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Been there, done that. I wouldn't make it a destination. But if you are in Minneapolis, it's an OK place to spend half a day, and waste some money buying a bunch of crap. I suggest that you look for some other things to do in Minneapolis and St Paul. Because the Mall of America is just shopping mall. A really big one, but still just a shopping mall.
I read all the responses and all I can say is this...if you want to go, then go...satisfy your curiousity. Life is too short to worry about what others think of your vacation choices.
I would tho look at the other suggestions for back up plans.
I'm not one to judge another's vacation plans...I would love to take a trip to see silly things like the largest ball of twine or Laura Ingles Wilder's homesteads.
If it is something that you want to see, then go. There must be some other things in the area to see and do to make a combined trip. Vacation should be something you want to do, not something that your friends and acquaintances think is sophisticated. It's for you, not them.
[quote=snofarmer;27053790]A mall as a tourist destination, ie a vacation spot
shopping as a recreational activity.
Actually, it appears to me that shopping is what tourists do. Tourist destinations are full of little gift shops that are full of tourists. Whenever I have guests, they spend a couple of days shopping (which might have something to do with no sales tax in Oregon)
If it is something that you want to see, then go. There must be some other things in the area to see and do to make a combined trip. Vacation should be something you want to do, not something that your friends and acquaintances think is sophisticated. It's for you, not them.
A mall as a tourist destination, ie a vacation spot
shopping as a recreational activity.
Actually, it appears to me that shopping is what tourists do. Tourist destinations are full of little gift shops that are full of tourists. Whenever I have guests, they spend a couple of days shopping (which might have something to do with no sales tax in Oregon)
The OP actually requested advice and even went as far as to ask to be taught out of going. So posters are responding to the request by giving their opinion of the place.
The mall has one, maybe two tourist stores selling things for tourists, every other store is the same exact stores found in every other area of the country. A Starbucks is a Starbucks, the Macy's is the same as every other one, the Tony Roma's does not sell any special Mall of America food.
It is implied the OP was seeing if thet would be satisfied with the resources spent in making the mall the main focus of the trip; which many seem to agree that it is not worth making a trip just for the mall, but for other things and just include the mall as a couple of hours part of the trip.
If the OP lived a few hours away, that is one thing, but to fly from California for the specific purpose of visiting the mall, and expect something different than other malls, it going to leave the OP with a sense of a waste of resources.
Sure, why not? I visit Minnesota somewhat frequently and I don't mind taking a quick walk through MoA.
I would suggest going over the summer as Minnesota is a beautiful place. Don't care much for the snow or cold, though. I would also suggest a summer trip to catch a Twins game at Target Field, it's a beautiful ballpark.
Last time I went to MN, I ate a Jucy Lucy for lunch and at Khans Mongolian BBQ for dinner.
Some people like to just get away for a change of scenery, regardless of the attraction. And if you like indoor places rather than outdoor, then this seems like a good choice. It's definitely a popular destination for many Americans.
There is also the skywalk-level shops which occupy several downtown buildings in Minneapolis.
Don't tell me this guys! I'm in California & I LOVE to shop. I've been wanting to make a tiny trip out of going to the MoA for years & still haven't had a chance to do it yet. I'm talking just about a 3-4 day trip to scope out this mall & do whatever other interesting things I can find. Plus, it doesn't hurt that there's no sales tax to shop at the mall.
OK, I understand that some of you say it's "just" a mall with the same old stores, but there must be more of some different stores that my state doesn't have to make that mall that much larger OR is it only huge because there's a few of the same stores throughout the mall, like 3 Express stores, 3 H&M stores, etc.
Living in Minnesota, I've been to the Mall of America several times. When I was a kid, it was like the greatest place in the world: there was that amusement park (Snoopy Land, I think) with awesome rides, lots of neon lights, even strange-looking people speaking strange languages (something I didn't get to see very often in Duluth). Now I think it merits a two hours at the most. If you're flying through MSP, by the way, the Mall and airport are connected by about a 15-minute $2 light rail ride. They're physically close to each other.
A potential bonus for out-of-state is that Minnesota has NO sales tax on clothing. An antique dealer once used that to sell my mother a rug with a hole in it. I walked outside the store to the vehicle wearing it.
There's a lot of other things you can do in the Twin Cities, and many of them are accessible from the same light rail line that connects the mall. One particularly pleasurable activity, though not in the winter, is to rent a bike and ride it around the Chain of Lakes as well as go exploring on the Twin Cities metro's extensive bike trail system (which earned it the best cycling city award). Or rent a car and drive the two and a half hours up to Duluth, a city built on a hill with the westernmost port in the Atlantic, and north from the up the North Shore and into the BWCA, where you can canoe to your heart's extent, or eastward to the Apostle Islands of Wisconsin where you can kayak in sea caves.
If you visit the region, though, the ideal period is July through September, although it can be rather hot and humid (at times), especially in the Twin Cities. The fall foliage up north is beautiful at the end of September, but be prepared for potentially chilly temperatures in the 40's and 50's (though it can also be 80 there at the beginning of October).
Last edited by tvdxer; 11-28-2012 at 11:25 PM..
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I would also suggest a summer trip to catch a Twins game at Target Field, it's a beautiful ballpark.
