The Mall of America is NOT in Rochester, MN, but it is a day trip away, which is why I'm going ahead and putting it in this part of my journal. It is about an hour and 15 minutes away, an easy drive to…Read More

The Mall of America is NOT in Rochester, MN, but it is a day trip away, which is why I'm going ahead and putting it in this part of my journal. It is about an hour and 15 minutes away, an easy drive to one of the coolest places you will ever see! A shopper's paradise!

All stores and the mall website can be found here: Mall of America

On to my experience! I have been here several times, as I travel to Minneapolis, MN for work quite often. This place is great! The stores range from upscale (Bloomingdale’s, Tiffany Lamps) to average shopping (Gap, Abercrombie, Victoria’s Secret) to specialty (do not forget to go to The Afternoon on the third floor. . . it’s my favorite store ever!) and even great hair care salons (Mia and Maxx is great -- I've gotten my hair cut there and was extremely happy, and I'm picky!). They have a wedding chapel if the mood strikes you! They also have a day spa there along with great places to eat including Rainforest Cafe, Ruby Tuesdays, and, of course, a food court. Other places to eat abound!

Now for the kiddos! CAMP SNOOPY! Yes, the rumors are true. There is, in fact, an entire amusement park in the middle of this mall. Roller coaster, fast rides, Ferris wheels, and even a water park ride are all here. The cost is $24 for an entire day pass for an adult. This gets you on every ride as many times as you want. Of course, there is also a virtual reality machine that kids will love! Check out the picture to see how huge this place is, and get a glimpse of Camp Snoopy for yourself!

Also for the kiddos. . . LEGOLAND!!! This place is awesome, and it goes up to all four levels with things hanging from the ceiling including a space station and a replica of the Earth! There are, of course, Star Wars figures and Boba Fett, but also there is a replica of Harry Potter! Very cool indeed!!! They have special places set out so that kids can play with Legos right there!

There is also a movie theatre (AMC Theatres) that show current movies. However, be warned, there is a weird smell up in that movie theatre and I don’t know but it was distracting to me. Also note, that there are NOT stadium seats, so if that’s a big deal to you, be warned. Also, because of the rides and the fact that it is a mall, well, the floor shakes just a bit (that’s normal); it’s a bit distracting to me while I'm actually sitting watching a movie.

If you can think of a store, it is probably in here. It’s definitely worth a trip up to see it. In case you are wondering, there are a couple of hotels nearby if you want to make a weekend of it. It’s a fun side trip if you are near it and certainly great for kids!!!

The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN is the headquarters for the three Mayo clinics that exist in the United States. If you don’t know, this is by far THE place to go if you have any sort of ailment for which you can’t seem to…Read More

The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN is the headquarters for the three Mayo clinics that exist in the United States. If you don’t know, this is by far THE place to go if you have any sort of ailment for which you can’t seem to find a good cure/diagnosis. Unfortunately, my husband and I had to go there, and perhaps you will never have to go there for medical reasons. If you happen to be in Rochester MN, however, it might be interesting for you to stop by the Mayo Clinic and get one of their tours. The clinic is incredible.

There is a great deal of artwork throughout the building (see pics below) new, and old, classical, modern, and even sculpture. The tours will help guide you through all of this, and can be very interesting not only for those interested in art, but it is a genuinely interesting tour.

The Mayo Clinic is made up of several interconnected buildings. The Mayo Clinic website can be found by clicking here: Mayo Clinic A great deal of useful information (health and otherwise) can be found at the site.

There are several shops in the Gonda Building of the Mayo Clinice, everything from clothing boutiques to eateries, coffee shops, a spa, and card/gift shops. Its nice to have somewhere very close to go to when you have some time to waste and are waiting in between appointments or waiting for someone to get out of some tests, etc. The shops are very cute, and some are rather upscale. Definitely worth spending some time there.

On a medical note, this place is incredible. Do not hesitate to come here if you need medical advice. They are the best in the world. I hope that you never have to come here for medical reasons, but if you do, you will be in good hands.

This mall is located right next to the Mayo Clinic. It’s a nice diversion in case you are waiting between appointments, etc. That being said, there isn’t much here. The stores that are there are Barnes and Noble, Chicos, a GREAT game store with tons…Read More

This mall is located right next to the Mayo Clinic. It’s a nice diversion in case you are waiting between appointments, etc. That being said, there isn’t much here. The stores that are there are Barnes and Noble, Chicos, a GREAT game store with tons of board, card, and other games (Games by James), Talbots, and some other smaller boutique type shops. Not a whole lot. There is an arcade. On the fourth floor are a ton of fast food type mall eateries that aren't too expensive.

Let me go into a bit of detail about Barnes and Noble. I wouldn’t usually talk about a store that is a chain, but this one is quite a bit different. It looks like a castle and it’s incredible (see picture below). If you get a chance to go there, it is definitely worth it and children would be certain to love it. I can tell you that it is very interesting and, of course, they have a coffee place there that would be great to sit in and relax.

Past that, this is a small mall that doesn’t really have that much going for it, but it is a nice diversion in case you need to waste a little time. Don’t go out of your way for it, though!

Rochester's downtown and the Mayo Clinic building are all connected by a series of subways and skyways so that visitors do not need to venture out into our extremely cold winters. The subway of the US Bank Building is full of restaurants and little shops for…Read More

Rochester's downtown and the Mayo Clinic building are all connected by a series of subways and skyways so that visitors do not need to venture out into our extremely cold winters.

The subway of the US Bank Building is full of restaurants and little shops for the convenience of Mayo Clinic visitors and patients. There is a Caribou Coffee, Subway, Daube's Bakery, Quizno's and a TCBY.