Minneapolis, the state's largest city, has about 377,000 people, and Saint Paul, the state capitol and second largest city, has about 287,000 people. I thought the cities were larger. Las Vegas, Cleveland, Omaha, and even Tulsa, Oklahoma are larger than Minneapolis. Philadelphia has more than four times as many people as Minneapolis.
On any given day, the MOA becomes the third largest "city" in Minneapolis.
Minnesota has about 5.2 million people, ranked 21st in the U.S. That is about half the population of Pennsylvania.
The weather in the Twin Cities area was about the same or slightly cooler than Pennsylvania (highs in the 50s and 60s) when we visited in early October. However, the average temperature is 17.9 degrees in December and February, and, get this, 11.8 degrees in January. The Twin Cities have an elaborate system of indoor heated skywalks to navigate through both downtown areas without freezing to death outside.
On that note, the MOA has no heating system. It relies on solar energy and people's body heat.
The MOA is the most popular tourist destination in the entire Midwest.
Yes, Minnesotans really talk with that accent you heard in the movie "Fargo." It can be very amusing sometimes. One person even said "Oh, goats!" as a mild expletive. That having been said, most of the people I interacted with were very friendly, outgoing, and more than willing to start a friendly conversation.
Surprisingly (to me), Most Minnesotans really had a lot of respect for Jesse Ventura and his practical, can-do attitude. They were disappointed when he said he wouldn't run for governor again, and blamed the media for being too tough on him. Opinions are mixed on current Gov. Tim Pawlenty. He was one of the finalists to become McCain's VP before a certain hockey mom from Alaska was ultimately chosen. He is a true fiscal conservative, but not a Christian right whack job like Mike Huckabee or Rick Santorum. Some people say that they are glad he wasn't picked for VP because Minnesota needs him, while others vehemently dislike him, even blaming him for the I-35W bridge collapse because he kept such a tight rein on the budget.
People are generally happy the I-35W bridge was rebuilt in less than a year and ahead of schedule. However, they wonder why another bridge across the river (I don't remember which one) has been under construction for more than five years.
Garrison Keillor is one of Minnesota's most respected people. I haven't really heard his stuff on NPR so I am not too familiar with him, aside from the syndicated columns in newspapers. There was even a store in the mall called "Lake Wobegon USA" with Garrison Keillor and "A Prarie Home Companion" related merchandise. Our tour guide did nothing but gush praise about him and the movie version of "A Prairie Home Companion," while Bob, our bus driver, said the movie was a bit too quirky for his taste.
Minnesotans love to tell "Ole and Lena" jokes, about a elderly Scandinavian couple. Some were funnier than others. Unlike other races who are appalled at ethnic jokes, Scandinavians like self-deprecating humor. I laughed a few times, because I happen to like corny jokes.
7 Yankee Stadiums can fit inside the MOA.
An 5.6 million square-foot expansion is planned for the MOA, making it the largest mall in North America (a record currently held by the West Edmonton Mall). The only part of the expansion built so far is an Ikea furniture store. The expansion includes a skating rink, Bass Pro shop, and an area for snooty, overpriced stores. The expansion is currently in limbo because of the current crappy state of our economy.
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