I love Minneapolis ! But let's face it.. the winter sucks. I find every possible route in this city to stay inside while walking to places. Skyways, secret doors, connecting businesses or taxis.. Im not complaining.. we could have mountains of snow, but there are ways to escape the cold air and have a blast in other killer cites to break up this Minneapolis winter.
These are my personal favorite places to go ! I like them all times of year, but when its the dead of winter in Minnesota... you just can't beat these destinations.
L.A. Nik's Top 5 Picks to escape the Minnesota winter blues.
1. WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA
Let's start with City Place. This is one of my favorite places of all time. West Palm Beach is a killer city with a great beach lifestyle. City Place has just about everything you could want to do all in one spot. Great food, Live Music, Comedy, Clubs, Fairs & Festivals.. you name it !
"Clematis Street is the historical heart of downtown of West Palm Beach". This area is loaded with colorful boutiques, waterway views, music, food, etc.
Last but definitely not least in West Palm Beach is SUNFEST. Let me easily describe this.
5 Days. 3 Stages. 50 Bands.
Their Facebook fan page is also here.
2. DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA
Delray is actually on about 30 minutes from West Palm Beach but its probably the coolest ocean side town you'll find. It has the cleanest beaches you will find anywhere. This is your tropical destination for crystal clear blue water and ocean vibe inside the U.S.
Atlantic Avenue is where all the action is at in Delray and its also loaded with tons of stuff to do all in confined, beautiful beach town. You won't be disappointed - if you've got the winter blues; go to this place now !
3. CHASE ON THE LAKE - WALKER MN
Here's my curve ball at my number 3 destination to visit during the winter in MN. It will actually be colder than it is in Minneapolis, but since so many Minnesotans take pride and heritage in their cold blooded sports and winter activities, I thought I would share this one. I did this last winter and actually had a blast.
Chase on the Lake is a resort in Walker, MN. For outdoor winter enthusiasts.. this is the place to be. In the winter, you're looking at snowmobiling, ice skating, curling, ice fishing, skiing and even exploration of Walker. The warm weather season has even more to offer and the resort is nice enough that you could just stay there. I went snowmobiling and actually had a great time. I recommend this place in the winter in Minnesota.
4. WEST HOLLYWOOD
One of my favorite places in the world and my home for a long time is West Hollywood. West Hollywood is only 1.9 square miles with a population of just under 40,000 people of which 1/3 are gay. This is said to be the largest "single" population in Los Angeles County. Are you sure it isn't time for a vacation ??
Bound by South L.A. , Beverly Hills, and the Santa Monica Mountains, this is one of the densest ares of Los Angeles. There is so much to do in this one spot, I can't even list them all - but here's my recommendations..
Sunset Strip Loaded with neon signs and billboards, celebrity wannabes and more action than you can handle - this is the place for fun in the sun. At night, its a blistering mile long of clubs, lights, dancers, music, food and entertainment of all sorts. You'll want to do it all.
Melrose Famous for celebrity shopping; there's really nothing you can't find here. Loaded with stores and all the high fashion and expensive shit you could want. If you haven't been here, than you haven't been shopping. Comedy runs rampant here. The Comedy Store on Sunset I actually lived above for many years and know that community well. Melrose is changing and old landmarks have been replaced with modern businesses but its still a hip, eclectic place to check out and is considered the younger version of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Its Uptown on a 1000 times scale !
Besides these things, you might be surprised by the nature in West Hollywood. You can go canyon hiking, rent jeeps in the hills and explore the mountains all week long. There really is something for everyone here. Killer spot.
5. AUSTIN, TEXAS
I've been all over Texas and wouldn't' go back. With one exception - Austin. In fact I usually tell people Austin should be its own state, or break off of Texas because its nothing like it. Austin is another city with killer night life and an eclectic vibe. If you've never been here, you'll be shocked at how Rockin' this town is. (And its 70 degrees there today !)
You may not know that Austin calls itself the "Live Music Capital of the World". From Blues to Indie Rock, country to jazz, to Spanish rock and more. There's nearly 200 performance venues in Austin. Not to mention the Urban Music Fest, ACL Festival and others. You won't get bored !
Food is everywhere in this city. If you like to eat, you better go to Austin, Texas.
Lastly, another fact maybe unknown to many.. Austin is the number 1 film making destination in the U.S.
Unfortunately Minneapolis is not on the list, but we can get it there.
~ L.A. Nik
