Thursday, July 25th – Friday, July 26th, 2013
We went off to visit the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN, and failed to enter underneath the 7-foot clearance of the parking garage. After reversing the van, we found parking outside the mall that didn’t require a such a tight squeeze. Then we strolled through the shops on the first floor. We were there early and so they were still opening up for the day. By 10 am, we were able to enter, “Nickelodeon Universe,” the theme park in the center of the mall, and get on some of the rides!
We got our ride passes and got on the “SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge” coaster first, then the “Paul Bunyan Logger Flume” ride where we got a little wet. The next ride we got on was the “Pepsi Orange Streak” rollercoaster which traveled around the inside perimeter of the mall. I was having a blast, yelling with my arms up in the air until the waist bar released on me. I didn’t do that anymore.
We did our share of shopping, then ate at “Noodles and Co.” which had really good Bangkok Curry Noodles with tofu, then we went for another round of amusement rides until our heads ached. It was time to explore Saint Paul, MN.
In town, we checked out the shops along Grand Avenue, grabbed some caffeine at “Dunn Brothers Fine Coffee,” egg salad sandwiches at “Kowalski’s Market” then returned to the Walmart. My brain felt like it’s been dislodged from my skull. I think I’m getting too old for roller coasters.
My brain still hurt as we returned to “Dunn Brothers” for coffee and found parking in Minneapolis, MN. We walked around the sculpture garden then took the bridge downtown.
There were a bunch of people in the process of setting up the “Tour de Fat” beer and bike fest by “New Belgium Brewing Co.” as we arrived. We checked out the Twins baseball stadium with a statue out front honoring Kirby Puckett, saw the Mississippi River again, then grabbed lunch at “The Local” where we spilt two meals: the walleye sandwich and the veggie burger. They were both delicious!
We returned to the van and drove in the rain along I-35 North to Duluth, MN. On our way there, we got stuck in traffic and found entertainment while we watched the angry commuter that was driving in front of us, flicking everyone off. He was clearly having a better day, than we were.
As we moved slowly along the road, we saw several signs saying “Bob Dylan Way”. We weren’t aware of it before, but later learned that Bob Dylan was born in Duluth.
Eventually we got through traffic and parked the van downtown, then strolled around as the sky drizzled on our heads, stopping in a few shops and enjoying the view of Lake Superior.
We grabbed lunch in Miller Hill Mall where we moseyed around before driving to Hermantown, MN where we found a Walmart filled with RVs, a sure sign of a safe place to park overnight!
Jump Back to Part 72: Mosquito Murder Spree & When Roosters Attack
Jump Ahead to Part 74: Scooby Doo, Dragon Boats & The Fur Trade
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Start Over at Part 01: The Blue Bubble, Freebies & A Rude Awakening
Stubbs Rambles On 