Q: I’m going to be visiting Minneapolis with two teenage girls who haven’t spent a lot of time in a big city and am wondering which skyscrapers have public observation decks.

A: Despite an abundance of skyscrapers, the only public observation deck is on the 30th floor of the lovely but relatively shrimpy Foshay Tower (now a glam W Hotel).Tickets are $8 for the general public, $5 for seniors. Children under the age of 12 are free. Other great places in Minneapolis to take in gorgeous vistas include the views of the Mississippi River and St. Anthony Falls from the Mill City Museum and the Guthrie Theater’s Endless Bridge. For a great view of downtown, head to Thomas Beach on Lake Calhoun.

This Friday marks the reopening of the Wisconsin Dells Tommy Bartlett Water Show, the Vegas-on-waterskis spectacle that’s been drawing crowds since 1952 . (As you may recall, the show was closed last summer after flooding burst a dike that drained Lake Delton.) Get in the spirit with this human pyramid video, and relive old times with this vintage 1967 clip. 

Q: My family and I would like to spend some time this summer at a family camp. Can you suggest one?

A: Family camps — traditional summer camps that are open to the entire family — are a great vacation option for families who enjoy the outdoors and the inherent hokiness (think skits and “repeat after me” songs) that comes with the summer camp experience. Several Minnesota children’s camps offer  family sessions in addition to their regular programs. But when it comes to camps that are devoted solely to families, the best known and loved is Camp du Nord, on Burntside Lake outside of Ely.  Run by the YMCA of Greater St. Paul, du Nord hosts sessions throughout the year. Their extremely popular summer sessions are filled by a lottery in the dead of winter, but the camp’s website shows they still have openings, especially at the begining and end of summer. Please note that some of those sessions take place before the full-team of counselors — whose grace and wit are the hallmark of the du Nord experience — is in place and that there may not be as many organized activities as there are during the peak of the season.

Q: My husband and I are planning a weekend in Madison. Any suggestions about what to do?

A:  The Wisconsin capitol is one of our favorite midwestern getaways. Home to both the University of Wisconsin and the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile, Mad Town mixes the high brown with the down-home. We suggest starting your trip with a crash course in Wisconsin humor by attending a live performance of Michael Feldman’s radio program Whad’Ya Know. We especially recommend the shows that are held at the  Monona Terrace Convention and Community Center, a gorgeous lakeside complex inspired by the designs of native son Frank Lloyd Wright. Other must-dos  include the Dane County Farmers’ Market held at the Capitol and a visit to the U of W’s Aboretum. And what self-respecting traveler could visit the epicenter of America’s dairyland without a stop at an ice cream store? There are no shortage of options, but we particularly love Babcock Hall Dairy Store, where the university’s Department of Food Science peddles its yummy inventions.

What are your favorite things to do in Madison?

According to the Minnesota Climate Working Group, many of the lakes in the northern tip of Minnesota are still covered with ice. As the state’s fishermen know, that won’t be the case for long and we can now start to think in earnest about our longed-for summer getaways. We love Burntside Lake outside of Ely, home to YMCA camps and classic resorts such as the iconic Burntside Lodge. We especially love Camp Van Vac, a rustic resort that keeps to the simple traditions of a bygone era. Get into the spirit of the place with this video. 

My family couldn’t afford to go away for spring vacation. Our solution? My kids and I communed with the Mississippi River by checking into the Aloft Hotel in the Mill City neighborhood of downtown Minneapolis for one night.  Expedia told me that the hotel was within my price range. Little did I know that the place is a kid paradise, with a lively lobby scene (board games, lots of flat screen TVs) that made us feel more than welcome. My kids loved the Guthrie Theater’s public areas, including the Endless Bridge and the glass floor in the theater’s 9th floor lobby. We strolled on the Stone Arch Bridge and walked around the neighborhood. I wanted to visit the Mill City Museum but was overruled in favor of the hotel’s indoor pool.  ”I feel like I’m in another state,” my son Peter said from the hot tub. An enthusiastic endorsement if there ever was one.Did the recession change your family’s plans for spring break? What did you do?