Minneapolis

I was pretty tired today and didn't leave the motel until about 4:00 PM. Quincy was also very tired and spent most of the day asleep at my feet. When I left, he put up very little resistance to going into his crate for the evening.

Mall of America is actually in Bloomington, MN. It's a suburb of Minneapolis about three-quarters of a mile from the Motel 6 where I was staying in Richfield, near the airport. It's big.

Really big. Really, very big. For a mall. And it has roller coasters. But basically, it's just a really big mall.

I rode on the Orange Streak, which runs around the entire area of the amusement park inside the mall. The first time I rode, the attendant noticed my camera in my hand and informed me that photography was not allowed on the ride. I apologized and put my camera away.

I got back on a few minutes later and did a better job of hiding my camera.



I walked around the mall for a little while, but really just felt like I was at any other mall I've ever been to which was owned by the Simon family. One unique feature of MoA was the QVC store.


I didn't actually go into any stores while I was at the Mall. Except the Lego store. That was pretty cool. So cool, I forgot to take pictures. Instead, here's a sculpture made with canned food I found while I was walking around:


I left the mall after about an hour and a half and headed into downtown Minneapolis. I started out going by the Guthrie Theatre. Unfortunately the photos did not turn out. I then headed toward St Anthony Main in search of some Minneapolis nightlife. I drove down a very nice-looking cobblestone street, but didn't feel like getting out of the car. I drove by the University of Minnesota (Dinkytown) and ended up back near where I started in Uptown near Lake and Lyndale.

I parked the car in the first free spot I could find and started walking back toward the heart of the activity. I stopped off in a Dunn Brothers' coffee shop to grab a cup and look over the City Pages to see what kind of activity that might lead to. I wound up just walking up and down the streets. There were a lot of folks out and several bars that I could have gone into, but I just wasn't feeling up to it.

I think that traveling alone will pose a special challenge for me, at least in major metropolitan areas. I would much rather go out in social settings where I know at least one or two other people. I'm not big on going out to bars alone. Fortunately, I will have several stops along the way where I am meeting up with people I know.

Heading out tomorrow for Fargo, then heading south to Marvin, SD.