When you visit Minneapolis, Minnesota, add the Paisley Park Tour to your list of things to do in Chanhassen. I purchased the 90 minute Paisley Experience tour for $48.00. Of course, I am familiar with Prince and his music. I can now say that I am a true Prince fan.

2 One-way Flights

Although my flight was at 9:00PM, I headed to the airport from work. I took my time getting to Midway and made a few stops along the way. Now when I booked the flight, I only had Thursday off. If I had known sooner about the additional day off, I would have planned this trip differently. The Minneapolis flights are 43 and 44. I am going for 50 flights this year. I booked two one-way flights. Why? Well, the flights were $49.98 each way. I used a travel hack and received a $49.98 credit for one flight. The total cost of this trip should have been $49.98. Because I booked so many flights, something was bound to go wrong.

Homewood Suites

Because I knew I would Uber to Paisley Park, I saved money on the hotel accommodations and redeemed 30,000 Hilton Honors points to reserve my room. The hotel has a shuttle to and from the airport. Well, the last shuttle left the airport at 9:30PM. My flight landed at 10:30. I called an Uber. No problem, I had not redeemed my $15.00 November Uber credit from Amex. Check your credit card benefits. When I checked in, I asked for an upgrade or “whatever I get for Diamond status.” My room was on the highest floor, and the front desk clerk offered me two bottles of water. The room was clean, and it had a pleasant smell. I also saved money on breakfast because Homewood Suites offers complimentary hot and cold breakfast: biscuits and gravy, oatmeal, sausage, eggs, bagels, and danishes.

Paisley Park

The drive to Paisley Park was less than 30 minutes from the hotel. I arrived early per directions on the ticket. My tour was at 9:20AM and over at 10:50. Just so you are aware, you will be asked to power down your phone and place it in a bag. If you have an Apple Watch, you will need to power it down too. A staff member will lock the bag for part of the tour. Everyone I encountered seemed to be genuinely excited about working at Paisley Park. There was so much to see. I could not believe I was standing in the home where Prince lived. Visit every room during the Paisley Park Tour. Watch every video clip. You will learn something new about Prince during this tour. As you stand in the foyer/entryway, please look up to see the doves on the 2^nd floor.

Mic Check

I will not give away everything, but you will see the soundstage, and the tour guide shared stories about the various artists who recorded music in Paisley Park. Of course, there is a story behind the shoes. Do not overlook his shoe collection or the video about the shoemakers. Can you have a party and concert at your house for 1,500 guests? Then there was the Music Club. I admit I was hesitant about purchasing the Ultimate Experience because I did not know what to expect on the Paisley Park Tour. Now, I hate that I missed out. I enjoyed the tour, and I want to go back to see everything. Paisley Park is massive.

Time to Head Home After the Paisley Park Tour

I caught the hotel shuttle to the airport. The TSA agent said, “I need to call a supervisor.” My ID beeped when it went through the scanner. When I displayed my boarding pass, the agent said I was in the wrong terminal. I quickly explained that I was heading to the airport lounge. He asked for my boarding pass again. He then said, “Where is the boarding pass for Chicago?” I booked two one-way flights from Chicago to Minneapolis. Wow. Now I had to scramble to find a flight home. The fare to Chicago was $173.98, and the flight was at 3:55PM. I canceled the other flight and received a travel fund. I could have applied my travel fund to the flight. The round trip flight now cost $123.98, but it should have only cost $49.98.

Escape Lounge and Budget

I am glad I arrived at the airport early and resolved my issue with the flight. Of course, I was ready for a complimentary pre-flight meal and drinks at the Escape Lounge after my ordeal. Although I had two airport lounge options, I went to the Escape Lounge located in Terminal 1. You will need to catch a train and tram to get to the terminal. Allow plenty of time to get back to Terminal 2 if you fly Southwest. If you are looking for additional travel ideas, visit my website.