12960 minutes in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Continuing with my micro-mini-travelogue, up next is Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota or the Twin Cities as they are popularly called. The all-knowing Wikipedia article on this subject talks about MSP being the most populous region in the state of Minnesota, and from my experience is a far better organized city than Atlanta.

I had a probable 20-30% of the 12960min available for sight-seeing and eating.  As long as you ensure that those few hours are during the evenings, you are all set to have an amazing time clubbing and pubbing. 

Some pointers for first-timers...

1. One important thing to note is that you need to stay as close to downtown MSP as possible, as that is where the action lies. If you do not have the fortune of getting cheap accommodation in the downtown area, make sure you have full pockets - you need a rental car and you need at least $15-$20 to park your vehicle in the downtown area.
2. Walk most of your distances. It's the best mode of transportation, given the high number of random one-way streets strewn about in downtown MSP. Finding your way is quite easy as the area is split into blocks unlike downtown Atlanta. Moreover, given the fickle traffic conditions, it probably is best to find your parking spot as quickly as possible and walk thereafter.
3. Some of the most interesting pubs in MSP are the Irish ones - notably, Kieran's, Keegan's, etc. 
4. As you go closer to the University of Minnesota campus, the number of pubs per block seems to increase drastically. A bunch of eternally high students, mayhaps? Amongst the noteworthy bars is the Library - there's an interesting thing to tell your folks back home... "Mom, I'm going to be spending the night in the library."
5. Things that go hand-in-hand with pubs in Minneapolis are Nordic women. They're all over the place, and most, most importantly, really good looking. A real treat for the roving eye!
6. Downtown Minneapolis also has a large number of excellent restaurants, that tingle the palate with some savory meals while also soothing the senses with some excellent choices in desserts. A few of the restaurants that I can personally vouch for:
1. Dancing Ganesha for Indian food lovers
2. Zelo for Pizzas and Pasta worshippers
3. Hell's Kitchen for American food
7. Food apart, tourist-y spots of course include the Great Lake and the Mississippi River. Unfortunately, I did not get to spend a weekend in the city and was unable to see these wonders - but without fail, make sure you do not act like the fool that I was and miss these sights!
8. The Mall of America is amongst the world's largest malls (and definitely USA's largest), and is a sight to behold. There is a full-fledged roller-coaster as well as a aqua-themepark inside the mall itself. Apart from this, there is the usual slew of eateries that most of you are accustomed to seeing in malls. Important note here - for all Lego fanatics, there are some really cool Lego statues that will greatly excite you (in a non-amorous manner of course).

These are the few things that I was able to do during my short business trip to Minneapolis - Saint Paul. It was definitely a very good change from Atlanta, and I am sure it will be a welcome change for you, no matter where you are from.

Regards,
A Traveler