MINNEAPOLIS’S NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES

There are several tiers of communities surrounding Minneapolis. The dreaded s word—suburb—technically defines them, but many started out as small towns in their own right before the sprawl of the city reached out and made them part of the metro area. Nevertheless, many of these communities have attractions, dining, and shopping that make them worth stepping out of the Minneapolis city limits.

Edina

Edina is in an older suburb, but it’s lost none of its cachet as a well-heeled destination with upscale shops and some far-better-than-average suburban dining spots.

Southdale (952-925-7874; simon.com/mall/southdale-center), 66th Street and France Avenue. Open daily. Edina is the city that gave the rest of the United States enclosed shopping malls. Southdale, which opened in 1956, was the first to offer the indoor shopping mall experience, and as decades have passed, the mall has renovated and remodeled in order to keep up with changing tastes and clientele. It’s still a bustling, busy mall, anchored by primary tenants Macy’s department store and AMC Theatres. A robust mix of smaller stores includes the Apple Store, Gap, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Coach, and Restoration Hardware. Food options include a few fast-food outlets in the food court, or sit-down dining at P.F. Chang’s, Dave & Buster’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, or the Cheesecake Factory. While parking is ample on all sides of the mall, this is a very popular shopping destination—plan ahead and arrive early to avoid parking in the outfield.

The Galleria (952-925-4321; galleriaedina.com), 69th Street and France Avenue. Open daily. Right across the street from Southdale is this smaller, more upscale shopping center. The Galleria offers more boutiques than large-scale stores. Shops include brand boutiques Cole Haan, Coach, David Yurman, Louis Vuitton, Lululemon, Peloton, and L’Occitane. Other shops include home accessories stores Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, and Ampersand. There is no food court, but there are seven restaurants to visit, all popular and busy at main meal times: Barnes & Noble Kitchen, serving upscale entrées in the bookstore; the Good Earth, serving healthy, hearty meals; Big Bowl, a fast-paced Asian restaurant with a “pick your own” stir-fry bar; Pittsburgh Blue, a steakhouse; People’s Organic Coffee and Wine Café, a casual eatery; CōV Edina, a Nantucket-themed restaurant with extensive seafood options (and other items for non-seafood lovers); and Crave, an American cuisine restaurant with a sushi bar.

50th and France (952-922-1524; 50thandfrance.com), 50th Street and France Avenue. Open daily. A small neighborhood collection of upscale shops and restaurants, this is not an enclosed shopping mall, but it’s in a compact area that’s very walkable. Clothing stores include Bumbershute, Belleson’s, Equation, and Bluebird Boutique; gifts and home accessory shops include Burlap & Brass and Gather; and gourmet kitchen items can be found at Sur La Table. In the midst of the retail is the Landmark Edina Cinema, which has four screens showing a mix of popular and arthouse movies.

THE MINNESOTA LANDSCAPE ARBORETUM

50th and France is not short of places to eat, and a variety of cuisines are represented. Cocina del Barrio offers new takes on Mexican food (and a considerable tequila menu). Beaujo’s is a wine bar with a limited but thoughtful menu of salads, small plates, and entrées. The Edina Grill bills itself as an urban diner, and that’s exactly what you can expect, but with a larger selection (beer-battered green beans, eggplant Parmesan) and better quality than you might expect. The casual Italian restaurant Arezzo Ristorante can seem pricey, but the food redeems the cost. Coalition is an upscale eatery focused on sourcing locally, and they make great cocktails (with another location in Excelsior).

Complimentary parking ramps are available on each side of 50th, but watch the signs—some parking areas are reserved for local grocer Lunds Foods. Also pay attention to the maximum parking times allowed on the lower levels of the ramps—the parking police do closely monitor these ramps, and tickets will be issued if you overstay the time allotted.

Shakopee

This small town, southwest of Minneapolis along the Minnesota River, is home to four popular attractions, all very different in nature.

Valleyfair (952-445-6500; valleyfair.com), 1 Valleyfair Drive. Open daily Memorial Day to Labor Day, weekends only in early May and late Sept. Base ticket prices: Visitors 48 inches tall and up pay $41; kids under 48 inches tall, as well as senior citizens, pay $35. There are numerous discount programs and multiday ticket offers as well. There is no discount admission for nonriding chaperones. Parking starts at $12 per day. A permanent outdoor amusement park, Valleyfair has something for almost everyone, including a wide variety of gentle rides, including a miniature roller coaster, for younger park adventurers, and more intense rides and coasters for thrill seekers, including 13 thrill rides, some of which are daring roller coasters, some are high-speed swings, and one is a rip cord. Soak City Waterpark, included in admission, offers respite from hot summer days (swimsuits are available for sale, and a changing area is provided).

BLOOMINGTON

It may be located near Edina and its chic shopping areas, but Bloomington has a claim to fame that no other suburb can match: one of the world’s largest shopping malls.

The Mall of America (952-883-8800; mallofamerica.com), 60 E. Broadway. This behemoth of retail and entertainment options opened in 1992 and encompasses more than 4 million square feet, which includes not only more than 500 stores, but dozens of sit-down and quick-service eateries, an underground aquarium, a nine-screen movie theater complex, a wedding chapel, a Crayola Experience center, and the Nickelodeon Universe indoor theme park. It’s an intensely popular place, with more than 40 million visitors each year.

So what can you do at the mall? For starters, you can stay there: two hotels adjoin the mall, the JW Marriott and the Radisson Blu. You can walk; there are more than 4,000 registered participants in the mall’s mall-walking club (walking around one level is slightly over 0.5 mile). You can visit the retail anchors, Nordstrom and Macy’s, or the adjacent IKEA. You can browse through any of the more than 500 stores in just about every conceivable category; there are clothing stores for men, women, and kids; video game, electronics, and computer stores; jewelry, art, book, gift, athletic wear, Christmas decoration, bathing suit, and craft stores; cosmetics and body products stores; shops selling toys, Irish gifts, and made in Minnesota items; photo studios; and even a convenience store.

Great Wolf Lodge (greatwolf.com/minnesota), I-494 and Cedar Avenue. For the members of your traveling party who are not as inclined to spend hours at the Mall of America, book a stay at the Great Wolf Lodge at the park. The hotel has more than 400 rooms, and the water park comes complete with slides, a mile-long family raft ride, a wave pool, and a Flow Rider. Not interested in water activities? There’s also a huge arcade and a spa. The water park is not available without a hotel stay.

The Landing (763-694-7784; threeriversparks.org), 2187 E. County Route 101. Open daily from Memorial Day–Oct.; Mon. from Apr.–Memorial Day and Nov. Year-round special events and private tours available. Park admission is $8 for ages 18–64, $5 for ages 2–17 and over 65, and children under 2 are free. Right down the road from Valleyfair is this historical site, a pioneer village comprising 40 buildings set up to demonstrate life for Minnesota pioneers in the late 1800s. Visiting on the weekends during summer will find the addition of a living-history component, with guides dressed in clothing specific to that period, explaining how life was lived in those days. The Pioneer Kids Play House is exactly what it says—a house set up to be hands-on for kids, who can try on pioneer costumes, do laundry in a washtub, use printing blocks to make a newspaper, and simulate cooking.

Canterbury Park (952-445-7223; canterburypark.com), 1100 Canterbury Road. Live horse racing is offered from early May until Labor Day; simulcast racing is available year-round. The Card Club allows you to indulge your whims for blackjack and poker all year.

Sever’s Fall Festival (952-270-6293; seversfallfestival.com), 1100 Canterbury Road. Open Fri.–Sun. early Sept. to late Oct.; also open the Thurs. of MEA (Minnesota Education Association) weekend, usually the third weekend in Oct. Admission is $15 for ages four and up; children under four free. Local farm stand company Sever’s opens this cornfield annually, but every year the field is laid out in a different design (past years have included the Titanic, the United States, and an Egyptian sphinx). Participants are given a map with clues to find their way through. A smaller hay bale maze is set up for younger kids, along with a petting zoo and camel rides. There are numerous other activities available, including a corn pit, obstacle course, straw sculptures, zip lines, a kiddie train, and live music and events. Concessions available. Be sure to wear sturdy shoes or boots, and be sure you don’t mind if they get dirty—if there’s been rain, the field will be muddy.

Prior Lake

A western suburb, Prior Lake is home to the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, which is the largest employer in the city.

Mystic Lake Casino (952-445-9000 or 1-800-262-7799; mysticlake.com), 2400 Mystic Lake Boulevard. Open 24 hours. Casinos are popular attractions throughout the state, but the sheer size of Mystic Lake is astonishing. Slots are big business here, with more than 4,000 machines, and sprawling displays of table games and bingo as well. The sheer mass of Mystic Lake can be intimidating, but inside the casino is kept in sparkling condition, with ample nonsmoking areas. Food is available at several cafés and restaurants nearly 24/7. An attached theater is a fine venue for one of the many live performances the complex books, which in the past have included such venerable performers as Tony Bennett and Carrie Underwood. The property also has an 18-hole golf course with pro shop and outdoor patio and grill, as well as a spa offering massages, facials, and other body treatments. The Mystic Lake Casino Hotel recently expanded and has nearly 800 rooms and suites, making it one of the largest hotels in the metro area. If you’re staying elsewhere, the casino offers complimentary bus service around the Twin Cities.

Chanhassen

North of Bloomington is the small town of Chanhassen. It’s a busy and rapidly growing community, and for visitors there is a notable place to visit.

The Chanhassen Dinner Theatres (952-934-1525; chanhassendt.com), 501 W. 78th Street. This long-standing Chanhassen venue serves full dinner and drinks with each production in its three theaters. Primarily musical in nature, the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres companies are definitely of professional stature, and while the food may not be on par with many of the Twin Cities top restaurants, it’s reasonably good and completes the experience.

Paisley Park (officialpaisleypark.com), 7801 Audubon Road. When Prince died in 2016, he’d been in the process of converting his long-time home and studio into a museum reflecting his work and achievements. Today, visitors can see where he (and many other musical luminaries) worked and played, as well as the spaces where he frequently held last-minute concerts and parties.

THE CHANHASSEN DINNER THEATRE

Chaska

Bordering Chanhassen, Chaska offers one of the loveliest green spaces in the suburbs.

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (952-443-1400; arboretum.umn.edu), 3675 Arboretum Drive. Open daily 8–8 (or sunset, whichever comes first), year-round; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. Adults 16 and older $16, Arboretum members and children 15 and under free. The University of Minnesota is the proprietor of these 1,000-plus acres of gardens, landscaping, woodlands, wetlands, and trails, including a Japanese garden and sculpture garden. The Arboretum has a 3-mile paved road that is used by motorists and people on foot, and there are several off-road trails, including cross-country ski and snowshoe trails, that wind throughout the grounds. The Oswald Visitor Center has a large gift shop and cafeteria; picnic lunches are available with preorder. Seasonal programs and events include annual and perennial exhibits, demonstrations about making maple syrup, an annual holiday decoration sale and Christmas tea, and fall foliage walks.

Excelsior

Just down the road from Chanhassen, the small town on the southern shores of Lake Minnetonka is a visitor’s dream, especially in the summer. Small shops, intimate restaurants, and parks and trails make for an inviting place to relax and unwind—once you’ve found a place to park.

To See and Do

The Excelsior Streetcar (952-922-1096; trolleyride.org). Available early May through Sept. Reservations are not necessary; just arrive early at the Water Street Station, at the intersection of Water and George streets. The Minnesota Streetcar Museum offers a ride through Excelsior’s past with a summer service of vintage streetcar riding.

The Steamboat Minnehaha (952-474-2115; steamboatminnehaha.org), Water Street. Open Sat., Sun., and holidays, Memorial Day weekend–early Oct. Basic lake cruises are $15 for adults, $5 for children 4–12, free for under 4. If you’d like your history on water, take a ride on the little yellow steamboat with the colorful history. Part of a fleet of steamboats that were workhorses in the early 1900s, the Minnehaha was scuttled and sank to the bottom of Lake Minnetonka, where it remained until rediscovered 50 years later. Brought up to the surface and refurbished, the Minnehaha now provides visitors with a scenic tour of the lake.

Where to Eat

DINING OUT Coalition (952-283-1952; coalitionrestaurant.com), 227 Water Street (with a second location in Edina). Open daily for lunch and dinner. This sumptuous restaurant provides top-notch American cuisine, fairly meat-focused with an emphasis on local sourcing, with an admirable wine list. Expensive.

Maynards (952-470-1800; maynards-excelsior.com), 685 Excelsior Boulevard. Maynards is popular due in no small part to its prime location right on Lake Minnetonka, but the food makes it worth a visit too. It’s a restaurant trying to fill a variety of tastes (sandwiches, pasta, burgers, salads), but where it really shines is the meat and seafood entrées. Some are offered in half portions and served with plentiful sides, too. Moderate.

Olive’s Fresh Pizza and Bar (952-474-4440; olivesfresh.com), 287 Water Street. Open Tues.–Sun. for dinner, Thurs.–Sun. for lunch. Wood-fired pizza made from homemade dough with a range of choices from the standard (pepperoni) to the more adventurous (pizzas with salmon and cream cheese, or prosciutto, Gorgonzola and fig). Moderate.

Red Sauce Rebellion (952-234-4646; redsaucerebellion.com), 205 Water Street. A far better than average Italian restaurant, with house-made pizza and pastas, as well as a handful of meat- and fish-based entrées. You can’t go wrong with any of the pastas (especially the Strozzapreti with butternut squash, spinach, brown butter, walnut, and pecorino), and the starters are meals unto themselves. Moderate.

318 Café (952-401-7902; three-eighteen.com), 318 Water Street. Open daily for all three meals. Located in the historic Excelsior Mill (see Selective Shopping), 318 is a small, cozy establishment with a fireplace, rough-hewn wood floors, an outdoor patio, and delectable soups, salads, flatbread pizzas, tacos, sandwiches, and baked goods. A wine bar by night, 318 also offers live music on a regular basis. Moderate.

EATING OUT Adele’s Frozen Custard (952-470-0035; adelescustard.com), 800 Excelsior Boulevard. Open daily Feb.–Christmas Eve. A tiny café near MN 7 coming into Excelsior, Adele’s doesn’t look like much on the outside—just a rundown little house with a deck. But inside, along with a limited sandwich menu, is homemade frozen custard, available in cones, sundaes, and malts. Flavors vary daily. Forget about counting calories and indulge (and don’t ignore the pulled pork sandwich). Inexpensive.

Lago Tacos (952-300-8495; lagotacos.com/excelsior), 30 Water Street (also in Uptown Minneapolis). Open daily for lunch and breakfast. Mexican-Asian fusion tacos and burritos with a robust set of fillings, including seafood and veggie. Moderate.

Selective Shopping

Provisions (952-474-6953; provisionsmn.com), 320 Water Street. Home and kitchen goods and gifts.

BE at Lakeside (952-401-7501; be-atlakeside.com), 347 Water Street. A cozy yarn shop with a wide variety of materials and tools, as well as classes and events, for fiber enthusiasts.

Capers (952-474-1715; facebook.com/Capers-392959030736412), 207 Water Street. A gift shop with a solid line of humor-filled gifts, as well as inexpensive jewelry and kids’ items.

Brightwater Clothing & Gear (952-474-0256; brightwaterclothing.com), 256 Water Street. Men’s and women’s clothing and accessories focused on lake life and the outdoors.

The House of Amore & Fede (952-401-3392; amorefede.com), 226 Water Street. Chic women’s clothing and accessories.

Down the Rabbit Hole (952-484-3886; downtherabbitholemn.com), 351 2nd Street, Lower Level. Upscale women’s clothing and accessories, including pieces by Stella McCartney, Chloe, Prada, and Chanel.

Excelsior Bay Books (952-401-0932; excelsiorbaybooks.indielite.org), 36 Water Street. Small bookstore with a good variety of reading materials for kids and adults alike, as well as games, puzzles, and gifts. Check the store’s website for its packed event calendar.

The Maker’s Studio (612-865-7335; themakerstudio-mn.com), 400 2nd Street. Artisan home goods from local artists.

Ooh La La (952-474-1743; oohlalaboutqiuemn.com), 274 Water Street. Trendy, reasonably priced women’s clothing and accessories. Private shopping appointments available.

Wayzata

Like Excelsior, Wayzata (pronounced why-ZET-ta) has the good fortune to be situated on Lake Minnetonka, and it counts as its residents and visitors many well-heeled lake lovers. The city is busy during the summer months, but don’t discount a visit during the winter, when the shops and restaurants are not quite as busy.

To See and Do

Al & Alma’s Lake Cruises (952-472-3098; al-almas.com/public), 5201 Piper Road, Mound. This long-time purveyor of lake entertainment offers both public and private cruises, most tied to a meal (brunch, picnic lunch, dinner) and drinks. It’s a great way to see one of the most popular Minnesota lakes. Specialty cruises are often offered, including wine tastings and “Martini & Manicure” outings.

Minnetonka Center for the Arts (952-473-7361; minnetonkaarts.org), 2240 N. Shore Drive. Open Mon.–Sat. Just outside the town, the Minnetonka Center for the Arts has become a thriving school and gallery for local artists, budding and professional. The center is open year-round and offers a variety of events (check the website or call for specifics).

Lodging

The Hotel Landing (952-777-7900; thehotellanding.com), 925 Lake Street. Beautifully located close to Lake Minnetonka, this newer hotel has 92 rooms and suites presented in a sleek, minimalist décor. A full-service spa is on-site as well as the well-regarded ninetwentyfive restaurant (see Where to Eat). Rooms come with upscale bedding, 55-inch LCD HD smart TVs, and the Presidential Suite has separate dining and sitting areas with a fireplace. Rates begin at $199, with packages and specials available.

Where To Eat

DINING OUT 6Smith (952-698-7900; 6smith.com), 294 Grove Lane E. Open daily for lunch and dinner. 6Smith’s desirable location on Lake Minnetonka comes complete with a gorgeous rooftop dining area and patio. While the main menu is focused on meat and seafood, locally sourced and humanely/environmentally raised, the restaurant also offers a thoughtful vegan menu. Even the children’s menu has a touch of sophistication to it. Expensive/very expensive.

Al & Alma’s Supper Club (952-472-3098; al-almas.com/supper-club), 5201 Piper Road, Mound. Open daily Memorial Day–Labor Day for dinner; call for off-season hours. This long-time nautically themed supper club (and dinner cruise operator, see To See and Do) has current takes on classic supper club food, including a variety of steak cuts and preparations as well as BBQ ribs and walleye. Located on Lake Minnetonka, Al & Alma’s offers dockside to-go options for boaters. Expensive/very expensive.

Bellecour (952-444-5200; bellecourrestaurant.com), 739 Lake Street E. Open daily for dinner, Sat.–Sun. for brunch. Owned and run by James Beard Award–winning chef Gavin Kaysen, Bellecour is a French bistro and bakery that garnered rave reviews from the moment it opened. The limited but diverse menu includes Escargots de Bourgogne, Tournedos Rossini, Canard a l’Orange, and Poulet Roti. There’s a delightful bakery adjacent (see Eating Out). Expensive/very expensive.

CōV Wayzata (952-473-5253; covwayzata.com), 700 Lake Street E. Open daily for lunch and dinner, Sat.–Sun. for brunch. This Nantucket-themed restaurant with extensive seafood options (and other items for non-seafood lovers) has an enviable location right on Lake Minnetonka, and it takes advantage of the view with extensive windows and a lovely patio. Very expensive.

Gianni’s Steakhouse (952-404-1100; giannis-steakhouse.com), 635 Lake Street E. Open daily for dinner. Gianni’s is a congenial steakhouse with a traditional menu full of steaks, ribs, and fish. Very expensive.

ninetwentyfive (612-356-5330; ninetwentyfive.com), 925 Lake Street E. Open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Located in The Hotel Landing (see Lodging), ninetwentyfive offers modern Midwestern cuisine with an emphasis on fresh and local. Menu items include an upscale take on beef pot roast with charred carrots and potato puree, as well as updated versions of classic steakhouse dishes, such as Steak Forestiere. The restaurant’s bar offers regular live music and other events. Expensive/very expensive.

Lord Fletcher’s (952-471-8513; lordfletchers.com), 3746 Sunset Drive, Spring Park. Dining room open daily for dinner, Sun. for brunch; the Oar House and Wharf open daily for lunch and dinner. This popular long-time restaurant is also right on Lake Minnetonka and is situated to accept boat-in guests as well as those in vehicles. There are three dining venues on-site: the main dining room, the Oar House (sports bar), and the Wharf (bar and grill). The dining room menu is meat-forward, with ample seafood as well, and includes enormous steaks and pork chops along with elk and seabass, and the house specialty: walleye. Very expensive.

Vann (952-381-9042; vannrestaurant.com), 4016 Shoreline Drive, Spring Park. Upscale, Scandinavian-focused restaurant with an emphasis on seafood. Offerings include octopus, caviar, scallops, and Icelandic cod; dessert might be a steamed sweet potato cake with baker’s yeast ice cream or a Gjetost tartlet. Expensive.

EATING OUT Bellecour Bakery (952-444-5200; bellecourrestaurant.com/bakery), 739 Lake Street E. Open daily for breakfast and lunch. The bakery part of the highly regarded Bellecour Restaurant (see Dining Out) offers a full spread of gourmet pastries and breads, as well as sandwiches, coffee, and tea. There’s an adjacent patio that’s perfect for enjoying a treat on summer days. Inexpensive.

Benedict’s (952-923-1903; benedictswayzata.com), 845 Lake Street E. Open daily for breakfast and lunch. Hearty breakfast and lunch offerings, including eight iterations of Eggs Benedict (fried chicken and Cubano versions, among others), as well as classic lunch sandwiches like the Monte Cristo and crab grilled cheese. Inexpensive/moderate.

Wayzata Bar and Grill (952-473-5286; wayzatabarandgrill.com), 747 Mill Street. Open daily for lunch and dinner. A Wayzata staple since opening in 1947, the Wayzata Bar and Grill (known locally as “the Muni”) has an extensive menu of bar food items, including sandwiches and burgers. The dinner hour offers walleye and sirloin nightly, with pot roast, prime rib, and BBQ rib dinners offered once weekly. Inexpensive/moderate.

McCormick’s Pub & Restaurant (952-767-2417; mccormicks.pub), 331 Broadway Avenue S. Open daily for lunch and dinner, Sat.–Sun. for brunch. McCormick’s has two distinct dining areas, one an Irish pub and the other a more formal restaurant. The menu has several nods towards the owner’s Irish ancestry, but it also has several upscale supper club-type items, including steak tartare, lobster rolls, and a Diane burger. Moderate.

Selective Shopping

44 North Boutique (952-473-0440; 44northboutique.com), 823 Lake Street E. Open Mon.–Sat. Upscale women’s clothing and accessories.

Five Swans (952-473-4685; fiveswans.com), 309 Lake Street E. Open Mon.–Sat. Housed in a century-old building, Five Swans offers upscale gifts and home accessories.

Highcroft Fine Linens (952-746-5826; highcrofthome.com), 770 Lake Street E. Open Mon.–Sat. and by appointment. High-end home linens, accessories, and bath items.

J. Hilburn (612-991-5327; jenamarxer.jhilburn.com), 170 Spur Circle. Call for appointment. Custom-made men’s clothing.

Modern Roots (952-923-1450; modernroots.org), 1131B Wayzata Boulevard. Open daily. Organic body care products, with more than half of the ingredients grown on a local farm.

The Owl and the Octopus (952-473-1727; owlandoctopustoys.com), 1151 Wayzata Boulevard. Open daily. A toy store with an eclectic, wide-ranging selection.

Maple Grove

Maple Grove was an early adopter of the suburban “walkable downtown,” something other communities are emulating. But be warned—the main shopping area in Maple Grove can be slow going for motorists. There are countless stoplights, and lines can form.

The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes (763-424-0504; shoppesatarborlakes.com), I-94/I-694 and Hemlock Lane. Open daily. Despite the rather prissy name, Arbor Lakes has made progress in reducing the concept of “soulless suburb” by providing a mix of retail and dining in actual city blocks with sidewalks to give it a small-town-center feel. While many of the usual chain-store suspects are present (Gap, H&M, Victoria’s Secret, J.Jill, Pottery Barn), the strolling-friendly layout over four city blocks makes the shopping experience feel less suburban mall and more charming village. Dining options are pretty much casual, with a mix of quick-service eateries (Patrick’s Bakery and Café, Potbelly Sandwiches) and sit-down dining (Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano, P.F. Chang’s, Pittsburgh Blue, Granite City Food & Brewery).

Albertville

On the far north end of the Minneapolis area is the town of Albertville, which is home to a massive outlet mall.

Albertville Premium Outlets (763-497-1911; premiumoutlets.com), 6415 Labeaux Avenue NE. Open daily. A sprawling collection of 100 outlet stores, including Polo Ralph Lauren, Lululemon, Banana Republic, Nike, Coach, Claire’s Accessories, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, and Bath & Body Works. The outlet center offers occasional live concerts outdoors during the summer months, and the website lists events and promotions offered by the individual retailers. There’s also a children’s play area open daily.