Hearts in Hawai'i
Our Chanhassen Dinner Theatre trip
9/21/2026
Patty and I had been wanting to visit the CDT for a couple years. We even got so far as viewing the available seats for a concert we wished to attend but not finding any good seats, we left the site.
But when I noticed "The Songs Of Laurel Canyon" concert on the CDT's website and checking out the available seats, I noticed hardly any seats had been reserved. This was our chance and we picked the aisle seats in the 2nd row. This (as it turned out) weren't close to be the best seats but, having not previously seen the venue, we had no way of knowing our error.
The Drive
While I've almost always enjoyed driving to the Twin Cities, having a new car (with maps courtesy of Apple Carplay!) has taken this to a new level. It isn't a coincidence that I get more angry driving in Duluth than I do in the Cities. The reason is simple; Duluth drivers suck, with no real understanding of "Slower Traffic Keep Right". They get this simple concept down there. Plus, having Apple Maps on the Infotainment screen makes finding nearly everything a simple task. No more paper maps! No more computer map printouts! The drive down there on Saturday afternoon was simple. Coming back Sunday morning was even easier, with much lighter traffic.
Best Western Plus--Edina/Bloomington
We've stayed at Best Western Plus hotels in the past and had positive reviews, especially the BW Plus we stayed at in Rapid City during our 2023 trip. But this location? Change the name to Best Western Minus and you'll have a more apt description.
What we liked/didn't like:
Liked:
The bed was comfortable with nice pillows
It was priced very reasonably
The television worked well as did the remote. There was a decent selection of channels
This hotel is just off an I-494 exit and very easy to get to.
Climate control (heating and cooling) worked well.
Didn't Like:
Spotty Internet service. It was out from Saturday evening well into Sunday morning. There was also nobody at the desk early Sunday whom I could talk to about this issue
No ice! All FOUR icemakers (one on each floor) weren't working. The lady at the registration desk claimed "Well, nothing I can do about it!" Poor service
The breakfast buffet was simple....I mean, minimal. Cheese Omelets, cold potato/peppers mix, the yogurt machine wasn't working. At least the coffee was hot! 
This is a pet friendly hotel, which is good. Walking into a room with the scent of urine? Not so good
Shower's drain was clogged, so the tub starting filling with water as you showered. Simple maintenance counts, guys!
Maybe nit-picking, but the supplied shampoo smelled awful
Would we stay here again? Nope.
Broadway Pizza--Richfield
We had considered a few pizza options in the Bloomington area--Pizza Luce was ruled out because we have one in Duluth! We also considered Red's Savoy in Edina, almost chose Pig Ate My Pizza, Giordano's. But it was a YouTube video, along with recommendations of a few Facebook friends, which pointed us toward Broadway Pizza. It was also a very short drive from our hotel, which never hurts!
This is in a strip mall on Lyndale Avenue; the interior is roomy and has that family feel to it. The immediate thing you notice upon entering is the smell of pizza! Wonderful. There is also a train set up on a track above our area which keeps circling around. The server didn't have a real story behind why the train is there other than to tell us "it's always been here".
We couldn't decide on an appetizer so got the Appetizer Sampler, which was okay. I really like the Italian Cheese Bread, not so much the wings. For our pizza, we both knew we wanted the Meat At Broadway pizza, which had a huge amount of toppings! Sausage, pepperoni, Canadien Bacon and crisp bacon. Since we love rating various restaurants while we eat (see our Duluth area restaurant ratings here), we talked about where this would fit into our Duluth Pizza ratings and slated it into the #6 spot (behind Sammy's, Godfathers, Shamrock Pizza, Pizza Luce and Valentini's). This is very good pizza! The appetizers were a bit overpriced and the pizza price was average. Look, going out is becoming more and more of a painful financial experience these days. But we thought Broadway Pizza carried a good value for the money.
Service was friendly, efficient and prompt. We would certainly return here but there are many pizzerias in this area we haven't visited yet. This was a good choice.
Chanhassen Dinner Theatre
"California Dreamin'-The Songs of Laurel Canyon" was our concert destination tonight. I was pretty sure I'd like the music but didn't know how Patty would react. No worries--she loved this concert every bit as much as I did! We had second row seats, but sitting about three or four rows up, where we would be looking more down at the stage than up, would have been better. Lesson learned for our next trip down here
It was a song and storytelling experience and we appreciated the stories behind the music, how everyone got together and were living close to one another in the Canyon in the late 60's until things basically fell apart in the 1970s. I was going to keep track of the songs but didn't feel like hauling out my phone and typing in the song names, so I went based on memory--sometimes a dicey proposition with me! 
Song List in no particular order (I may have forgot one or two!):
For What It's Worth--Buffalo Springfield
Different Drum--Stone Poneys
Sweet Baby James--James Taylor
Both Sides Now--Judy Collins
Turn, Turn, Turn--The Byrds
Take It Easy--The Eagles
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes--Crosby, Stills & Nash
Old Man--Neil Young
I'm The Slime--Frank Zappa
Doctor, My Eyes--Jackson Browne
Monday, Monday--The Mamas & The Papas
Last Train To Clarksville--The Monkees
You've Been In Love Too Long--Bonnie Raitt
Happy Together--The Turtles
Mama Told Me (Not To Come)--Three Dog Night
Ventura Highway--America
Angel--Jimi Hendrix
In My Room--The Beach Boys
Big Yellow Taxi--Joni Mitchell
Light My Fire--The Doors
Everybody's Talking--Harry Nilsson
Will You Love Me Tomorrow--Carole King
Okay, I admit it. I get sentimental sometimes listening to this era of music. We eyes wettened when listening to Old Man and In My Room. Both are excellent songs but Neil Young's classic really got to me.
Overall, this was a wonderful evening and concert. We did one thing which I think was almost brilliant--we left just as Turn, Turn, Turn (the finale) was being performed. Beat nearly everyone out of the parking lot/parking ramp area. 20 minutes later we were back at our hotel.
Aftermath
There is little doubt in our minds we'll be making more trips to visit the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre. They have an extensive list of concerts in their schedule and I'm sure we can find a few which appeal to us. As for where to stay, we'll need to find another lodging destination.
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last updated september 21, 2026
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