Valentines Day – In the Mood for Romance?

Looking for fun ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your loved ones? Here are some ideas, ranging from the traditional – a lovely meal or dancing – to the unusual – snowshoeing or Victorian poetry, anyone?

HDR – Sunken Garden Como Park Conservatory by Jucadima is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Enchanted Evening – A Valentine’s Dining Experience at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory

Though February 14th is sold out, they’ve added a seating on the 13th for this romantic candlelit dinner among the indoor gardens of St. Paul’s lush conservatory. String music, limited wine and beer, and animal ambassadors will enhance your experience, as will the opportunity to bask in the humidity and warmth in the midst of a dry St. Paul February.

February 13, 2017, 8:00 pm
$170 per couple, all-inclusive.
Register online.

If you want to make Valentine’s a full day experience, or enjoy the atmosphere of the conservatory and have dinner elsewhere, there are other events during the day, including the Winter Flower Show, and a chance to meet the conservatory’s gardeners at 1:00.

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory
1225 Estabrook Drive, Saint Paul, MN 55103
651-487-8201
Winter Hours:  10-4

Sleigh Ride by Bill Burris is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Three Rivers Park District Valentine Programs

Looking for something a little unusual to do with your loved ones? Maybe something outdoors? The Three Rivers Park District offers events ranging from Candlelit Trails to a Victorian Valentine’s Dinner to a Valentine’s Snowshoe Hike to a Lovebirds’ Local Foods Dinner and Sleigh Rides. All their events but one (which is sold out) are happening the weekend before Valentine’s Day, so you could choose off Three River’s menu and do something on the day, if you want to make an extravaganza of the holiday this year.

Three River Parks District is in Hennepin County, so a little bit of a drive from the B&B, but well worth it. Check out the webpage for more information on individual events.

Big Bay Ballroom – Salsa Spice by Port of San Diego is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Valentine’s Day Dance

“Love is in the air, so join us for a special night of ballroom dancing with The Dancers Studio Family! Includes complimentary glass of champagne at the door, dessert and cash bar throughout the evening.

“FREE Beginning Salsa Class @ 7:00pm

“Both singles and couples welcome!”

$15 per person
Purchase tickets online.

Dancers Studio
415 Pascal St. North, St. Paul, MN 55104
651-641-0777
info@dancersstudio.com

James J. Hill House, circa 1895, courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society

Victorian Poetry Slam

“Celebrate Valentine’s Day the old-fashioned way by enjoying classic 19th century poetry in the James J. Hill House drawing room. Actors Craig Johnson, Laura Salveson and Ann Daly, wearing 1890s eveningwear, will perform a wide range of humorous and stirring poems by Dickinson, Poe, Longfellow, Browning and more dealing with love, romance, temperance, sports and war—even poems about James J. Hill! Audience members are also invited to bring a short Victorian poem to read aloud throughout the evening.”

Tue., Feb 14, 2017, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
$12/$10 MNHS members

James J. Hill House
240 Summit Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55102
(7 blocks from the B&B.)
651-297-2555
hillhouse@mnhs.org

OutFront justFair LGBT Lobby Day 2006 by Tony Webster is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Land of 10,000 Loves

“Historian Stewart Van Cleve blends oral history, archival narrative, newspaper accounts and fascinating illustrations to paint a remarkable picture of Minnesota’s queer history. Van Cleve will present from his book “Land of 10,000 Loves: A History of Queer Minnesota,” which explores the sacrifices, scandals and victories that have affected and continue to affect the lives of queer Minnesotans.

“Stewart Van Cleve is a former assistant curator of the Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies at the University of Minnesota.”

Tue., Feb 14, 2017, 10:30 am – 11:30 am
$5/$3 MNHS members

Minnesota History Center
345 W. Kellogg Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55102
(1.1 miles from the B&B, and easily busable.)
651-259-3015
boxoffice@mnhs.org

However you decide to spend Valentine’s Day, have fun, be safe, and celebrate all the love in your life.

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Good Eats for the Irish in Us All

You’ll need food to support any St. Patrick’s Day celebrating you might do. Here are some ideas.

O’Gara’s Bar & Grill

O’Gara’s is celebrating their 75^th anniversary this year with a St. Paddy’s tent party blowout. You can get corned beef and cabbage, a Shamrock burger, or other Irish goodies. Accompany it with some beer or a good whisky.

This week they’re serving music with their food. Check their website for additional events, but here’s their schedule for the day itself.

• Noon – 4 pm: Hang out with Ben and Dana for the Go 96.3 Morning Show and test your luck on the Irish prize wheel for a chance to win some cool prizes.
• O’Gara’s 25th Annual World’s Shortest Parade Led by the Brian Boru Pipe Band 3:30
• Shamrock Room:  The Whiskies 4 – 8 pm & Two Hicks and a Chick 9 pm – 1 am
• Tent:  The Todd Douglas Band 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm

164 N Snelling Avenue, Saint Paul, MN

Great Waters Brewing Company

This downtown restaurant will be opening at 10:00 am on the 17^th for the convenience of parade-goers, and offering a limited St. Patrick’s Day menu including corned beef and cabbage, corned beef sandwiches, salmon, and clam chowder.

426 Saint Peter St., Saint Paul, MN

Tavern on Grand

This iconic eatery goes just a bit Irish on the 17^th with a traditional corned beef and cabbage, but your luck is also almost certain to be good with their scrumptious walleye dishes.

656 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN

St. Paul Grill

The St. Paul Grill (the restaurant at the St. Paul Hotel) will have a stand on 5^th & Market for the downtown St. Patrick’s Day Parade starting at 10:30 am. They’ll be serving Reuben sliders with sweet potato chips, Guinness, Jameson Ginger, and Bailey’s & Coffee. They’ll be serving their regular menu inside.

Shamrock’s: The Irish Nook

Shamrock’s has a full day of events planned for St. Patrick’s day, extending into the weekend, including a special menu, a tent party, movies, and “all things green.” You can find more information on their Facebook page.

995 7th Street West, St. Paul, MN

Metro Transit is offering free rides from 6 pm to 3 am, so be safe.

Have a delicious time!

 

 

 

St. Paul Joyfully Invites You to its St. Paddy’s Day Celebrations

While you’re visiting the B&B this week, help St. Paul celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The city takes the wearin’ o’ the green seriously, and here are some ways you can wear your Irish proudly (even if you’re not Irish at all!).

The Parade

This year marks the 50th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade through downtown St. Paul. Held rain, snow, or shine on March 17th (unless it falls on a holy day or Sunday), it’s a wildly popular event, with lots of bands, dancers, community groups, and wearing of the green, but only a few vehicles for dignitaries. The parade culminates with the crowning of Ms. Shamrock, and is put on by the St. Patrick’s Association.

Thurs, March 17th at noon. (You’ll want to arrive early for good viewing.)
It runs down 5th Street, starting at Sibley Street and ending at Rice Park.

35^th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Irish Celebration & Day of Irish Dance

Join the Irish Music & Dance association for a two-day celebration featuring regional and local Irish entertainment on multiple stages, Irish dance, Celtic vendors, Irish cuisine, pipe bands, and (Thursday only) children’s crafts and entertainment. Check the website for an entertainment schedule.

Thurs, March 17^th, 10-5, and Sun, March 20^th, 11-5
At the Landmark Center on Rice Park
Tickets are $6 for adults, $4 for kids 5-12, and can be purchased at the door either day

Kickin’ It Irish

A thrilling showcase of Irish music and dance.

March 10-17, check website for showtimes under ‘Get Tickets.’
At the SteppingStone Theatre, 55 N. Victoria St., St. Paul, MN
$16 for adults, $12 for students and seniors

Annual St. Patrick’s Day Irish Ceili Dance with music by Barra  

If you’re eager to dance instead of watch, this is the event for you. This is traditional Irish folk dance, with a caller, and it’s a great family event. Beginners are welcome. Beverages and desserts available.

Thurs, March 17, 2016. Dance instruction begins at 7, with dancing from 7:30-10 pm
Czech-Slovak Protective Society (CSPS) Hall, on West 7^th and Michigan Ave.
Tickets available at the door: Adults, $10; kids aged 15 and under, $5

Annual St. Patrick’s Day Irish Ceili Dance with music from the Twin Cities Ceili Band

Another opportunity to dance traditional Irish folk dances, with lessons and calling. ‘Kid favorite’ dances played in the first hour.

Thurs, March 17, 7-10 pm
The Celtic Junction, 836 n. Prior Ave., St. Paul, MN
$10, $5 for ages 12 and under and 60 and up, free for kids ages 5 and under

And if none of that strikes your fancy, check out the calendar at the Irish Music and Dance Association for more great ideas for celebrating the Irish in St. Paul.

Also, Metro Transit is offering free rides from 6 pm to 3 am, so be safe.

Have a great celebration!

Help the Twin Cities Celebrate Christmas

Here are some ideas to help the Twin Cities celebrate Christmas while you’re visiting the B&B.

A Victorian Christmas at the Alexander Ramsey House

“Experience the sights, sounds and tastes of a Victorian Christmas in 1875. During the guided tour, guests can taste homemade cookies fresh from the wood burning stove, listen to popular holiday music of the era played on the family’s Steinway piano, and view original family ornaments and Christmas gifts. Discover how the Ramsey family and their friends, neighbors and servants prepared for and celebrated the Christmas season. Shop in the Carriage House gift store for replica Victorian ornaments and holiday items.

The 60-minute guided tours start every half hour with the last tour starting at 3:30 pm. A Victorian Christmas at the Ramsey House runs Wednesdays through Sundays Nov. 27, 2015-Jan. 3, 2016, except Dec. 25.

Cost:  $11 adults, $9 seniors and college students, $7 ages 6-17, $3 discount MNHS [Minnesota Historical Society] members. Get tickets online or call 651-259-3015” (1 mile from the B&B.)

Hill House Holidays

“The bustle and excitement of a Gilded Age Christmas is brought to life as the servants of the James J. Hill House prepare for the holidays. Costumed actors portray people who worked for the Hill family in a dramatized portrayal of servant life and holiday preparations at the Hill family’s Summit Avenue mansion. The program moves through the elegant first floor spaces and then to the basement servant work areas. The script is based on letters and oral histories of people who worked for the Hill family during the first decade of the 20th century.

Tours leave every half hour, and Hill House Holidays runs Saturdays and Sundays from Dec. 5-27.

Cost:  $12 adults, $10 seniors and students, $8 ages 6-17, $2 discount MNHS [Minnesota Historical Society] members. Get tickets online or call 651-259-3015” (6 blocks from the B&B.)

Check the James J. Hill House website for other events, such as concerts and storytelling.

An Eventually Christmas:  Holidays at the Mill

“Join the Ghost of Mill City Past for an intimate look at the 1920 Washburn Crosby holiday party in this unique play set in the museum’s Flour Tower elevator ride. Scenes unfold on different floors where the audience meets characters drawn from the pages of the company’s employee newspaper, the Eventually News. Witness the rocky romance of Celia and Otto; meet marketing mastermind Benjamin S. Bull; experience the awesome sweeping power of Bill Smith and learn the secret origin of the Washburn Crosby marketing slogan, “Eventually—Why Not Now?”

Performances are at 6, 7 and 8 pm. Recommended for ages 8 and older. Ticket includes museum admission and refreshments after the play.

$14 adults, $12 seniors and college students, $10 ages 6-17 and MNHS [Minnesota Historical Society] members, $2 off adult admission with Fringe Festival button. Get tickets online or call 651-259-3015”

At the Mill City Museum Dec 13, 17, 18, 19th. (8.7 miles from the B&B.)

The Christmas Carol on stage

The nationally renowned Guthrie Theater is continuing its annual tradition of Dickens’ Christmas Carol. Check the website for more information and showtimes. (8.3 miles from the B&B.)

European Christmas Market

“The European Christmas Market in St. Paul is based on the traditional, charming, and festive open air Christkindlmarkts that spring up in Germany, Austria and other countries during the Advent season. Shop for unique, handmade holiday gifts and decorations from local vendors, drink Glühwein (spiced mulled wine), and taste European inspired food and delicacies during the first two weekends in December:

Friday, December 4: 2 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Saturday, December 5: 10 am – 9 p.m.
Sunday, December 6: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Friday, December 11: 2 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Saturday, December 12: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday, December 13: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.”

At Union Depot downtown St. Paul. (2.3 miles from the B&B.)

Christmas Concerts

A listing of Christmas concerts happening all over the city.

Holiday Events from the St. Paul Pioneer Press

A listing of events happening in the Twin Cities in December, many of them holiday themed.

 

Last clue! Let the game begin.

Saving the easiest for last.

As the summer winds down, it is time to think of the beginning of school.  There are many colleges nearby: Macalester, Hamline, St Catherine’s, St. Thomas, Concordia, Metro University, St. Paul College, the University of Minnesota.  Cathedral B&B is continually the place where students and their parents come while the moving in process takes place.  It is nice and calm here, a good place to rest as you go about “emptying your nest”.

Take a Scott Fitzgerald walking tour while looking for your clues!

What did they watch from here?

F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in Saint Paul, and he was born in the year Cathedral Hill Bed and Breakfast was built. Of course 488 Holly was a single family dwelling then and not a bed and breakfast.  Fitzgerald lived in many places in this neighborhood and it is very fun to take a walking tour visiting the places where he lived.  Here is a link to the walking tour.  So, while the weather is nice, why not take the tour and look for some of our clues while you do so.  Remember, you will get 15% off  your stay if you get 15 of the 20 architectural pictures identified as to address.

Lions and tigers and bears oh my!

We have big news this weekend at the bed and breakfast.  Cathedral Hill Bed and Breakfast has just launched a new website.  There is all the usual information about policies, rooms, rates, breakfasts but what makes it all so exciting is that we now show you the blog and our Facebook page is integrated too.  This means, there are many ways to learn about the specials we run, the contests we are involved in and also what is going on around town.

Summit Avenue walking tour

Architectural detail Ramsey Hill

There is a very nice walking tour of Summit Avenue which takes place on Saturdays and Sundays in the summmer.  It originates only blocks away from Cathedral Hill Bed and Breakfast.  Plan ahead and experience the neighborhood.  You might even see some of the scavenger hunt clues!

Scavenger Hunt Day 2 and Summit Hill Pub Crawl

Clue 2 and Summit Hill Special Pub Crawl

On June 16, July 22 and August 19 there will be a pub crawl of Summit Hill.  You will learn the stories behind the  famous Victorian facade, and stop at some of the area’s fine drinking establishments.  This tour will be given through the Minnesota Historical Society.  The tours will leave from the History Center promptly at 7 pm and they will feature trolley rides.  Reservations required.