Cal fans looking for some travel advice

by GoldenBlogs on Jul 13, 2009 1:18 PM CDT

Gopher fans,

With the big matchup between the Bears and Gophers only two months away, many Cal fans are beginning to make travel plans for the trip out east. Many of the commenters, and a few of the moderators at the California Golden Blogs (SBN's Cal blog) will be making the trip out east. We were hoping for a little friendly advice on where to stay, what to do, where to eat, and how to get to the game.

Here are a non-comprehensive list of questions that most of us would like answered:

Where should Cal fans stay? Downtown Minneapolis? Over by campus? A local Motel 6? Do you have any speciic hotel suggestions?

What are some of the best local restaurants that we should hit up? Are there any special regional foods that we need to try?

Are there any special sites or attractions that we should try and see in our brief visit to your fine State? Any cool monuments or statues? Any museums or something?

What is the best way to get to the game? Do most people just walk? Take public transportation? Are there any tail-gating opportunities? Where do we tailgate and what are the prices involved to procure a parking spot for tail-gating?

Any ideas on where the Cal seats will be located in your nice fancy new stadium?

You're all very friendly, right? So we can leave our bullet-proof jackets at home? (unlike when Cal fans go to USC games)

Is there anything else we need to know?

Thanks for your help. Feel free to come over to our blog and chit chat ... California Golden Blogs.

Editors of The Daily Gopher retain the right to remove posts deemed excessively offensive or grossly inappropriate. Keep it clean and don't be mean.

Tweet Comment 11 comments | 2 recs |

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Comments

A few things to start you off

I would stay downtown as it is very close to campus.

Hotel recommendation:
Residence Inn Minneapolis – http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mspri-residence-inn-minneapolis-downtown-city-center/

Food:
Tons of great eating spots in the downtown area. On a previous thread people were talking about the Jucy Lucy burger, which is a Minneapolis original. You can get info on it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jucy_Lucy

Tailgating:
Tough to know where the good spots will be at this time, as this will be game #2 at the stadium but hopefully some good tailgates will be going on.

Bullet-proof Jackets:
Leave those at home… we are used to having opposing fans at games and people are pretty civil (most of the time).

A few Attractions:
Mall of America http://www.mallofamerica.com/
Mill City Museum http://www.millcitymuseum.org/
Guthrie Theater http://www.guthrietheater.org/

by GreasyLlama on Jul 13, 2009 2:20 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs

Thanks for the info!

Especially about the Guthrie, i am FLOORED, it looks so amazing!

CGB: Wasting Your Potential, Your Time, & Your Life Since 2006.

by BearStage on Jul 26, 2009 3:07 PM CDT up reply actions

where's the love everyone?

GB,

I’m surprised more people haven’t responded to your inquiry. Usually we’re a helpful bunch. That is of course unless your team kick’s our team’s ass. Then don’t expect any free beers in the parking lot.

The problem a lot of us are having regarding this particular game is that you are asking many of the questions we are asking ourselves. As mentioned before, this will be the second game in a new location and so we will all just be feeling our way through this mess.

I’m not sure I would advise staying at the Marriott listed above. I think the Radisson on Washington would be your best bet – location wise – if you can still score a room. You may want to call the U’s ticket office and ask them for recommendations as well. But I wouldn’t plan on doing much driving (cab or otherwise) the morning of the game. It could still be a huge mess on campus.

Yes, going to games at USC does require a flak-jacket. I’ve been there. And while this is an urban setting, it’s going to be much different.

P.S. Get ready to laugh your ass off when you hear the local accent. Hope you have a great time.

by the accomplice on Jul 13, 2009 9:48 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs

My 2 cents

GB~
There are plenty of good downtown hotels. A few more to consider that I’ve stayed at or heard good things about:
Crown Plaza Northstar – Stayed here a bunch for work. Great location in Downtown and very nice hotel.
aLoft – Trendy, near to campus. Never stayed there but heard good things.
W Foshay – Famous old building (was the tallest in Minneapolis back in the day) now a classy hotel.
St. Paul Hotel – In St. Paul rather than Minneapolis, but still a nice place to stay.
The closest hotel that will probably have rooms is the Holiday Inn Metrodome. This is in the 7 Corners neighborhood on the West Bank of the U campus. 7 Corners has some pretty good bars and is just a little over a mile walk through campus to TCF.

For places to eat I highly recommend the following:
The Local – Great Irish pub in downtown.
Matt’s Bar – This is the place to go for a Jucy Lucy.
Surly Brewing Company – Beer is a food and Surly brews some delicious stuff. Take the tour here and stop by Grumpy’s to drink a lot more of it.
Manny’s – Top notch steakhouse located in the W Foshay.
Bryant Lake Bowl – Both a place to eat and something to do (bowling, with very old school ball returns).
Mickey’s Diner Minneapolis – Fan of The Mighty Ducks? Remember the diner where Charlie’s mom worked? That was Mickey’s.

Things to see/do:
Walker Sculpture Garden: You mentioned museums and the Walker MOMA has a crazy ass sculpture garden that is worth checking out if you’re into that sort of thing.
Weisman Art Museum – A easy to spot Frank Gehry building on the U campus that is fun to explore if you’re looking for art.
Minnehaha Falls – One of my favorite parks.
Lake Harriet – Another great outdoor space.
The Depot Rink – Want to pretend its winter in MN? Then skate indoors on a nice fall day at The Depot.
Science Museum of Minnesota – I’ve been a sucker for this place since I was a kid. Located in downtown St. Paul near the Excel Center.

Tailgating:
Day of game tailgating/parking will only be available on the St. Paul section of the University campus which is 4 miles from TCF. Transpo to TCF from the STP lots is a shuttle bus (direct on its own transitway…about a 10 min trip). I’d recommend just walking through campus and tailgating at one of the many bars near TCF. Sally’s, Stub and Erb’s, Campus Pizza, and Big 10 are all popular spots in the Stadium Village section of campus, right next to TCF. All should be hopping on gameday.

Transportation:
Cabs can be pricey, and if you are coming from downtown Minneapolis your best bet might just be the #16 bus. It runs right down Washington Ave. in the heart of campus. If you want to see more of campus then I would recommend taking the 16 from downtown to its first stop on the East Bank and walking the rest of the way.

by GoAUpher on Jul 14, 2009 7:53 AM CDT reply actions 2 recs

Glad to hear that the Crown Plaza Northstar is a quality place to stay. One of our writers booked a reservation there for the game.

Taking the #16 bus sounds one stop like a nice scenic way to get to the game. It doesn’t sound like getting to the game from downtown will be a problem at all. What about getting back to downtown after the game? Does the #16 bus run the same route in reverse? Or is there another bus that we have to take?

www.californiagoldenblogs.com

by GoldenBlogs on Jul 14, 2009 11:33 AM CDT up reply actions

The 16 does run the same route in reverse. So the trip back should also be a snap.

by GoAUpher on Jul 14, 2009 11:36 AM CDT up reply actions

Thanks for this!

This is all great info. This is my first time going to Minnesota, so I’m very excited! Also, I’m told that in Minneapolis, theatre is attended very well, so I love you guys already.

Do we need flak jackets in the 7 Corners neighborhood? :-D

CGB: Wasting Your Potential, Your Time, & Your Life Since 2006.

by BearStage on Jul 26, 2009 3:00 PM CDT up reply actions

7 corners

No flak jackets in the 7 corners area. But dont wander too far south near the high rise apartment with the colored panels. Its the building in the old mary tyler moore show opening…but is now know as Ghetto in the sky or the Crack stacks. Stay out of Palmers bar whatever you do….you can go past there to the Cabooze and Whiskey junction…good ‘biker’ bars that usually have affordable and good music. Its got a good mixed crowed….so no worries if your not a biker type.

As a bus rider when I lived in Mpls I am used to the bus scene, but if your not you can get your out of line kids and crazies outside of the rush hours….but it should be fairly warm out so the bums etc tend to stroll about and stay off the bus.

You will also be near the Mixed Blood theatre, which has some of the edgier shows in the TC area. I also recommend going to Grand Ave and Summit Ave and west 7th Street in St Paul if you have time. Lots of nice bars and restaurants etc….Or check out the Uptown area of Mpls at Calhoun and Hennepin ave. A more artsy part of town. (Though Lyn-Lake and North East Mpls are more artsy nowadays in my opinion)

But if you go to ONE bar in Minneapolis you have to go to Nyes. This place is awesome! its in the St Anthony main area neighborhood(Birthplace of Mpls…original Pilsbury Mill A etc…) about a $6 or $7 cab ride from your hotel. Esquire magazine named it the best bar in America in 2006…..its truly an original place!

by DallasGopher on Jul 26, 2009 8:27 PM CDT up reply actions

Thanks for the responses. This is all great stuff.

www.californiagoldenblogs.com

by GoldenBlogs on Jul 14, 2009 11:28 AM CDT reply actions

If I may make a shameless plug...

Be sure to get into the stadium like a half hour before the game starts to watch me and the rest of the Minnesota Marching Band do our pregame show. It’s supposedly the longest and most complex in the nation with a lot of history and high step marching. If you enjoy college marching bands, please come and see us!

by MinnMarchDTF on Jul 24, 2009 9:36 AM CDT up reply actions