MINNEAPOLIS - THE TWIN CITIES

Minneapolis is one of the Twin Cities that lie on each side of the Mississippi in eastern Minnesota, the other being St. Paul. However, these two cities are really not similar at all: Minneapolis is larger and more metropolitan, with lots of skyscrapers downtown and three major sports franchises while St. Paul, the capital, possesses more historical buildings and has more things to see, including the NHL's Minnesota Wild.

Minneapolis lies primarily on the western side of the Mississippi River, although the University of Minnesota and the historical area of St. Anthony's Main are on the northeastern side. The downtown core, which lies closer to the northern end of the metro area, contains the business district as well as the Metrodome and the Target Center. ThereMinneapolis City Hall is a good mix of older historical buildings as well as a number of newer towers that make the skyline very interesting. The riverwalk area just north of downtown is also a  good area to spend some time. For those interested in large malls, try Bloomington's Mall of America, which proclaims itself the largest in the world.

The old and new merge in downtown Minneapolis

Our impressions: The downtown core is OK to walk around in, but there is only one skyscraper that has a viewing deck (Foshay Tower), so unless you are planning on shopping, you are probably better off visiting the area north of downtown, where the University begins and where there are a number of historical buildings around St. Anthony's Main.

We found Minneapolis easy to get around in, and it was never busy on the streets; parking was also plentiful downtown. The Nicollet Mall is a pedestrian shopping area located on the western end of downtown and is a nice place to spend a couple of hours. There was a fruit market on the street which is something you don't see in the downtown core of most cities. As well, Minneapolis has the Skyway, a glass-enclosed skywalk that links the second floor of buildings throughout downtown - a great way to avoid the rain or snow which occasionally hits the city. The winter is particularly harsh, so the Skyway (as well as the heated streets of the Nicollet Mall) make things a bit more bearable for those traveling downtown.

Transit is plentiful, and seemed to go most places, but obviously a car is preferable if you plan to go to the suburbs. There are lots of highways around the city and we didn't see any major traffic problems, but we avoided driving around rush hours.

U of M is very large and has some good and cheap restaurants around it. There are also some reasonable hotels along University Avenue which keep you close to downtown without severely damaging your pocketbook.

Overall, we enjoyed visiting Minneapolis, but preferred St. Paul due its smaller size. Having said that, Minneapolis is home to the Twins, so if you are doing a baseball tour, you should check out the Metrodome, but also make sure to visit Midway Stadium and see the St. Paul Saints.