A Summer Visit to the Twin Cities; Minneapolis-St. Paul in Minnesota

State Fairs hold a unique place in our heritage and the Minnesota State Fair in Minneapolis, August 27, may well be the grand lady of all State Fairs in the Midwest. If you're considering a grand summer vacation, then planning a trip to Minneapolis that includes the State Fair is a great idea. Because there's more than corndogs and Fairs in Minne Apple, as the local residents dub their city..

There's in incredible variety of tourist and scenic attractions both urban and nature that will provide everyone in the family with something fun to see or do.

Minneapolis-St. Paul, or the Twin Cities, is located in a naturally beautiful area of our country with sparkling lakes all around and the mighty Mississippi beckoning. At Minnehana Falls Park, you can walk the beautiful wooded trails to reach the Mississippi on foot and you can visit the five story high waterfall that inspired Longfellow to write the Song of Hiawatha. It's a majestic soaring beauty surrounded by green cliffs and woods. Admission to the park is free, making this an economic way to spend a day in Minneapolis.

A day in the Minneapolis could be spent at one of the 22 different lakes surrounding the city. At Lake Calhoun you can swim and sunbathe on the beautiful beach, take out a canoe to explore the entire lake, fish and picnic. A few blocks away is the Lake of the Isle where you can hike, bike and explore the historic mansions that line the lake. They are an impressive sight built by the cities most elegant citizens and still occupied for the beautiful view they possess.

Minneapolis is world renowned for it's beautiful skyline and it's architecture. With structures like the St. Paul's Cathedral where soaring spires, a golden dome and magnificent stained class windows rival those of Rome's own cathedrals. Just around the corner from St. Paul's is the opulent home of the Gilded Age's railroad magnate and a guided tour will transport you back in time to the 1890's. It's only one of the many incredible historic buildings and homes in Minneapolis.

There's Fort Snelling, a living history site and museum and there's Stone Arch Bridge where trains once tracked across the Mississippi heading east and west. Now it's completely devoted to pedestrian travel and from it's high arches you can admire the incredible view of the mighty Mississippi and Minneapolis.

If more modern architecture intrigues you, then check out the Fredrick R. Weisman Art Museum, a madcap unique aluminum clad building that looks like something from a science fiction movie gone bad! Designed by architect Frank Gehry, the museum's collection feature many 20^th century American artists including a large collection of Georgia O Keef's work. It's one of my favorite art museums because the museum itself it such a work of art in its structure and appeal.

And of course, no mention of a Minneapolis vacation would be complete without suggesting that you visit The Mall of America, America's number one tourist spot. There's no way to even list all the shopping options in this 12 block mall in the very heart of Minneapolis. If you go, you'll need about 100 hours to visit every store and along the way, keep your eye peeled for the statue of Mary Tyler Moore tossing her hat in the air. I'll give you a clue...Look for the Macy's!

Many people might not consider a August summer vacation to an urban location like Minneapolis, but it's unique wonderful blend of natural and man made wonders make's Minneapolis a fantastic location for an affordable summer trip. There are campgrounds, state parks, budget hotels, and plenty of hotel beds in the city to accommodate a wide variety of budgets. The Twin Cities are actually two distinct municipalities in two separate states but conjoined by their spread and the Mississippi River at their hearts.

The food of Minneapolis reflects the pioneer spirit combined with the new urban growth of Minneapolis as a world class city. Tim McKee's, La Belle Vie, may be the most striking European classic restaurant, but there are many amazing restaurants for the epicure traveler. There is really no one native food or culture that can be truly identified with Minneapolis although many ethnic cuisines have thrived here as reflected in the populace at large.

If you are interested in attending one of Minneapolis most well known traditions, a viewing and taping of Garrison Keiller's Prairie Home Companion, then make sure you plan ahead to reserve tickets. These are highly treasured and sought after commodities but well worth the planning ahead. No trip to Minneapolis would be complete without a visit at least once to the show at the famous Fergeuson Theatre on the St. Paul side of the city.

Minneapolis-St. Paul, an amazing city, has much to offer the traveling vacationer; but I suggest that you make the 100^th Anniversary of Minnesota State Fair part of your planning this year. The Fair begins August 27^th and ends September 8^th. That leaves you plenty of time to check out all the other amazing venues and sights of The Twin Cities.

Resources to use when planning a trip to Minneapolis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minneapolis_%E2%80%93_Saint_Paul

http://www.minneapolis.org/

http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=252

http://www.weisman.umn.edu/

http://www.mnstatefair.org/

http://www.mallofamerica.com/#/main/home/home

http://www.cathedralsaintpaul.org/

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/visitors/fooddrink.asp

http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/programs/schedule/

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/minneapolis-modern