Minneapolis, MN

In October 2008 I took a weekend trip out to Minneapolis to visit a friend. I personally never imagined I would have a reason to make it out to Minnesota, but as it turns out I did. I do have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the twin cities and what they have to offer.

The first night was a Friday night, so like most travelers after settling into the Crownplaza Northstar on 2nd St, I headed off to dinner. Chinos was the spot of choice. Sushi and exotic drinks made up most of the menu and the atmosphere was something to speak of. Chinos is a large restaurant with many tables wrapping around a center bar area.

I made my way downstairs to the bathroom after ordering a Mohito. As I walked in I felt disoriented while looking into the mirrors to the left of me. What appears to be a double mirror is actually no wall at all and you can see straight through to the men's room!

Back upstairs we ordered three kinds of sushi and a chicken peanut lo main dish for our meal. The food was excellent and our seat next to the window was an ampule spot for people watching.

From there I was wildly entertained all night by a series of clubs and bars in Minneapolis. We hopped in and out of taxis, clubs and bars for hours most of which is a slightly a blur.

The next morning we woke up early, grabbed some breakfast and headed off to the Science Museum of Minneapolis. The Science Museum offers plenty of educational exhibits to play with as you explore. We followed our tour up by catching a showing in the IMAX theater. " Mysteries of the Great Lakes" was showing.

On Sunday, after checking out, I decided I had to see what this famous Mall of America was all about. So we decided to head over there before my flight in the evening. The ginormous three floor mall is overwhelming to a person who has not been to it before. Any store you can possibly wish to find there, you will find there. Let me not forget to mention the Nickelodeon theme park located directly in the center of the mall. After shopping around a bit we decided to head over to the Showcase cinema inside the mall. We watched "Max Payne" and headed for the airport.

Although already a bit cold in late October, Minneapolis had plenty of activities to keep an individual entertained. I can only image it being even more appealing in the summer months when the weather permits you to walk around the city more comfortably. In case you were wondering about that, don't worry, Minneap has sky walks that allow you walk from building to building without even going outside!