Northern Delight

Far from being the center of a frozen tundra somewhere, Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a lovely town of 300,000 residents that
visitors might enjoy. Fortunately, guided tours of the area are available through several hotels and through the Chamber of
Commerce. Visitors to the area may just be surprised at the lovely views and culture the area has to offer.

Get the lay of the land before you dive in and take a bus trolley tour of the city; guided tours are available daily and
will show you the IDS Center, the high rise building featured in the “Mary Tyler Moore Show” and the statue of Mary nearby
on the Nicollet Mall.  The trolley will show you around the lakes and the fabulous homes there, including Mary’s “home” in
the show.
You’ll also catch sight of the Basilica of St. Mary’s, one of Minneapolis’ largest and most beautiful churches.
Once you’ve seen an overview, many guided tours will take you to the Walker Art Museum—a contemporary art museum with many
unusual sculptures and paintings.  Perhaps the highlight, however, is just outside in the sculpture garden where large
statues grace paved pathways that visitors can walk on.  One of the most famous sculptures is of a large spoon with a cherry
in the spoon.  There is also an indoor greenhouse that features flowers all year round.
Another museum on the docket of most guided tours is the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.  This is a more traditional art
museum with old paintings, sculptures and ancient artifacts from all over the year.  The Institute offers both its permanent
collection and one or more traveling collections, such as the Monet exhibit, throughout the year.
On the subject of museums, perhaps you’ll be able to convince one of the guided tours to take you across the river to
Minneapolis’ sister city of St. Paul.  There you can see the Science Museum of Minnesota, which has exhibits that vary over
time, and its Omnitheater—a large planetarium-like large-screen theater offering spectacular shows.  In addition, families
might wish to take in the Minnesota Children’s Museum, a lovely place to take the kids.