I'm gonna be in Rochester/Minneapolis for work the next 2-3 weeks if anyone's keen to link up and skate. Otherwise tips on bars, food, skate spots/parks, and anything else is much appreciated! thanks.
Rochester has a lot of spots downtown around the Mayo Clinic. Security can be tight around there but you can get lucky on the weekends later on in the day. Their skatepark is pretty fun but kinda weird (half concrete/half shitty metal pre-fab). I haven't eaten there a whole lot but people seem to like John Hardy's BBQ.
I live in Minneapolis and you really can't go wrong just skating around downtown. Definitely check out Government Center (rainbow banks) and the parking garage across the street. There's also some good spots at the new U.S. Bank Stadium and the surrounding plazas. As far as skateparks I'd recommend checking out the new Burnsville park. It's got a bowl and a really fun street section. Eden Prarie, New Hope, Oakdale, and Woodbury have pretty fun parks too. If you want to check out a shop, I prefer Cal Surf (right next to a bunch of lakes that are good for swimming/chillin).
Minnehaha Falls is pretty cool but can get real packed with tourists this time of year. Five-Watt and Boiler Room are my favorite coffee shops and Glam Doll has good donuts if you're into that. As far as bars go, UpDown is a new "barcade" where all the games are 25 cents (10 cents on Thursdays) and the beers are cheap especially during happy hours. Kitty Cat Klub is dope but pretty much the only cool thing in the area. CC Club is where I'll usually be getting drunk and where most of the skaters hang out. I work next door at French Meadow which is good for food but it can get spendy. Hard Times has big portions for dirt cheap. It's a cash only vegetarian spot with a funny mix of crust punks and college kids. Caffrey's has good sandwiches.... I tend to eat pretty cheaply so you might want to look elsewhere for better food suggestions.
The State Fair is going on right now and that's worth checking out especially if you've never been. Just send me a message if you wanna know a specific spot or anything else.