Indianapolis & Minneapolis!

When Matt had told me about a quick work getaway he had do for the weekend to Indianapolis & Minnesota, I jumped at the opportunity to go with him. As we have been diving into our wedding planning head first, we really had not stopped to enjoy our engagement. I told him this would be a great way to 'take a break' from the planning monster and just enjoy time without worrying about all the details. So, we packed our bags and flew out. He picked up his client and we were en route to our first stop: Indianapolis, Indiana.

I had been through Indianapolis many years ago, but never had the opportunity to stop and really see the city. Since we only had a day available to see it before our departure the next morning, we wanted to fit as much as we could in the day we had. And we did! Our first stop was to brunch at Rosie's Place in Zionsville, IN. This was the perfect spot to start our day. The food was fantastic and the atmosphere was very welcoming. Zionsville is such a sweet little town. We decided to walk around for a bit and ended up at My Sugar Pie. Our lovely host for the evening (our favorite Italian family) was making us a huge feast since we were in town so we picked up a couple of pies for dessert. BTW, we loved the strawberry rhubarb and mixed berry, and they were a huge hit that night.

Afterwards, we went back to drop off the pies for the evening and went straight to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This was a particular exciting weekend to be in Indy as they were hosting the Red Bull Air Race, one of Matt's favorite events to watch. Unfortunately, we were not able to get tickets for that weekend but we were able to watch them qualify and practice the day before the big race, which was awesome to see. If you ever have the opportunity to go, I recommend it. It is a fun way to watch planes fly super fast through an oversized obstacle course.

Next, we went to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Growing up my dad was a HUGE fan of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Since he has not had the opportunity to come here yet, I knew I had to go for him and see what it was all about. Even if you are not a huge fan of racing, or even like cars, there is still a lot of history on the cars and racing in general which is fascinating to see. It is worth the time you spend to go.

Our next stop was to the Indiana State Museum. This museum is huge, with over three floors of exhibits to see and observe, you can easily spend a full day in here. Matt and I rushed through most of the exhibits, some were under construction at the time, but really focused on the ones we found to be of most interest to us. Their memorabilia of 60's til the 80's is impressive, with items from famous TV shows and movies, like Star Wars. We spent as much time as possible going through, which for us was well worth the time we had. Afterward we did drive by Lucas Oil Stadium where the Indianapolis Colts play as well as Monument Circle (which we stopped briefly to see the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the middle of the street - since they were not doing tours that day due to construction). We returned to our Italian families home for dinner and rest but really enjoyed the half day we had available to spend in downtown Indianapolis.

The next morning I woke up really excited to finally be able to knock another city off my list: Minneapolis. The weather was horrible, as an upcoming snowstorm was rolling in, so we had to take our plane a bit out of the way (over Iowa), to finally land in the chilly saturday morning. The trees were a vibrant red when we landed, as fall already began in the midwest at this time of year (it smelled as if it was going to snow that day). We had snacked the entire flight so when we arrived, we grabbed our rental car and headed straight to the hotel to drop off our luggage and headed to Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). We easily spent a few hours getting lost in MiA as there was at least 3 floors of art to see. It was massive. I really loved this part of our trip. There were a lot of pieces the museums in Virginia simply do not get so it was really lovely to see new art pieces. There were so many wonderful artists and exhibits to see. I really recommend taking a full day if you can to enjoy this museum.

When we left, it began to rain, so we ran over to Spyhouse Coffee (Northeast location) to warm up. I loved this little spot. They had turned an old brick warehouse building in the historic district into this local coffee joint and it was busy. But each coffee was spot on and they had a lot of great options to fuel your busy day. We spent a bit of time here people watching and drying off after getting caught without bringing our umbrellas! Oops!

One of the things I wanted to see most in the city was the murals. This particular lovely mural is downtown at Schmitt Music. And, it is not just random notes. It is a piano piece written by French composer Maurice Ravel called "Gaspard de la Nuit". This particular section is difficult to play for a solo pianist - depicted on the building this is the third movement, called "Scarbo".  You can hear it played here. The wall has even been featured in Time Magazine in 1972. Go by and see it, the lot beside the building is actually a public parking lot.

By this time we had decided to get a quick snack and decide what we wanted to do for dinner. So, we went to Milkjam Creamery.You may have seen this place on Instagram (or possibly a Buzzfeed article or two) featuring the infamous neon sign "I <3 Ice Cream". This place is magical. I ordered the "Jam Bun" it is an ice cream sandwich, where you select any scoop of ice cream to go between a warmed Glam Doll Donut (another local Twin Cities favorite). I chose the flavor "plot twist", almond ice cream with smoked almonds and chocolate-covered honeycomb. It was so very sweet but so very delicious and filling. These are big enough to share. And, you should because they are that good!

Leaving Milkjam, we were walking back to our car when I spotted yet another famous mural. #WhatLiftsYou : I am Limitless. This was again in another mini public parking lot and easily accessible. I could not resist!

After chowing on ice cream and getting soaked in the rain for a very worthwhile photo, it was time for dinner and we picked French Meadow Bakery & Cafe. This place had stellar reviews but what drew us in was the local farms they support (who supplies them). They are ecologically conscious, supporting local efforts as well as organic and sustainable options. This place was amazing. We immediately sat at the retro teal bar, ordered drinks and took it all in. Their local beer selection was on par for Matt and their sustainable wines were an easy choice for me in a carafe. But, their menu was what stood out the most. They cook with seasonal produce so their menu changes. I happily ordered the vegan butternut squash ravioli with walnuts and browned ghee sauce. It was phenomenal. Each bite was as good as the one before. If you are in the area, check them out. They also have an impressive bakery area for great to-go bites as well.

Our last stop ended but being the Mall of America, simply out of curiosity but after a few rounds around the massively oversized mall, it was time to head back to our hotel to sleep before the long flight home. While I truly recommend coming in the summer, I will be coming back regardless as a single day was not enough time to see both cities. St. Paul was simply too far away to get to visit anything over on that side so we will return at some point. If you have any suggestions for our return trip, let me know!