Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota

August 13-16, 2017

Getting to our campground northwest of Minneapolis was a minor adventure since a highway had been extended since our navigation program was created.  We were advised to exit where there was only an overpass, but with only minimal panic found our way.  In many urban areas, campgrounds are a bit of a drive from the city center.  This one was about 20 miles but almost all of it was on limited-access highways.

Minehaha Park and Falls

Minehaha (“curling water” or “waterfall”) Falls were flowing freely when we visited. In 1964, however, candidates Lyndon Johnson and Hubert Humphrey visited during a drought and the falls had to be supplemented by turning on fire hydrants upstream–and out of sight.  The park was one of the first state parks in the U.S. when Minneapolis purchased its land in 1889.  The falls had always been popular, but achieved increased renown with the 1885 publication of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “The Song of Hiawatha”.  Longfellow named the heroine of the poem after the 53′ falls.

The Mall of America

This wasn’t a planned destination for us, but we found ourselves nearby and took a look at the second largest mall in the U.S.  42 million people visit each year–eight times the population of the entire state of Minnesota.

At the center of the mall, Nickelodeon Universe is the largest indoor theme park in the U.S.

The mall includes over 500 hundred stores.  Here’s what we bought:  Lunch.

Downtown St. Paul

Cathedral of St. Paul (from the capitol)

The Landmark Center now houses art and culture organizations.  It was built in 1902 as a post office, court house and custom house.

Cartoonist Charles Schultz was born in St. Paul.  Peanuts sculptures grace Landmark Plaza.

St. Paul City Hall and the Ramsey County Courthouse was built in 1932.  Its exterior is American Perpendicular style.

The interior of the building is Zigzag Moderne, an art deco style as seen in an elevator door and mailbox.

Vision of Peace is a large statue in the lobby.  Smoke from the sacred pipes of five Native Americans form a vision that is extending holding a peace pipe in one hand and extending the other hand in friendship

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Finally, for fellow fans of A Prairie Home Companion, its home the Fitzgerald Theater is pictured below.