Many vacation destinations have a limited season. Most people don't go to the tropics in the heat of summer or to Alaska in the winter. You can put those considerations aside, however, when it comes to visiting the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. These exciting Minnesota cities are truly a place for all seasons.

Fall offers an abundance of activities for those visiting the Minneapolis area to take part in. (Photo Credit The Greater Minneapolis Convention & Visitors Association)
Minnesota is "The Land of 10,000 Lakes" and 22 are located in the Minneapolis metro area. The lakes, and the beautiful parks that surround them, provide locals and visitors with year-round recreational activities. While some cities virtually shut down when winter comes, it's not so in the twin cities. Here people simply shift gears and begin enjoying all the great things that winter holds.

While Minneapolis is famous for many things, its biggest attraction is its retail behemoth, Mall of America. Just imagine, 520 stores, 60 restaurants and 8 nightclubs, a 14-acre indoor theme park and a million-gallon walk-through aquarium. You can ride on the new Timberland Twister, catch a movie on one of 14 screens or shop at the new IKEA Superstore (Scandinavian home furnishings). The mall has its own post office, police department, medical clinic and wedding chapel. Located next to Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, the mall has customers arriving daily from all over the U. S. and as far away as Japan. One big attraction is no sales tax on clothing or shoes. Another, it's all indoors. Cool in the summer. Warm in the winter.

In downtown Minneapolis scores of buildings are connected by all-weather, glass-enclosed Skyways. There are seven miles of these elevated walkways connecting buildings in a 72-block area. There are several major department stores, including Marshall Field's, and hundreds of specialty retail outlets. You can shop, eat, attend a meeting or take care of business without once going outside.

When the weather's right, however, locals and visitors alike enjoy coffee or a delicious meal outdoors. Many restaurants and cafes feature sidewalk tables along the nine-block-long, traffic-free Nicollet Mall. Try Keyes Cafe or Hell's Kitchen. You can also stroll along the Mississippi Riverfront through the heart of downtown and enjoy refreshments at Tuggs River Saloon or Vic's Restaurant.

Minnesotians love the outdoors, and winter or summer they enjoy a wide variety of outdoor activities. You might play softball at one of the city's 170 parks. It was invented here a hundred years ago. Or hike or bike on any of the miles of scenic trails. In the winter city lakes become playgrounds for skaters, park trails attract cross-country skiers, families sled on the golf courses and there's even ice fishing. Experience indoor ice fishing in a heated icehouse on Lake Minnetonka.

Better than at New York's Rockefeller Plaza, ice skating at Peavey Plaza in downtown Minneapolis is wonderful. Open year-round, the 485-acre Minnesota Zoo is the nation's second largest zoo and features 450 animal species in natural habitat exhibits.

For the past 114 years, St. Paul has held its annual Ice Carnival featuring outdoor ice sculptures and (when it's cold enough) a spectacular ice palace. This popular winter event draws nearly a half million visitors. Bigger yet is the Minnesota State Fair held each August. One of the largest agricultural fairs in the country, it draws a little less than 2 million visitors in 12 days. The fair is famous for "food on a stick"‹there are 150 different varieties.

Golf is also popular in the Twin Cities with 18 beautiful, challenging public courses, plus 4 private courses and 3 PGA-rated golf resorts nearby. Minneapolis has the largest number of golfers per capita of any city in the nation.

The Mississippi River is a major visitor attraction and there are riverboat cruises day and night, providing a great way to view the cities. Cruises pass through the river's largest lock, one of 22 between Minneapolis and New Orleans.

Minneapolis is a major sports city with the Twins, Vikings, Timberwolves and Lynx. In addition, The University of Minnesota offers a full schedule of Big Ten football, basketball, and other athletic competition.

Minneapolis is also a great theater town with more stage productions than any city outside of New York. There are also world class performing groups like the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. The visual arts get lots of attention at the Walker Center (a new facility is under construction), Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Weisman Art Museum on the Univeristy of Minnesota campus.

Eating out is a favorite pastime for Twin City residents and visitors who enjoy a wealth of great restaurants. "Eat Street" is a 17-block-long restaurant district with more than 50 restaurants featuring a fabulous array of ethnic foods to more than satisfy anyone's tastes. If you've never eaten Ethiopian or Cambodian cuisine, you can try it here. Whatever the season, you can find plenty to do and lots to enjoy in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

For more information call 1-888-676-6757 or check the website www.minneapolis.org.

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