Why Visit Minneapolis Minnesota?
The City of Minneapolis unwittingly came to be, thanks to the incorporation of two riverbanks in 1850. The area, which used to be known as Gakaabikaang among the Ojibwe, is the incorporation of Mississippi and Saint Anthony Falls. The name Minneapolis is a combination of the word minne, a Dakota word which means water and polis which means city.
Today, the twin cities of St. Paul, the capital, and Minneapolis, which is the largest city in Minnesota, have been touted by the tourism industry as one of the coolest travel destinations. Culture and art lovers can have their pick of the various establishments in the city such as the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Weisman Art Museum.
Minneapolis may have been tagged as the water city because of its 10 thousand lakes. While this is true, there are a thousand and one things to do when in Minneapolis no matter what the weather is.
A person who can enjoy a place in any season will surely not mind winter in Minneapolis because he can go over the thirty ice rinks either for skating or ice hockey. He can also have his fill of popular outdoor activities like ice fishing, snowboarding and even cross country skiing.
The Guthrie Theater is also a landmark in itself as it has been the venue of performances by world-class singers and musicians. The Guthrie Theater has just been renovated so be among the first to witness the new location and design of the theater.
For those who cannot stand the cold or even the summer heat, there is always the option to spend a day or more at the famous Mall of America. Touted as one of the world’s largest malls, the Mall of America boasts of over 520 stores and an indoor Park with two roller coasters and other rides.
Nature lovers particularly those who favor the water world will definitely have a blast visiting the Underwater Adventure facilities right inside the mall. It has a huge aquarium with lives sharks and other fish resources. People can even pet sharks and celebrate their birthday right at the Underwater Adventure facility.
Dinosaur worshippers would not want to miss the Dinosaur Museum. This museum offers life-sized dinosaurs, not fossil and preserved ones. Witness an almost live Tyrannosaurus Rex and other species that have roamed the earth thousands of years ago.
Transportation to and from the Mall of America is convenient because it is connected to various destinations in Minneapolis through buses, rails and other modes of transportation.
For those who prefer to travel by car, parking is not a problem because Minneapolis offers professional and convenient parking methods for its visitors. Minneapolis has twenty-four parking ramps over nine areas or lots and this translates to about 24,500 spaces for parking all over the city.
To the newbie’s, Minneapolis is ruled by almost 6,800 parking meters except during Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Christmas and New Year’s Day and President’s Day. The parking meters are also not in operation during Veteran’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day and Columbus Day.
To access the electronic meters when parking, just purchase coins or cards from various locations all over the city of Minneapolis and St. Paul. So take note of the important places to go and create a well-planned itinerary. Who knows, there might be some time to visit Fort Snelling just near the Minnehaha Falls.
