During the weekend of June 13th, I flew to Minneapolis, Minnesota to attend the first ever “Twin Cities VegFest”! My “Vegan Honeymoons” business obtained an exhibitor’s table at the event, so there I flew to the the state of 10,000 lakes! Sightseeing and vegan eats were most definitely on my itinerary too!

The VegFest was held at the University of Minnesota’s ‘Coffman Memorial Union’ building. The sleek-looking, contemporary Weisman Art Museum is a popular tourist destination, right on the campus itself.

When I arrived at the Coffman Union, a wide range of vegan food vendors, shops, and animal activism groups were displaying their goods and services at the various exhibitor tables.

“Asase Yaa”(Asase Yaa) is a vendor food catering company which provides meals at various festivals and events in the Minneapolis area. I selected their African Peanut Stew. It was hearty, delicious comfort food!
< Minneapolis also is home to "Ethique Nouveau"(Ethique Nouveau) an all-vegan shop. Their products are cruelty-free to animals and the environment. Visitors can find vegan foods, skincare, bags, jewelry, books, baby items, pet products, backpacks, and much more. I was fortunate enough to visit their exhibitor table at VegFest and met their gracious staff.

My “Vegan Honeymoons” business(Vegan Honeymoons) had an exhibitor’s table where I discussed travel and vacation packages with guests.

The evening was spent by taking a quick bus ride to St. Paul for dinner, ice cream, and sightseeing(mentioned in another blog post).

The next morning, I took the city bus to “Seward Cafe”(Seward Cafe) for breakfast. Minneapolis does not have a subway system. However, the city bus can take you almost everywhere you need to go. This vegan-friendly, vegetarian cafe is known for its awesome breakfast! I selected the Tofu Mock Muffin with tofu, vegan sausage, melted soy cheese, and sprouts on an English muffin. For a side, I selected the hash brown potatoes. It was absolutely scrumptious and a great way to start the day! I also purchased one of their vegan baked goods: a chocolate chip banana bread for a mid-day snack. Two thumbs up for Seward Cafe!

My next stop was “The Donut Cooperative”(Donut Cooperative). They offer several varieties of vegan donuts. Strawberry lemonade, glazed, and almond cookie dough were the selections of the day. I opted for the almond cookie donut. This fluffy piece of heaven was tasty, moist , and full of sweet cookie flavor! Calling all vegans.You gotta try these!

Sightseeing time was upon me! First stop was Minnehaha Falls in Minnehaha National Park, Minneapolis. The Native American Dakota tribe have long valued these falls which are located where the Minnehaha Creek tributary meets the Mississippi River. They became a popular tourist destination after Henry Wadsworth Longfellow published “The Song Of Hiawatha” in 1855.

After viewing the gorgeous falls, I went for a lengthy walk in the Minnehaha National Park. The winding river’streams, towering trees, and flowers were a scenic sight to behold!

I even stopped with other tourists to dip my feet in the Mississippi River stream for a refreshing moment during the hot summer day!

Tourists could even choose to rent and ride a surrey-covered bike throughout the park.

The local Dakota Native American group was performing their indigenous dances within the park, while wearing their colorful and festive, traditional attire.

Within the National Park grounds, visitors can tour two historical homes. The Longfellow House is a replica of the home where Henry Wadsworth Longfellow resided in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was built in 1906 for Robert Jones. He was a business man who kept a variety of animals on the property.

The Minnehaha Depot was the region’s first railway stop. Visitors can go inside the building to view the seating and ticket office from the bygone railroad era.

Across from the depot is the Steven’s House. This is the very first home built west of the Mississippi River. It was originally in the year 1849 near St. Anthony Falls downtown. However, it was moved in early 20th century to Minnehaha Park. Citizens gathered at the house to form Hennepin County, name the city, start the first school district, and many other historic events.

The home did not contain any closets, so residents would place their clothing on mannequins.

Nordic style homes are prevalent in the wealthier parts of town, surrounding the Park.

Upon exiting the Park, I took a half hour stroll to Lake Nokomis and Lake Hiawatha. After all, Minneapolis is surrounded by the Chain of Lakes. The lakes are home to lovely parks for picnicking and enjoying outdoor sports and games.

A couple of hours visiting the lakes was sufficient time, so I headed back to town. My next stop was the historic downtown area.

The Mill Ruins Park area is a popular tourist stop. It tells the story of the reining flour industry in Minneapolis and in the world, and of the fires that demolished one of its plants. It is a national historic landmark.

Across the street from the Mills is the Stone Arch Bridge built in 1883. Under the bridge, you can view the magnificent St. Anthony Falls. It is the only natural waterfall on the upper Mississippi River. It is where the former city of St. Anthony and Minneapolis joined to provide power for the region’s milling operations. The Falls Heritage Trail brings visitors around its winding river pathway to view the falls and then finally arrive at historic Main Street at it’s tail end.

After my tour on this scorching hot day, it was ice cream time! I headed to Franklin Freeze(Franklin Freeze). They offer 24 flavors of soft serve ice cream. Any of them can be made vegan. I selected the tutti frutti. The bubble gum-flavored treat was so refreshing, fruity, melt-in-your-mouth goodness! I highly recommend this place for any vegan visitors in town!

Dinner time had arrived. My choice was the city’s only all-vegan restaurant “Ecopolitan”(Ecopolitan). The raw food restaurant offered meals, a smoothie bar, and a shop area with frozen treats, books, health and nutrition products, and skincare. I dined on their “Savory Veggie Casserole” with zucchini, avocado, dill cashew cream covered in buckwheat breadcrumbs. For my dessert, I opted for the coconut cream pie. Both were superb and a pleasure to my palate!

It was time to call it a night after much walking about the city, its parks, and its lakes!

For my last morning in town, I decided to have breakfast at the vegan-friendly/vegetarian restaurant “Hard Times Cafe”(1821 Riverside Ave). My breakfast meal was the vegan rancheros consisting of scrambled tofu, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, and onions in a salsa. It was a filling and tasty meal to start the day.

My lunch meal was destined for the airport. The Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport has a very vegan-friendly restaurant on its premises. The French Meadow Bakery and Cafe(French Meadow Cafe) offers several vegan meals and desserts. I opted for the grilled Tempeh Reuben Sandwich. It was incredibly good and flavorful. For my mid-day dessert, I selected their vegan apple crisp. What a tasty treat to fill my tummy during the early afternoon!

My weekend in Minnesota had come to an end. I enjoyed the city sights, vegan meals and vegan treats that the region has to offer!