A weekend getaway in Minneapolis

Just recently I made a short four-day weekend trip to Minneapolis, meeting up with a few college buddies who also flew in. It was as good as it gets for a weekend getaway - lots of catching up and reminiscing while also getting to see a new American city. We were able to check out some of the interesting tourist attractions, neighborhoods, and restaurants that the city offered. Also nice was that we didn’t stress, taking time to get good rest and morning exercise.

Our hotel was the Hyatt Regency near the Mall of America. It was a really nice location - just a few stops from the airport via the light rail, and another few stops from the Mall of America. The station was really close to the hotel, essentially separated by a small grassy space that apparently can hold events. One of my friends rented a car, which was totally fine as the hotel had convenient on-site parking, probably free. The area was not urban, so nothing really to walk to, but one could easily take the light rail to the Mall or downtown.

Mall of America

We went to the Mall of America a few times. Huge. I had heard it was a big mall, the biggest mall in the US. But seeing it in person was an experience. It still felt like a mall, except it kept going and it was easy to get lost. There was also an amusement park and an aquarium among other things. On one of our visits we caught a Korean culture festival in one of the central areas.

In the end, I am not a mall person, and wasn’t too impressed with many of the food options, but it seemed like it could be a great place to meet and socialize, especially during the colder months, and it does serve the community by hosting events. Some of the stores I did like included:

• Barnes and Noble
• a Capital One cafe
• a boardgame store There was also a mini-golf venue, but we didn’t have time for it.

Downtown and surrounding parts

We didn’t spend too much time downtown, but overall we did get a pleasant impression - tall buildings, interesting architecture, light rail and bus access, walkable. There were sky bridges connecting a number of the buildings, presumably for the winter season. For a high elevation perspective, Foshay tower had great views.

Applying my urban angle sense, it seemed that Minneapolis could benefit from more density. More residential construction, restaurants, and cultural amenities, which would help make more light rail lines or even underground lines economical. A number of interesting parts of the city can only be accessed by bus.

Art

There were a number of art museums, but we had time just for one, for which I picked the Museum of Russian Art (TMORA). Housed in a Spanish Mission style building, it had some interesting exhibitions that were about to wrap up:

1. Monumental Soviet Paintings
2. photographs of Soviet Avant-Garde Architecture

The first exhibition had large scale oil paintings, a number of which were focused on Soviet work scenes. They were in a realistic style, so nothing abstract or constructivist. The architecture photographs were quite interesting, covering a number of buildings from the 1920s - 1950s. The basement had a collection of permanent works, including some nesting dolls. Overall, it’s a very unique museum providing a window into the Soviet era.

When we were there, there were some classical piano works being performed. It was a nice touch, not sure how frequently it happens. On a side note, perhaps worth mentioning, they do stand by Ukraine.

George Floyd Square

We paid visit to George Floyd Square. It just seemed the right thing to do for an event that still feels recent, shocking, and so relevant. There were fist sculptures in the streets approaching the intersection as well as at the intersection itself, and plenty of inspiring street art all around, but the main area was a section cordoned off around the intersection that functioned as a memorial space. It was walkable, and filled with objects, plants, a picture of George Floyd, and if I recall, there was music playing too.

The area felt “charged”, as if one were stepping into a sacred space. The general sense seemed to be how to take George Floyd’s legacy, and bring a sense of regeneration. It looks like it was maintained and cared for by volunteers; how the space will evolve in the coming years, I do wonder.

Vikings vs Bengals

The game wasn’t much of a game - it was a blowout and we had left by the middle of the third quarter. But the US Bank stadium itself was something to see. It was fully covered, with a part of the ceiling translucent and allowing for natural light. Seats were comfortable, there were plenty of food options, and some interesting visual art in the walkways such as one on Prince. Also, just lots of purple.

The stadium looked full, probably even sold out. We had taken the lightrail to the game, and that was packed, which was good to see. Also, we picked up a new phrase - “Skol Vikings”. It’s the Vikings fight song, which per wikipedia means “cheers”.

Itinerary

• Day 1
  • Stayed at the Hyatt Regency
  • Mall of America, went by light rail
    • Jerk king Caribbean
    • Walked around mall
    • Barnes and Noble, bought book on Minneapolis
• Day 2
  • Minnehaha Falls
  • Hen house - vegan oat pancakes
  • Foshay tower
  • Nicollet island, Hennepin Avenue Bridge
  • George Floyd square
  • Sculpture garden
  • Spice and Tonic restaurant
  • Walk on bridge at night
• Day 3
  • Reverie
    • Nice vegan restaurant
    • I had a Breakfast burrito and a pumpkin spice soft serve
  • TMORA The Museum of Russian Art
    • Exhbition on Monumental soviet paintings
    • Another exhibition on “Avant-garde architecture of the Soviet Era - photography by William Brumfield”
    • There is also a small permanent collection in the basement
  • Mall of America visit again
• Day 4
  • Hen house - brunch - vegan
  • Vikings football match
    • Arrived via light rail, which was packed
  • Yet again, another visit to the Mall of America

Some Tips

• One thing we wanted to see, but were not able to, was Paisley house.
  • book tickets in advance
  • probably 2-3 months for a weekend tour
• The weather was just perfect in September.
  • As I am writing this now, I can see that the weather in early October is still pretty good - highs in the 70s and lows in the 40-50s