Twin cities wrap-up

I've been really busy since I got back to Pennsylvania, and now I finally have some time to chat about the rest of our trip to the Twin Cities.

On Sunday, after another fun morning of shopping in the MOA, we took a 3-hour bus tour of the Twin Cities. The Social Studies teacher in me wanted to learn more about the area than just the fact that there is a really big mall there. The tour was informative, and I was glad I got to see the cities.

The first stop was Minnehaha Falls, a rather scenic waterfall. Next, we drove through downtown Saint Paul, past the state capitol, and we took a quick look inside St. Paul's Cathedral, which looked like a scaled-down version of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. We also drove past the state capitol, which is very large and elaborate.

Then we drove down Summit Avenue which was a 4-mile-long stretch of beautiful victorian homes. By the way, Almost all of these homes had Obama signs in their front yards. Minnesota is leaning towards Obama, but is still considered a battleground state. After all, Minnesota is the home of some of the best known Democrats of the past few decades like Hubert H. Humphrey and Walter Mondale. (Who remembers the results of the 1984 election?)

Then it was on to Minneapolis. First of all, as a roadgeek, the highlight of the tour for me was crossing the new I-35W bridge. As you probably know, this was the bridge that collapsed last year, killing and injuring dozens of people. This is one of the busiest highways in the Twin Cities, so the new bridge needed to be built ASAP. Work progressed 24 hours a day, even through the harsh Minnesota winter, and the new bridge opened three months ahead of schedule.

I was surprised to hear other tourists make smart remarks like "Let me make sure I have my will drafted before I cross the bridge." I like macabre humor as much as the next person, and I didn't find this funny. Ounr next stop was at a sculpture garden where there were many modern art sculptures, most of which I just didn't get.

Then we drove past some of the lakes in Minneapolis. There are at least half a dozen large lakes inside the city limits, and the two I saw were very scenic.

Overall, this was a very informative tour, and it was nice to see the cities. Minneapolis looks like many other large American cities- modern, bustling, etc., but Saint Paul had much more of a European look to it with older buildings and brick streets. One of former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura's most memorable quotes was that the streets of Saint Paul looked like they were laid out by drunken Irishmen. I can see his point.

Then, it was dinnertime. We returned to downtown via the light rail. The $715 million Hiawatha Light Rail line opened in 2004 (now called the Blue Line), and goes from the Mall of America(south of the city) to downtown. Except for a tunnel at the airport, the line is all above ground, much of it follows surface streets, and is even able to stop at red lights. (However, it is able to control the lights like an ambulance or other emergency vehicle.) The ridership on the line has greatly exceeded expectations, and they want to build additional lines, including a line connecting Minneapolis and Saint Paul (update, the "Green Line" is now a reality, and several other extensions and routes are either proposed or under construction in the Twin Cities). The trains are clean, the ride is smooth, and the cost is reasonable ($1.75-$2.25 per ride).

The line was the brainchild of Gov. Ventura, who was able to convince the people and the state congress that it was necessary. According to our tour guide and other people I have spoken to, current governor Tim Pawlenty is not as effective at expanding the light rail, because he wants a line to go north of the city (where his family is) and many people are opposed to it. (Update: despite opposition, the Blue Line extension is proposed and scheduled to open in 2021.)

Anyway, dinner at the Melting Pot was wonderful as usual, but they skimped on the cheese! There's no excuse for this, because we were 20 minutes away from Wisconsin! I still prefer the Melting Pot closest to us in Towson, Maryland.

We had a few more hours on Monday to say goodbye to the Mall. We also visited the aquarium underneath the mall. It was worth seeing, and they had a good collection of undersea life including several good-sized sharks (check out this video of Darwinism in action taken at the aquarium), and a 300-lb. turtle. On the downside, the walk through the aquarium was short, only about 40 minutes or so. We had discounted tickets and paid $15 per ticket. I would recommend the aquarium, but only if you can get a break on the ticket prices. Our hotel had the coupons, and I am sure most of the hotels around the mall have the same coupons.

Overall, it was a great trip. Some people say the Mall is just a bigger, gaudier version of a regular mall, but I thought it was overwhelming, fascinating and well worth seeing. Cynics say that the mall is a giant concrete symbol of American consumerism, and I respond to that by saying that I am proud to be an American!