When spring comes around, most people try to find new things to do with family and friends. Luckily, there are many locations close to home that are great places to visit right around spring time and won’t break the bank when it comes to entertaining the family.

Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Minnesota is well worth the trip. Just as the canals of Venice make the Italians known for their romantic venues and car-less streets, Minneapolis has its own picturesque facade, connecting hotels to shopping areas through an intricate network of tunnels and walkways.

During the summer months, when you want to get out and enjoy what Minneapolis has to offer, there is no shortage of attractions.

A short trip away from most hotels is the Mall of America. It is the largest mall in the country in terms of total enclosed floor area and houses a full set of roller coasters and attractions that are fun for all ages. Before you forget about the stores, the Mall of America is also the second largest enclosed mall in terms of retail space.

No trip would be complete without a trip to Lake Calhoun, which offers many playgrounds, beaches, a three mile bike and walking path, boating opportunities, and much more!

And do not leave the city without visiting the 11-acre Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, a joint project of the Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. More than 40 works are on permanent view, including Frank Gehry’s Standing Glass Fish and the Spoonbridge and Cherry Fountain by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen.

Wisconsin Dells

Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin is mostly known for its summer water parks, but in the spring, the town takes all the activities that are usually enjoyed outside to the indoors.

Kalahari Resort is one of the many hotels that now have their own indoor water park. While some remnants may be seen from the outside, all the featured attractions are definitely inside closed doors on chilly Wisconsin nights. Adults can enjoy hotel restaurants and bars as well as a movie theater just outside the hotel.

As you head home after a week of indoor fun, The House on the Rock is a very popular attraction for everyone. Located in Spring Green, Wisconsin, about 50 miles south of the Dells, this house-turned-museum has some of the most mesmerizing collections from dolls to musical instruments. Each room in the house from the Organ Room to the Carousel Room is themed and filled with items that cannot be seen anywhere else.

Galena

At just 3.7 square miles, Galena, Illinois is one of the most popular tourist attractions for those looking for a weekend getaway. It’s also home to some of the quaintest Bed & Breakfast Inns. It is located at the northwestern tip of Illinois right across the Iowa border

The small town charm starts even before you arrive as you pass through the town of Elizabeth, Illinois, home to about 700 people and taking up only 0.4 square miles of land total. As you arrive in Galena, Main Street houses the main tourist attraction – row after row of picturesque shops and restaurants.

The Galena Cellars store stands right inside the Main Street gates and hosts wine tastings year-round. Down the road Galena Cellars also gives vineyard tours for wine lovers. Just ahead on Main Street, Galena Beads is perfect for a girls weekend activity and even has special workshops such as “Beads, Wine and Chocolate.”

For those traveling for the weekend, a great end to your trip can come in Dubuque, IA, just minutes west of Galena. The whole family can take in the Mississippi River as you cross it from Galena into Dubuque.