From Wikitravel

Minnesota [1] is a state in the Midwest of the USA. Known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes, it technically has well over 15,000. The northern tip of Minnesota that juts into Lake of the Woods is the most northern point in the lower 48 states of the USA.

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 5 Talk 6 Get in 7 Get around 8 See 8.1 Twin Cities 8.2 Duluth 8.3 Rochester 8.4 Outstate 9 Do 9.1 Events 10 Eat 11 Drink 12 Sleep 13 Stay safe 14 Get out

Regions

• Twin Cities
• Northwestern Minnesota
• Northeastern Minnesota
• Southern Minnesota

Cities

• Bloomington
• Chanhassen
• Darwin
• Duluth
• Frost
• Mankato
• Minneapolis
• Moorhead
• Northfield
• Rochester
• St. Cloud
• Saint Louis Park
• St. Paul
• Stillwater
• Winona
• Virginia (Minnesota)

Other destinations

• Mall of America [2]
• Minnesota Landscape Arboretum [3]
• Flandrau state park
• Voyageurs National Park
• Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
• Lake Superior
• Minnesota Zoo

Understand

Talk

The stereotypical Minnesotan dialect as popularized in the film Fargo is more prevalent in northern and rural parts of the state than it is in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, but it is by no means non-existant even there. The dialect is characterized by long vowels (especially Os as found in the word "boat") and a sing-songy intonation.

In addition to a unique dialect, Minnesota also has seveal phrases and colloquial expressions that can be overheard somewhat frequently. These include:

• You betcha (You bet)
• Hot dish (Casserole)
• Oh yah (Yes)

Get in

Three Interstate Highways travel through Minnesota. I-90 and I-94 travel East-West, while I-35 travels North-South. Several other national and state highways also travel through the state.

The Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) a major hub for Northwest Airlines [4], while regional airports exist in Duluth (DLH), Rochester (RST), Saint Cloud (STC), Brainerd (BRD), Bemidji (BJI), Thief River Falls (TRF), Hibbing (HIB), and International Falls (INL).

For rail travel, there are Amtrak stations in La Crosse (Wisconsin), Winona, Red Wing, Saint Paul, Saint Cloud, Staples, Detroit Lakes, Fargo (North Dakota), and Grand Forks (North Dakota). These are served by the Empire Builder daily, which runs from Chicago to Seattle/Portland.

For bus travel, both Minneapolis and St. Paul are served by Greyhound.

Get around

The Metro Transit [5] offers bus and light rail services to the Twin Cities and their surrounding suburbs. Average fare for either service is typically $1.50. The fare buys the rider a pass that can be used to ride on or transfer to any Metro Transit bus or train for 150 minutes.

The relatively new light rail service offers a visitor-friendly line that connects the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), the Mall of America, the Warehouse District, and downtown Minneapolis among other places.

See

Twin Cities

• Walker Art Center [6] and adjacent Sculpture Garden, near downtown Minneapolis.
• Science Museum of Minnesota [7], in downtown Saint Paul.
• Gutherie Theater, newly opened, June 2006

Duluth

• Canal Park
• Glensheen Mansion [8], locally famous "haunted" mansion.
• Great Lakes Aquarium [9]

Rochester

• Mayo Clinic [10], an internationally-known hospital.

Outstate

• Itasca State Park [11], home to the Mississippi River headwaters.
• Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) [12], part of the Superior National Forest.
• Pipestone National Monument [13], home to Native American petroglyphs.

Do

Events

• Minneapolis Aquatennial [14]
• St. Paul Winter Carnival [15]
• Minnesota Irish Fair [16]

Eat

Drink

In Minnesota, as in the rest of the United States, the drinking age is 21. If you appear to be under the age of 30, expect to be asked for a photo ID when entering a bar or making a purchase at a liquor store. Unlike other states, you cannot buy alcohol in a grocery store, unless it is 3.2 beer, which is a low-alcohol beer containing only 3.2% alcohol by weight (4% alcohol by volume) that quite frankly, isn't very good. Some grocery stores don't even bother selling 3.2 beer even though they are allowed to. If you want regular beer, wine, or other alcoholic products, it can be purchased at a liquor store. Please note that liquor stores are closed on Sundays in accordance with Minnesota state law, meaning that you cannot purchase any alcohol for home consumption on that day. This is less of a problem if you are near a neighboring state with less restrictive liquor laws. Residents of the Twin Cities region have been known to make the short drive to Wisconsin on Sundays to purchase alcohol.

Sleep

Stay safe

Minnesota has one of the lowest crime rates in the nation.

Get out

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