In the Bold North, Minnesota contains untapped wilderness and a major urban center.
When it comes to notorious winters, Minnesota is one of the kings. Like its neighbor North Dakota, the state of Minnesota gets relatively frigid. This Upper Midwest state is full of many adventures for the avid traveler. Unlike some of its Midwest counterparts, Minnesota’s topography is not cornfield dominant, as it is comprised of dense forests and the Lake Superior shoreline. I have been to the Gopher State four times in my life between 2010-2016. Though the state is large, I have spent my visits primarily in major urban center Minneapolis/St. Paul. With that, let’s get to my favorite Minnesota aspects:
Minneapolis/St. Paul
Facebook” 102.1 the Edge.These twin cities are two culturally distinct downtowns right next to each other. St. Paul is the capitol of the state with historical sights, but Minneapolis is the more “popular,” as it has sports stadiums, the University of Minnesota, nightlife, and the large sculpture Spoonbridge and Cherry. I visited this city icon once, and it’s essentially a spoon with a cherry on top that weighs a staggering 7,000 pounds. It was constructed in the mid 1980s by Claes Oldenburg and his wife Coosje van Bruggen. Seeing a sculpture of a large spoon was exceptional, as it took a contemporary concept and made into art, one of the city’s must visit visual icons.
Hocktoberfest. Facebook: Visit Saint Paul.In addition, I took a tour of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings Metrodome stadium in 2013 before it was torn down to make way for a newer stadium. The Metrodome, as it was called, was built in the early 1980s after late Minneapolis mayor Hubert Humphrey. It was gigantic, and I was given the opportunity to step onto the field during a tour with my family and my cousins in 2013, six months before the teardown began. It was an amazing experience to step onto the field and take in the entire stadium as if I were a player gearing up for action. Unfortunately, any dream I have about being a major-league player will be only in that moment of being on the turf.
Facebook: Mall of America.Perhaps the biggest attraction in the Twin Cities area is the Mall of America. The name says it all, it is the largest mall in the country. I have been to this mall twice, and I am impressed to this day by it. With three floors, lines of retail stores, and an amusement park inside, one cannot imagine the sheer diversity of amenities here. Now if you think a rollercoaster passing you by inside a mall is crazy, try seeing it with your own eyes from the third floor. A unique concept it is, but the Mall of America stands out by having an amusement park full of rides. It’s called Nickelodeon Universe, and the theme resemble the kids’ TV channel. Though I didn’t take any rides, my family and I walked through the mall theme park, and the thumping of the rollercoaster wheels against the metal rails made me feel like I was in an actual amusement park. Aside from shopping, the mall takes it to another level by offering a jumbo 18-hole mini golf course and an aquarium.
Distinct Landscapes
I will admit, driving from Minneapolis to Fargo, North Dakota (Part 7) for three hours was showcasing a traditional Midwest landscape of fields. The sunset over the fields was still gleaming, and I admired the natural outlook. Though this part I drove through on Interstate 94 was mostly fields, the northern part of the state is overwhelmingly wilderness. Forests, Lake Superior, and plenty winter snow all are staples of the atmosphere here, completely different from the fields normally perceived in this region.
Lake Superior. Facebook: Everything Minnesota.