Radisson Blu Mall of America!

I don’t know about you, but at least once a winter I feel my head pounding and heart racing because my tolerance for Minnesota cabin fever has literally reached max capacity and my mind feels like burnt scrambled eggs simmering in a pool of hot sauce. Sometimes…sometimes you just have to get away from it all…and that’s exactly what my family did last weekend. We had ourselves a good old fashioned family staycation – right here in Minnesota!

What better way to fight winter than to avoid it? I mean, completely and utterly avoid stepping one foot outdoors, but still be able to eat fine food, shop til you drop, and be entertained morning, noon and night? Impossible, you say? WRONG! That’s exactly what we did, thanks to the Radisson Blu Mall of America.

Radisson Blu Mall of America‘s beauty blew me away from the moment we walked into the lobby. It offers 500 guestrooms, a spa, indoor pool, fitness center, grill and cocktail bar and direct access to the Mall of America. And when I say “direct,” I mean “stroll-across-a-short-skyway-bridge-thingy-and-poof-you’re-in-the-mall.” It’s that easy. Talk about a fun way for your family to enjoy a couple days this winter!

Our clan received the Family Fun vacation package and man, was that a great experience! The Family Fun Deal caters to kids with an age-appropriate scavenger hunt (complete with prizes), tickets to Sea Life Aquarium, wristbands to Nickelodeon Universe, game cards to SkyDeck, and an in-room kids tent that you can KEEP! The looks on my kids’ faces when they realized they were going to be able to camp out in our hotel room were absolutely priceless.

Now, I know I’m a foodie (the kind of foodie who can’t cook for crap but love-love-loves to eat amazingly delicious cuisine), so you should’ve seen the giddiness shoot through my body when I read that Radisson Blu’s on-site restaurant was none other than FireLake! You guys – I. LOVE. FIRELAKE. I’ve visited the one downtown Minneapolis on many a special occasion and can easily say it makes my top 5 suggestions list any time we get a kid-free date night.

The funny thing is, the food is so delectable and the atmosphere is so elegant that I never thought of it as being kid-friendly. My pride is completely OK admitting that I was way off base! No matter the time of day, they offer kids menus with plenty of “non-scary” options, from mini sliders to macaroni and cheese to chocolate chip pancakes. Oh, and a dessert plate that spelled their names in drizzled chocolate plus a Pop Rocks Kiddie Cocktail? Yeah, their jaws were on the floor.

Also, who can complain when their day starts off with caffeine as tasty as it is pretty? I drank three of these and left with enough energy to circle the mall 11 times and zero regrets.

The guestrooms were comfortable yet modern in design. Personally, I was loving the Minnesota-themed artwork hanging above the beds featuring Bob Dylan, Prince and Joe Mauer (no complaints there!). The kids enjoyed running around the hotel with their “passports” collecting stamps for the scavenger hunt, the baby enjoyed his first dip in an actual swimming pool, and everyone enjoyed a full day at the Mall.

The Radisson’s Family Fun Package includes access to Sea Life Aquarium or Nickelodeon Universe. My daughter could’ve spent the entirety of her staycation petting the stingrays and my oldest rode the rollercoasters until he couldn’t walk straight. We played until our feet hurt…

…and ate until our stomachs hurt. We tried Pizza Studio and the new Burger Burger restaurant near the hotel skyway and were happy with both choices (the kids’ happiness was probably based on the fact that they got to order Oreo shakes with extra whipped cream, but happiness is happiness, right?). The mall offers a ton of nummy non-food-court dining options – I promise you won’t go hungry.

I can’t think of anywhere else where you can spend a couple cold winter days as entertained as we were without needing to put on a coat or load the kids into the car to get from A to B. Take a family ferris wheel ride before bed or get up with the sun to enjoy Radisson’s breakfast and hot coffee before walking the mall. However you choose to spend your staycation is up to you – but the destination is a no-brainer!

Sometimes getting away from it all is simply part of Minnesota winter survival, so do yourself a favor and book your family staycation at the Radisson Blu Mall of America today. Quick – before your head explodes!

Oh, and leave your coats at home.