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For those of you arriving in the Twin Cities this weekend for the Republican National Convention we would like to welcome you. You have to remember that Minneapolis and Saint Paul are two distinct cities and that people from Saint Paul will take offense to you calling their city Minneapolis.
Both cities have fantastic Democratic Mayors. RT Rybak is Minneapolis' mayor and Chris Coleman is Saint Paul's.
I lived in Minneapolis for 8 years before moving to Denver 2 years ago. If I still lived there I would have missed the convention in Denver and been on the protest lines in Saint Paul.
You will arrive in the beautiful Minneapolis/Saint Paul International Airport (MSP). The airport is located just south of both cities and is much closer to everything than Denver's airport.
If you live in Minneapolis, chances are a plane is flying directly over your house right now.
You may want to take a brief stop in the bathroom on the left if you have time. Wide stances and toe-tapping are not suggested while you're there.
Things I can suggest seeing while in the Twin Cities are the Chain of Lakes (Lake Harriet, Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles). If you're a Mary Tyler Moore fan, the house at the opening of the show is on Lake of the Isles. While in he area check out Uptown and a great restaurant called Chino Latino. Just north from uptown on the way to downtown Minneapolis is the Walker Arts Center and Sculpture Garden.
In downtown Minneapolis you can see the Target Center, where Ron Paul and his supporters will probably outnumber McCain supporters in Saint Paul.
Another thing you may notice is the walkways connecting all of the buildings. It gets a little chilly during the winter and these allow you to stay inside as much as possible.
Minneapolis is a beautiful city... take time to walk around. I could go on and on about all the great places to see.
Saint Paul is the capital of the great state of Minnesota and while often thought of as Minneapolis' smaller sister, it's really come a long way to becoming a destination by itself.
Check out the Science Museum across from the Xcel Energy Center, the Cathedral of Saint Paul and the State Capital.
The X (as the locals call it) is the best arena in the world. There's no better place to watch a hockey game or see a concert. It's a shame the Republicans have to slime it up.
Almost forgot... they have a pretty big mall there to. You can get to it on the Light Rail from Downtown Minneapolis. It's worth checking out once. I think I remember hearing that the population of the Mall of America at times makes it the 3rd or 4th biggest city in Minnesota.
Have fun! And Republicans... please clean up when you're done. Thanks.
Logging you in...
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Kenny · 865 weeks ago
If you are among the many who have arrived early or will be hear on Monday morning, check out the Minnesota State Fair which serves wild and crazy foods (often on a stick) like deep fried twinkies, chocolate covered bacon, and hotdish on a stick. The Fair also has its fair share of political booths for you to visit.
There are also the numerous parks that dot the Twin Cities that I'm sure many of you have heard about. Minnehaha Falls is one destination for those who like a good walk and there is also Como Park Zoo and Conservatory. Nice place to spend an afternoon and free admission.
For those willing to try the nightlife, there are three areas you can try to have a good night. There is always the
Warehouse District with its popular night clubs and bars just down the street from the Target Center where the Rally for the Republic and the Rage Against the Machine Concert (hard to imagine they'll stay apolitical) will be held. There's also Uptown which is the trendy area of town with loads of art and music. Finally for those who really want to go to local dives and even enjoy the college scene, there is Dinkytown which also has some good food joints to hit up like Annie's. There is of course more, but all these areas I do enjoy on top of those already listed.
You could look at the RNC Guidebook published by the rake that has 128 pages of local attractions. That is of course if you're not from the Virginia delegation which canceled the order due to the 6 page GLBT section. But all you other states can!
Allen Fisher · 865 weeks ago