Bestie Stay-Cation Recap

My best friend Leanna traveled all the way from Orlando to visit me from Wednesday - Monday, and we had the best time! 

Why on earth would she visit me in Minneapolis instead of the other way around? 

1. She's awesome. 

2. She had no idea what cold was.

After living so far away from each other for so many years, it was incredible to spend some quality girl time. 

I honestly don't think we've spend that much time together since we were teenagers! It was much needed. 

We, of course, had to include the essentials: 

massages, yoga, brownies, frozen yogurt, wine, cookies, pedicures, good food, and lots of movies.  

[Walker Art Center... free on Thursdays!]

[Historic Downtown Hopkins]

We also antiqued until we dropped! 

I scored a 1920s copy of Pride and Prejudice (my favorite book of all time), 

and a cookbook from the 1940s.  

No trip to Minnesota is complete without a visit to the Mall of America, and we went there twice! 

The first day we shopped, and the next day was spent at the Aquarium.  It was so worth it! 

We were more excited about the fish than the kids...

Then, we returned to the Walker Art Center and visited the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. 

Jeremiah and I had never been to this iconic Minneapolis attraction, so we got to check one off of our Minnesota bucket list too! 

There is a greenhouse/conservatory inside the sculpture garden, and I think I found my new favorite place in Minnesota... it's where they keep the palm trees! 

I guess we technically went to the Mall of America three times...

There is a huge ice castle that spans about 2 acres in one of the parking lots.  

It's constructed entirely of icicles, and doesn't have any internal bracing.  

Just water and cold, people.  

That's how you do it in Minnesota.  

And it's magical. 

It was a wonderful 5 days.

We laughed... we cried... and had lots of fun. {I hope I didn't forget anything!} 

The memories will last a lifetime, and there are just some points in your life when you need a friend.