Mall of America

As you know, the route to the nursing home was complicated by the fact that the 35W bridge is the one that collapsed and that is the route from the nursing home to the airport and thus to the Mall of America. I talked with the facility staff about alternate routes to the Mall and the administrator printed me a map from MapQuest that had a route around the bridge site. It wasn't very clear and the map was too small to understand, but I had my Microsoft Map of the area and figured I could use the two in tandem to get where I wanted to go.

No such luck.

The biggest problem is that Minneapolis has very poor sinage. ( I think I said that before.) I took 35W south and exited at the right spot, but from there could not find the names of the streets that were on the map and list of directions from MapQuest. At that point, I was smack dab in the middle of the University of Minnesota campus with lots of traffic, both motorized and pedestrian. I just kept driving and trying to stay out of the way, thinking I would ultimately find a sign with the right name. I finally took a side street and pulled into a parking lot. I got my computer out and booted it up so I could get to my Microsoft Mapping software and figure out where I was and where I needed to go. Of course, I was much further away from 35W than I was supposed to be and needed to retrace my route. I then found my way across an alternate bridge, which ran alongside the collapsed 35W bridge. They have blocked off a walk way across this alternate bridge which was full of people walking and looking at the site. I would have liked to have had the time to park and walk across, but traffic and frustration kept me in the car and on task to find the Mall of America.

Once across the bridge the challenge was to find my way back and connect back with 35W. Again, I went too far, but this time had the map up on my laptop in the passenger street and was able to figure out where I went wrong while sitting at red stoplights. Once back to 35W it was pretty easy to navigate to the correct exits toward the Mall.

Now you would think that if your claim to fame was the Mall of America, you would have signs on the highway advertising the exit. Not in Minnesota. I was motoring along reading signs when I realized I had just passed Nordstroms. I took the next exit and again retraced the route.

The Mall of America is great!! I spent about three hours wandering around there and didn't get through 1/2 of it. Rascal Flats was performing live and there were thousands of people on every level and lining the stairs. (Another reason I really need that camera.) I ate at the Rainforest Cafe. I have never been to the one in Kansas City. I sat next to a great big aquarium and watched this really ugly fish that reminded me of a dill pickle spear magnified about 100 times.

My trip back to the hotel was uneventful. I made it around the bridge site with no problems at all. The best thing about the Mall trip is that I figured out all the turns and lane issues for my trip to the airport this afternoon.

So here I am, sitting at the gate, just hoping that this plane leaves on time and has enought fuel to fly straight to Kansas City.