Snowless in Minnesota

Anderson Sculpture Garden, Minnesota

The late arrival of spring last year postponed our trip to Minneapolis to visit an art installation. Art installations come and go no matter what the weather has in mind. We've visited Minneapolis several times in the past ten+ years, but this is the first time we chose to fly and not drive. For us, the drive totals less roughly nine hours with one stop to fill up tank. Through Iowa. So, it might seem a few hours longer.

We, however, like driving through Iowa where we can count the erratics alongside the road. Fans of Frank Lloyd Wright will find even more reasons to stop and take a tour or two. On all of our previous drives to Minnesota we've seen and done it all, even stretching the journey into two days in order to catch all the thrill to be had in Iowa.

On the other hand, Southwest flies direct to Minneapolis and that sounded inviting this year. Despite the shattering of plane windows on two Southwest flight recently, we booked our flight and headed north. Minneapolis is one of the few cities where tourists without cars will have an easy time of getting around to the sites, tastes, and treats in town using public transit at a very reasonable cost.

For the second time, we stayed at the Courtyard Marriott hotel near Mall of America which places us close to airport. The light rail system services both locations all day and after midnight. Add to this convenience the hotel's shuttle service to and from both locations and ya gotta wonder why anyone would bother driving through Iowa or for that matter across the Dakotas or Wisconsin.

As far as chain hotels go, the Marriott's Courtyard meets the home away from home criteria. It has a restaurant with a typical selection which is to say pretty plain and palatable to weaker taste buds, particularly at breakfast. In addition, the bar is conveniently located in the lobby and nicely decorated with plenty of seating. The hours for the bar suffice for Happy Hour and a night cap, but early drinkers better walk the half mile or so to the liquor store. Rooms are clean and the beds are comfy. The staff have been well trained in the Marriott tradition and in many cases remember the guests by name. If something isn't right, let the desk know and things will be to your liking soon.

Whether you arrive late and relax before heading out or jump back on the shuttle to catch the next light rail trip, convenience is always key for the first day. The shuttle runs regularly and the drives can answer all questions regarding getting around Minneapolis by rail. Be aware, though, that if you aren't prepared to do long walks between museums, restaurants, sporting events, and general touristy sites, you will need to hail a ride from Uber, Lyft, or the traditional taxis all around town.

We planned accordingly and the light rail took us all the way to downtown Minneapolis. From the rail station we walked a dozen blocks to have lunch and await the opening of the installation in the Warehouse District. Along the way, the Mill Museum, the library, and the plentiful shops along the "sky-way" walks between buildings filled our day. When our legs began to complain, we found pleasant seating inside building lobbies, benches in parks outside, and randomly placed Adirondack chairs right on the sidewalk.


 Don't forget to visit the Anderson Sculpture Garden  and walk around the amazing sculptures.