By Gary Bennett
I’ve been to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, on several occasions, for business and pleasure, and have been impressed each time.
For pleasure, it was summer baseball and an Eagles/Jimmy Buffet concert that landed me twice in the beautiful Target Field in Minneapolis. For business, it was the rare wintertime business conference that spanned locations in both cities.
You might be wondering why these cities have the nickname they do.
“Twin Cities” refers to the region’s two core cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, which are about the same size and border each other on either side of the Mississippi River. They share many of the same political, educational and cultural institutions. St. Paul is the state capitol, as well as the political and architectural center, while Minneapolis is the cultural and business center.
The two cities revel in the fact that they share the headwaters of the Mississippi River. If you’ve ever been to New Orleans and seen the wide expanse of the mighty river as it meanders to the Gulf of Mexico, you’ll be amazed at its relatively modest and approachable size as it begins its southward journey near Minneapolis.
Indeed, the river not only serves as a natural boundary between the two cities but also as an unusual calling card. I highly recommend taking a walk along the shore and then across the historic Stone Arch Bridge for a spectacular scenic view of the river. Historic Rice Park in St. Paul snuggles up against the river. You can even book kayaks and canoes for an easy paddle down the river — or the Minneapolis Queen paddle wheeler, for a scenic, narrated cruise.
Having traveled to the Twin Cities in the summer and winter months, I wouldn’t recommend visiting in winter or early spring (unless you can’t get enough of cold weather and huge snow totals).
I must admit, however, there is a palpable charm and coziness to the Twin Cities in the cold months. Locals and visitors alike enjoy winter sports like ice fishing, cross-country skiing and ice skating. Their famous winter carnival arrives in St. Paul in January, featuring amazing ice sculptures, hot air balloon rides and a jazz festival.
A curious but vital manmade phenomenon in Minneapolis allows reasonably comfortable winter living. The climate-controlled “Skyway” hovers one floor above street level and connects miles and miles of residences, businesses, hotels, shops and restaurants in the downtown area. You do not need to go outside in the winter in the downtown area unless you really want to. It’s wonderful! I’ve not seen anything like it in any other American city.
From about May through October, the Twin Cities are delightful. They are well known for their remarkably clean air, tidy downtown streets, miles of bike paths and thousands of lakes and green spaces. Minnesota is known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” after all.
Even without the Skyway, the Twin Cities, with their perfectly flat terrain, are very walkable most of the year. It is easy to crisscross the area on foot to Target Field to catch a Twins baseball game, to U.S. Bank Stadium (previously The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome) for a Vikings football game or to dozens of fine restaurants known for their Scandinavian-tinged culinary prowess. There’s even an F. Scott Fitzgerald walking tour and the wildly popular Victorian ghost tours. If walking is not your thing, the Twin Cities provide lots of bike, Segway, motor coach or paddle-board tour options.
For the shoppers or curious among you, I recommend a road trip to Bloomington to the world-famous Mall of America. Once billed as the largest shopping mall in the world, MOA features more than 600 stores (with tax-free shopping on shoes and apparel!), 75 restaurants, 40 theater screens and even a 7-acre theme park known as the Nickelodeon Universe Experience. It comes complete with rollercoasters, a Ferris wheel, ropes and adventure courses, and bumper cars.
“Overwhelming” is not quite the word for spending an afternoon there, but it comes close. People-watching turns into a contact sport. But it’s one of those things you should do once in your life. MOA is about 12 miles south of the Twin Cities. I drove there, but it is serviced by light-rail that will pick you up at or near your downtown hotel and deposit you steps from MOA and back.
Of course, there are many fine theaters, zoos, aquariums, amusement parks, and museums to spend your time. Among the best are the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, American Swedish Institute, Minnesota History Center, the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, and, just outside of Minneapolis, Valleyfair Amusement Park with its Peanuts theme (creator Charles Schulz was a proud Minnesotan).
The Twin Cities also feature a few eclectic sculptures that are just right for that perfect selfie. In downtown Minneapolis, catch the Mary Tyler Moore sculpture with her iconic “throwing her tam in the air” pose. On the grounds of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, you’ll find the spoon and cherry fountain: a humungous spoon balancing an equally large red, ripe cherry. It is a must-see. And, if you’re a Peanuts fan like me, you’ll have to search out the bronze sculptures at Rice Park that portray the carefree happiness of Schulz’s beloved characters.
It’s not particularly easy to get to the Twin Cities. I have driven and flown. If you drive, it’s roughly a two-day drive of eight hours each along routes I-70, I-80 and I-90 (pretty easy to remember!). The midpoint is somewhere between Indianapolis and Chicago for your stopover.
Frontier has many affordable flights out of BWI to Minneapolis International Airport for under $150 each way. Southwest starts at about $300 each way.
There is a well-earned toughness about Twin City residents who point out how happy and healthy they are. Indeed, Forbes consistently ranks Minnesota as one of the top healthiest states in the U.S. There must be something to breathing all that cold air!
Gary Bennett is a longtime Frederick resident who spends his time hiking, biking, volunteering and providing childcare for grandchildren. He is married and retired from his career as a nonprofit marketing executive.
