This article originally appeared as part of the story Keep It Local in the June 2019 issue.
For a family staycation, let the kids choose where to play and eat. Ask them to help map out the trip, create a playlist and write a packing list.
Good eats: It’s easy to rise and shine when breakfast is a stack of pancakes and warm maple syrup at Original Pancake House. Lick a cone from Edina Creamery. Burgers and malts are popular with the kids and let’s face it, we love them too. Eat burgers and a beloved malted milk at Convention Grill or sip a black and white shake and play outdoor foosball at Shake Shack. Buy a cookbook there. People lose their minds for Pizzeria Lola. Enjoy Minnesota summer in the outdoor seating at Edina Grill. Snack on summer’s top selling s’more cupcake at Sweet Retreat.
Fun in the sun: At hidden gem Centennial Lakes Park, rent a paddle boat, snap pictures with the sculptures, reel in the fish and when the blazing summer sun turns to twinkling starry skies, catch an evening concert or movie. The 25-acre park features a 10-acre man-made lake spread out over three interconnected ponds, new ADA-compliant pedestrian bridges, and a one-and-a-half-mile paved walking path around the lakes. Bag fresh veggies at the farmers market, Thursdays 3–9 p.m. June 6–September 26. Explore the city on two wheels. Ride Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail around town or through nature. Hop on the bike path at Edina Promenade. View a map in the Exlore Edina Destination Guide or an interactive map on threeriversparks.org. Summer vacation wouldn’t be complete without a waterpark. With a zero depth children’s pool, surf simulator, zip lining, body and tube slides, lap pool and diving boards, Edina Aquatic Center is fun for all ages. Play volleyball at nearby Rosland Park. There’s disc golf, tennis, playground, walking path and Lake Cornelia fishing pier. Listen to the birds chirping as you tube or kayak Minnehaha Creek, lined with field stones and day lilies, all the way to Fort Snelling. Practice your echo voice as you meander through a tunnel under France Avenue.
Rainy days or sweltering heat: Minnesotans don’t pack away hockey and figure skates, but skate rental is available if needed. Lace up at Braemar Arena for year-round open skate. Not graceful on blades? Circle the indoor walking track. Let the kids burn off steam in Adventure Peak indoor play park at Edinborough Park. Bring socks. Catch a flick at the Amphitheater. Barnes & Noble’s newly refinished lower level at Galleria has a big children’s books section, play tables, coffee bar and a restaurant with a kids menu plus beer and wine for mom and dad. While you’re at the Galleria, find the cool places to take selfies. Unlike a tourist, check out books from Edina Library or Southdale Library. For the kid in all of us, jump over to Skyzone. Give the teens what they want—freedom to wander and shop Southdale Center.
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