"St. Paul - Minnesota's Grand Old City " a Saint Paul Travel Page by goodfish

St. Paul is the 2nd largest city in Minnesota and the elder, slightly more dignified twin sister of Minneapolis. It was once the rowdy settlement of Pig's Eye, after the notorious bootlegger/trader Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant, but was re-christened after Father Lucan Galtier established the St. Paul Catholic Church here in the 1840's.

You can still find some shreds of her formerly rowdy self if you happen to be here for St. Patrick's Day, the Minnesota State Fair or a hockey game at the Xcel Energy Center (home of the Minnesota Wild) but St. Paul usually feels a little quieter, a little more academic, than Minneapolis. It has exchanged a little less of its original stone and brick for modern steel and glass and has more activities for families than her twin.

A trip "across the river" is a favorite day out for us, when we have free time. There are great museums, restaurants, bars, festivals, parks and other fun places to go in our capital city. Oh, and lest I forget, it's also home to the greatest (in our opinion) minor league baseball team in the U.S. - the St. Paul Saints!

A note about nightlife: we barely make the 9:00 news and are far more likely to tip a pint in the afternoon than in the evening. That said, my nightlife tips are for places that are good for tippling in daylight as well as after dark, and can often be cross-referenced as restaurant tips.