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hey danny,
i live in Sioux Falls, and have been to the cities quite a few times. I usually take the Highway 60/Highway 169 route...from my experiences, it's takes the same amount of time as taking I-90 & I-35, because the speed limit on the interstates in MN is 70 mph. The scenery is beautiful on 169 north of Mankato... one bad thing is that between Windom and St. James, the highway is only 2 lanes, and traffic is pretty heavy...
happy travels!
Either way has its advantages and disadvantages. Based on my experiences, 169/60 has a little slower speed limits and towns to go through, but it is two-lane for most of the stretch and is a nice road to go through. If the weather is good and travelling in the day, this route is preferred due to cutting 30-40 miles off the trip (and my car gets better mileage). 35 is nice during night, non-rush hour times, and weekends. It is a pain in the rear during rush hour. If you are going to western and southern areas of the Twin Cities, 169/60 is better. If you are going to other parts of the Twin Cities, 35 is easier. One thing to note: Minnesota does a better job with clearing the roads than South Dakota and use a lot of salt and sand on the roads (often heard from my relatives who live in Iowa near the South Dakota and Minensota borders).
My ex-girlfriend went to St Thomas. It's a beautiful campus.
It depends on the time of day and whether or not you are going to be traveling during the week but you might want to consider staying on 494 until you hit 35E and then head north to St. Paul. I absolutely hated the 494/35w cloverleaf entrance and exit ramps and they ALWAYS seemed to be busy. You will overshoot the target a little, but I can guarantee it will be less stressful. I would take exit 104b, take a left across 35E to Lexington Parkway turn right. When you get to Grand take a left and it will take you almost right to the campus (the main route does a little dogleg right before the campus but you are within a half a block at that point) as an added benefit, you will see some of the prettiest houses in St. Paul along the way. (At least one of them was designed by Frank Loyd Wright)
(BTW I agree with SODak11, after you have been on the road a lot, those lights on 169 are just plain annoying!)
Have a safe trip. If you can try and make it to a Holidazzle parade. It's a lot of fun but be sure to bundle up!
Thank You all for the great replies! You've been more than helpful! I've decided to take I-90 to I-35 at Albert Lea, and head straight into the cities. It seems like there will be less congestion and stoplights, plus I'd rather stay on the Interstate in mid-December.
I will likely see the Holidazzle Parade, because I will be spending most of my time downtown at night. Does anyone know any good clubs to go to? I hear good things about Aqua, Deja Vu, and First Avenue venues. Any other suggestions? Another thing, how much is a light rail ticket between the MOA and Downtown?
I think I'll ask these questions on the Minnesota page too!
This will list fares for the metro in Minneapolis. I have been on it and it is handy.
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