I grew up in the Twin Cities, I'm a Minneapolis boy born and raised, so there was always a built in rivalry with the city across the river: St. Paul. We never really liked going to St. Paul other than to go to the Civic Center (where the Xcel Energy Center now stands) The street layout always seemed confusing and it just had a 'different' feel about it.

Maybe it's that 'different' feel that led readers of the 10Best to name it the "Best Romantic North American Getaway" in a recent poll.

St. Paul, Minnesota?? Really???

According to the poll: St. Paul is the smaller, quieter and, many say, the more sophisticated of the Twin Cities.  While not an obvious choice as a romantic getaway, couples love it for its diverse romantic offerings, like leisurely paddle- wheeler rides along the Mississippi, beer tastings, or ice skating.   St. Paul also has a thriving performing arts scene.

While I agree that it does have the offerings listed, I guess I've always associated St. Paul with cold, ice, snow, and the Xcel for concerts and games. That's about it. Not romance.

Romantic destinations would be for example Honolulu (which came in 10th!) beaches in Florida (which made it to #5) maybe along the Maine coast (#4) or even Spearfish Canyon in South Dakota! But St. Paul?!?!

Guess I may have to look at the sister city to my hometown a little different now.

Here's the complete top 10:

St. Paul, Minnesota
Savannah, Georgia
Victoria, British Columbia
Santa Fe, New Mexico
New Orleans, Louisiana
Naples, Florida
Bar Harbor, Maine
Mendocino, California
Charleston, South Carolina
Honolulu, Hawaii

 

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