MN Stops

Just because hubby and I have been here a year (egads, a year in July!) doesn't necessarily mean that we're helpful tour guides. Besides Mall of America and St. Anthony Falls at the Mississippi River, there really isn't many places that we know of and how to get around. Sad, I know. But like I said before, with my sis and her family here, it gave us a chance to play tourist ourselves. Here is a list of places we saw and restaurants we ate at during their stay:

- Mall of America. After they got settled in their hotel, we took the hop, skip, and a jump to MOA. As expected, they were overwhelmed. We walked around a bit and the kids got totally excited when they saw all the rides and games. But hunger took over and we headed to the Rainforest Cafe. But in order to get there, we had to pass the main attraction in the center, Camp Snoopy. Click here to see a cool pic of the famous indoor theme park, then click on the link to see what it all entails. Honestly, it's all very cool. Dinner was eventful to say the least. I remember eating at the Rainforest Cafe once, but I don't remember all the creatures, thunder, lightning, etc. Poor Nico got all freaked out everytime the lights would dim strobelight style simulating lightning. It made for a cute picture, though, with him grabbing hold of his mom. Then there was our waiter Charlie. Ate was commenting on what a cutie he was and that he kept winking at her! Lol! The food was okay, nothing spectacular. I think more people go for the whole atmosphere thang. Plus, it's fun for the kids...for Bina anyways.

- Albertville Outlet. Ah yes...the shopping. I must remind you all that Minnesota has no tax on clothes. None. Zilch. Nada. To look at it another way, just think that it's like a sale everyday! Plus, when you're making a big purchase (like Ate did at Banana Republic!), it makes a big difference. There's this big hoopla about this particular outlet mall. Apparently there are many others, but this one is the best. Think Gilroy and Vacaville, but in our opinion, better. As my sis and family were preparing for their trip, they already told me that they were going to pack lightly. They wanted to take advantage of the "no sales tax on clothes" deal and wouldn't you know it? They arrived with one piece of luggage! One luggage for a family of four. Wow. Needless to say, they bought another piece of luggage here, on sale of course, to stuff all their purchases in for the trip back. And take advantage they did...wow. Oh, and all the Mervyn's stores in MN are closing down, too, and they're having major sales! I think that it's safe to say that they got their money's worth...or as Nico would say, their "nomey's" worth! Lol!

- Famous Dave's. Can I just say YUM?! This has got to be THE best place to get ribs over here. FD's is a chain reminds us of Armadillo Willy's, but better. It's funny 'cuz there's one right near our apartment, but we've never been there. 'Twas always crowded..and now we know why. If we knew just how finger lickin' good it was, we probably would've eaten there ages ago! Hubby and I are constantly complaining how there's not too many good places to eat over here. We seriously miss the different cuisine of the Bay, that's no joke. If ya'll ever take a trip to visit us, count on a trip to Famous Dave's. It'll knock you out of your socks, don't cha know? You betcha'!

- Fort Snelling. Located about a mile from the airport and sandwiched in between the Mississippi and the freeway lies this very historic site. The history behind it is really fascinating, especially for history buffs like my brutha man and hubby. When I heard fort, I automatically thought of Fort Point at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. Fort Snelling ain't nothing like it. Fort Snelling is huge. There's so many trails to wander about, different buildings that have been modeled to depict life back in the 1800's, and the best part of all, all the people who work there are costumed guides dressed in pioneer style clothes who surprisingly, stay in character. We wandered on our own, were greeted "Good Day" by various "characters," met a blacksmith who explained his trade, and even watched a canon demonstration. The "kaboom" of the canon was HELLA loud! The place wasn't completely busy with visitors and it made me wonder if the people who work there go about their pioneer life even when no one visits. There were a couple buildings that I know for a fact that we were the only ones there and yet, here were people behind a rope doing their thang. 'Twas like a living museum. They'll talk to you if you ask them questions and they'll always say, "In our time..." I never realized how rich the historical background of Minnesota was until this visit. Plus, we got to see a 15-minute film about the whole expansion project...you know, taking the land that rightfully belonged to the Native Americans and taking over. Same old sh*t from the white man's world. But it was cool because many of the towns over here have maintained the Indian names: Owatonna, Mendota, Minehaha, White Bear are just a few examples. Overall, it's definitely a place worth visiting again.

Of course, we did a lot of hanging out and catching up. Watching the kids be kids is always fun...watching them laugh, run, get in trouble, cry, whine, whine, whine...Lol! According to my sis, lil' Nico has gotten into a whining phase and she kept joking that this was how I was going to remember their visit. Nah, not at all. I'll remember playing tourist, going shopping, eating out every night (oh boy, did we eat out or what?!), but most of all, the hugs, the kisses, the smiles, the talks, and everything in between. I loved that they were here and I dreaded the day they would leave. It felt perfect to be all together again and not have to worry about long distance phone calls. Hopefully it won't be too long til I see them again. Perhaps August timeframe, I may make a trip back to the Bay for a bit. Having them here made me realize how much I really miss them all and I'm just grateful for the time that we had.