18-hole disc golf courses, Brookview offers double the fun, and rental discs are available. See whether you can land an elusive ace, also known as a hole in one.

For a meal, Three One Six Bar + Grill at Brookview serves sandwiches with onion rings or fries, American classics and craft brews. An outdoor firepit provides a cozy way to escape the winter chill.

Continue to “Skunk Hollow,” St. Louis Park’s unofficial distillery district. At Dampfwerk Distillery, take a tour and tasting featuring the family-owned distillery’s German-style fruit brandies and liqueurs, along with gin and aquavit. Then cross the parking lot to Copperwing Distillery to sample their award-winning Vodskey, a bourbon mash distilled like vodka, and FRESAS, their strawberry gin.

Evening

Park Tavern Bowling & Entertainment Center

For more than 60 years, Park Tavern has been a landmark destination. Choose from award-winning burgers and made-to-order pizzas, or order the prime rib special with mashed potatoes. The main dining room’s wall-to-wall TV screens make it easy to catch the hockey game.

At 9 pm, the lights dim and the bowling begins with all-you-can-bowl cosmic bowling. Finish the evening with a nightcap at the 11th Frame Bar and a game of darts.

Sunday

Morning

Begin the last morning in town at neighborhood institution Bunny’s Bar & Grill, a popular weekend breakfast stop where lines often extend out the door. Try a signature skillet scramble made with scrambled eggs and American fries topped with melted Monterey jack-cheddar cheese, bacon and more. Other favorites include biscuits and sausage gravy and cinnamon fritter French toast. A complimentary Bloody Mary, screwdriver or juice comes with the experience.

Westwood Hills Nature Center

Get outside at Westwood Hills Nature Center, a 160-acre nature area of marsh, woods, and restored prairie. Rent snowshoes and explore more than 3 miles of groomed trails, with plenty of chances for wildlife spotting.

You can also connect with Minnesota’s Nordic roots by taking a traditional Norwegian kicksled across Westwood Lake. These wood and metal sleds glide over snow and ice; take turns driving and riding for an active way to reconnect with nature.

Game Show Battle Rooms

Warm up again at Game Show Battle Rooms, one of the nation's first game show experiences that everyone can enjoy. Challenge your friends in a custom arena while your own personal game show host facilitates the action. Select either Classic Showdowns or Primetime Showdowns, then play games such as Survey Battles (aka Family Feud™) and Spin and Solve (aka Wheel of Fortune™). Beer or seltzer is also available during play.

This itinerary offers only a sampling of what you might do in Minnesota’s Sweet Spot.