Rent a houseboat! If you’re looking for a new kind of in-town getaway, your chariot (er, houseboat) awaits in St. Paul. Consider a weekend aboard a docked 1949 Gordy Miller one-bed, one-bath house-that-floats for an escape your family will never forget. Docked at Watergate Marina at Crosby Farm Regional Park. $128/night, vrbo.com (filter by “boat” to find it)
Book a room at Nicollet Island Inn and tuck yourself away from your cares—and the city above. Your base camp on an island serves as an ideal spot for a walkable weekend along the riverbanks with plenty of dining options and sightseeing. Even take in a film at neighboring The Main, now being run by the MSP Film Society. nicolletislandinn.com
Stay on a tugboat! For a truly unique staycation, book a night (or two) at the Covington Inn (above)—a towboat turned bed-and-breakfast buoyed off Harriet Island. The boat’s come a long way from its mid-20th-century years of hauling petroleum and other liquid cargo on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. The four mahogany-and-brass-decorated guest rooms (including a fancy two-level suite) aren’t exactly original to the design, but they make for a lovely stay, as does the gourmet breakfast served each morning. covingtoninn.com
