Minnesota General Information Nickname: North Star State State bird: Common Loon State flower: Showy Pink and White Lady’s Slipper Capital: St Paul Date of admission to the Union: 11th May 1858 Population: 4,919,479 (2000) Population density: 21.8/sq km 2000 total overseas arrivals/US ranking: 364,000/20 Time: Central (GMT - 6). Daylight Saving Time is observed. The State: Minnesota, the second northernmost State in the USA (after Alaska), is one of the nation’s leading outdoors tourist destinations, with 68 State parks, 55 State forests and more than 12,000 lakes. The State borders Canada, the upper Midwest States and Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world. Travel - International AIR: International airports: Minneapolis-St Paul International (MSP) (website: www.mspairport.com) is 16km (10 miles) from the cities (which are contiguous). An airport limousine service and taxis are available. A $2.6 billion expansion plan is underway to accommodate the growing number of passengers, expected to reach 40 million per year by the time the improvements are completed in 2010. Approximate flight times: From Minneapolis/St Paul to London is 8 hours 30 minutes, to New York is 2 hours 50 minutes, and to Salt Lake City is 2 hours 40 minutes. RAIL: Minneapolis/St Paul is on the Amtrak (tel: (800) 872 7245 (toll free); website: www.amtrak.com) Chicago–Seattle line; for approximate travel times see the Illinois section. ROAD: Approximate driving times: From Minneapolis/St Paul to Duluth is 3 hours, to Madison is 5 hours, to Fargo is 5 hours, to Sioux Falls is 5 hours, to Omaha is 7 hours, to Chicago is 8 hours, to Winnipeg is 8 hours, to St Louis is 11 hours, to Rapid City is 11 hours, to Denver is 17 hours, to Dallas is 19 hours, to New York is 25 hours, to Seattle is 34 hours, to Miami is 35 hours and to Los Angeles is 41 hours. All times are based on non-stop driving at or below the applicable speed limits. Approximate bus travel times: From Minneapolis to Duluth is 3 hours, to Fargo is 5 hours 30 minutes, and to Milwaukee is 8 hours. Greyhound (tel: (800) 229 9424 (toll free); website: www.greyhound.com) is the main service provider. Introduction MINNEAPOLIS: Minneapolis and St Paul adjoin each other on either side of the Mississippi River and have a metropolitan area population of nearly three million. They are known as the Twin Cities and began as frontier towns, with German, Irish and Scandinavian immigrants. Minneapolis is a modern city with fine theatres, nightclubs, stores, a year-round sports programme and a distinguished symphony orchestra. The city is also the site of one of the world’s largest universities, the University of Minnesota. Nicollet Mall is a downtown shopping promenade that includes the 51-storey IDS (Investors Diversified Services) Center, which towers over the downtown area, Nieman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts exhibits major art masterpieces from Europe, the Orient and the Americas. The Walker Art Center stages contemporary art exhibitions, concerts and lectures and also features an Outdoor Sculpture Garden, which is the largest of its kind in the USA. It is open all year round and is one of the State’s top tourist attractions. Other highlights include the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum; Valleyfair amusement park; and Minnesota Zoo, with more than 2000 plant varieties and 375 species of animals. Minnehaha Falls was made famous in Longfellow’s poem, The Song of Hiawatha. The Target Center, HHH Metrodome, St Anthony Falls, St Anthony Main and the ‘Mississippi Mile’, a riverside recreational park, are all notable attractions in downtown Minneapolis. Mississippi River steamboat excursions are also popular. The Hennepin Avenue Theater District and the Warehouse District offer evening entertainment. ST PAUL: Older and perhaps more dignified than Minneapolis, as befits a State capital, the city has abundant parks and lakes. The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts offers drama, concerts and art galleries. The Science Museum features the William L McKnight Omnitheater. The Landmark Center now houses the Minnesota Museum of American Art. Its distinguished history includes the trials of several famous gangsters in the 1930s, when it was the Federal Court House. Excursions: Bloomington, 15 minutes from Minneapolis and St Paul, is home of Mall of America. The largest entertainment and retail complex in the USA, it attracts 42 million visitors each year. One of the newest attractions is Underwater Adventures, a 5.4 million-litre (1.2 million gallons) walk-through aquarium. See the Social Profile section for more information. Stillwater is a charming, historic town on the St Croix River, 30 miles northwest of the city. DULUTH: This scenic port at the western tip of Lake Superior receives ships from all over the world (via the St Lawrence Seaway). Attractions include harbour and lake cruises; Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, the St Louis Country’s Heritage & Arts Center, known locally as The Depot; and the Skyline Parkway, high above the city. Spirit Mountain is a year-round holiday and outdoor recreation centre 11km (7 miles) south of Duluth. ELSEWHERE: The spectacular North Shore Drive (US Highway 61) follows the north shore of Lake Superior for 240km (150 miles) from Duluth to the Canadian border and was recently designated an ‘All American Road’ for its unique, scenic beauty. Split Rock Lighthouse State Park preserves one of the most scenically-situated lighthouses in the USA, about 43km (27 miles) north of Two Harbors. The North Woods region embraces vast wilderness and lakes. Major resort areas include the towns of Brainerd, Bemidji, Detroit Lakes and Grand Rapids, as well as the Lake Mille Lacs area. The Mississippi River begins in Minnesota, travelling over 1000km within the State. The Great River Road that runs south from the Twin Cities to the Iowa border offers magnificent views of the river and the many bird species, including the American Bald Eagle, that travel this route on their migrations. Social Profile Food & Drink: The Twin Cities have many excellent restaurants, notably steakhouses; however, international cuisine as diverse as Greek and Japanese is also widely available, and Minneapolis is home to the newest Hard Rock Cafe. Regional freshwater fish is a speciality. Theatres & Concerts: The Twin Cities offer more theatres than any other US metropolitan area outside New York City, with more than 100 theatre companies. The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis is dedicated to the innovative presentation of classical drama. Broadway shows and theatrical events are performed at the restored Orpheum Theatre, State Theatre and the newly opened (in 2003) Historic Pantages Theatre in the Hennepin Theater District in downtown Minneapolis. The Minnesota Orchestra performs regularly at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. The St Paul Chamber Orchestra’s home is the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts Theater in St Paul. Nightlife: The State’s nightclubs offer rock groups, jazz combos and musical comedy. Popular gathering places are the Loon and the Fine Line Music Cafe in the Warehouse District of Minneapolis, and the Dakota Bar & Grill in St Paul. America Live! is a nightclub collective in the Mall of America. Shopping: The Mall of America stands 15 minutes south of downtown Minneapolis at Bloomington. It is home to more than 520 stores, dozens of restaurants (including the first Rainforest Café), nine nightclubs, 14 cinemas, an indoor roller coaster and a walk-through aquarium. At each corner of the mall are the major department stores – Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Nordstrom and Sears. In the centre is Camp Snoopy, a seven-acre family theme park, surrounded by four three-level shopping streets. Sport: Owing to its many lakes, Minnesota has plenty of fishing opportunities, as well as every kind of watersport. It is excellent for camping and hiking. The State has the largest population of timber wolves, nesting bald eagles and common loons (diver birds) in the USA outside of Alaska. Canoeing is available in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in the Superior Natural Forest. There are also good golf facilities; in 2002 Minnesota hosted two international tournaments: the PGA Tournament and the Solheim Cup. Wintersports are also well provided for, abetted by the State’s strategic northern location, and skiing, ice-skating, sledding, ice fishing, dog sledding and snowmobiling are all available. Special Events: The following is a selection of events taking place in 2003: Jan 24-Feb 2 Winter Carnival, St Paul. May 1-4 Festival of Nations (multicultural festival), St Paul. Jun 27-29 Scandanavian Hjemkomst Festival, Moorhead. Jul 10-26 Mississippi Melodie Showboat, Grand Rapids. Jul 11-13 and 18-20 Heritagefest (German festival), New Ulm. Jul 18-Aug 3 Song of Hiawatha Pageant (weekends), Pipestone. Aug 21-Sep 1 Minnesota State Fair, St Paul. Oct 3-4 and 10-11 Oktoberfest, New Ulm. Nov 28-30 Lighting Festival – Village of Taylors Falls. Dec Hollidazzle Parades, Minneapolis. Climate Winters are cold with adequate snow for skiing, skating, snowmobiling, ice fishing and sledding. Summers are warm, with adequate rainfall for crop growth and are conducive to summer sports, including swimming, fishing, camping and hiking. Minnesota only rarely experiences heat waves or drought. Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.