Minnesota is a state in theMidwest of theUSA. Minnesota is commonly referred to as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes"; there are actually around 14,300 bodies of water in the state. The state is home to many native American reservations, and is a center of Scandinavian culture. Combine Minnesota's cultural eccentricities with its beautiful forests and lakes and you have a gem for any tourist in the Midwestern US.
| Twin Cities The state's dominant urban area, withMinneapolis,Saint Paul and their vicinities |
| Northwestern Minnesota The borderland to Canada, with plains and forest and the Headwaters of the Mississippi River. |
| Northeastern Minnesota The North Shore of Lake Superior, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Duluth. |
| Southern Minnesota Rolling farmland, the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers, and Rochester. |
Minnesotans generally present a cheery, genial attitude ("Minnesota nice") and may be caught off-guard when people don't reciprocate. Minnesotans' cheery attitude combined with a sing-song accent contrasts them with their fellow Midwesterners. Also, Minnesota represents a rare left-wing presence in the Midwestern United States, famously described in the bookMain Street by Minnesota author Sinclair Lewis as Mr. Stowbody, "Trouble enough with these foreign farmers; if you don't watch these Swedes they turn socialist or populist or some fool thing on you in a minute." In fact, these Swedes and foreign farmers did turn socialist, forming the Farmer-Labor Party in 1918, electing three successive governors, four senators and eight US representatives, until it merged with the Minnesota Democratic party in 1944. The state maintains liberal leanings and is home to the second largest LGBT population in the US.
Unlike many other US states that sport several major urban centers, most of Minnesota's urban culture is centered in the "Twin Cities" of Minneapolis and St. Paul, which effectively form one large city divided into separate political areas. Although other urban centers exist in Rochester and Duluth, the centralization of population, wealth, and political power in the Twin Cities makes visiting "the Cities" a very different experience than the largely conservative rest of the state.
It is the 12th largest state in the country.
The stereotypical Minnesotan dialect as popularized in the filmFargo is more prevalent in northern (Iron Range) and rural parts of the state than it is in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. In fact, in the metropolitan area, the accent is rarely noticed by visitors, much less the locals. The dialect is characterized by long vowels and a slight inflection (especially Os as found in the word "boat"). The sing-songy intonation is less common with each generation removed from the Scandinavian ancestors. Some Native Americans (primarily Ojibwe) have an accent of their own.
In addition to a unique dialect, Minnesota also has several phrases and colloquial expressions that can be overheard somewhat frequently. These are most frequently heard in the northern parts of the state, and are rarely heard in urban areas. These include:
Three Interstate highways travel through Minnesota. I-90 and I-94 travel east-west, while I-35 travels north-south. Highway 2 travels through the state. Several other national and state highways also travel through the state.
TheMinneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP IATA) is a major hub for Delta Air Lines and has many international flights to Europe and Asia, while smaller international airports exist in Duluth (DLH IATA), Rochester (RST IATA), and regional airports in Saint Cloud (STC IATA), Brainerd (BRD IATA), Bemidji (BJI IATA), Thief River Falls (TVF IATA), Hibbing (HIB IATA), and International Falls (INL IATA).
For rail travel, there areAmtrak stations in La Crosse (Wisconsin), Winona, Red Wing, Saint Paul, Saint Cloud, Staples, Detroit Lakes, Fargo (North Dakota), and Grand Forks (North Dakota). These are served by theEmpire Builder daily, which runs from Chicago to Seattle/Portland.
For bus travel, Minneapolis is served by Greyhound and Jefferson Lines (popular for intrastate travel). Megabus also stops in downtown Minneapolis and downtown Saint Paul, with direct service to Chicago, Madison, and Milwaukee.
Metro Transit offers bus and light rail services to the Twin Cities and their surrounding suburbs. Average fare for either service is typically $2 ($2.50 for the peak times of 6AM-9AM and 3PM-6:30PM.) The fare buys the rider a pass that can be used to ride on or transfer to any Metro Transit bus or train for 150 minutes. The Duluth Transit authority offers bus and trolley service to the Twin Ports area.
Senior citizens and individuals with a disability are able to ride the buses and light rails for a reduced fair of $1 upon verification.
The relatively new light rail service offers a visitor-friendly line that connects the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), the Mall of America, the Warehouse District, and downtown Minneapolis among other places.
Information on transit can be foundhere.
If your vehicle can run on E85, you can save money by using E85 instead of gas—however, if you have a "flex fuel" vehicle that can run on any gasoline/ethanol combination from E0 (pure gasoline) to E85, you're likely to get 20–25% lower fuel economy when running on E85 than on standard gasoline, which in Minnesota is 10% ethanol. The mileage loss will vary with the actual composition of E85, which differs seasonally (winter blends of "E85" are actually 70% ethanol). There are over 350 stations that sell E85.
In Minneapolis/St. Paul, sports fans can take in games of the Minnesota Twins MLB Baseball, Vikings of NFL football, Wild of NHL hockey, the Timberwolves of NBA basketball, the Lynx of WNBA basketball, Minnesota United FC of MLS soccer, the Saints minor league baseball, and the various Minnesota Golden Gophers teams of the University of Minnesota sports.
TheMall of America in Bloomington is the nation's largest indoor mall boasting over 500 shops, and an indoor amusement park.
Traditional Minnesotan food is generally of the hearty meat & potatoes variety found all over the Midwest, but, as you might expect from The Land of 10,000 Lakes, with more of an emphasis on fish. Two locally popular fish are walleye, with fine, firm, white flesh, and lake trout, with firm, pinkish flesh vaguely similar to salmon.
Lutefisk is a popular dish brought to Minnesota by Norwegian immigrants. Made from dried cod reconstituted in caustic lye, it is an acquired taste, to say the least. This dish is more often brought out at Christmas time, in church basement suppers all over the state. For the less adventurous, there is lefse, a kind of tortilla-thin flatbread made with potato flour that can be used in a variety of ways, but is usually slathered with butter and sugar and rolled up into a tube.
If you are in the Twin Cities area, you can find almost any kind of ethnic cuisine you desire, especially along Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis, popularly known as "Eat Street". St. Paul has a large southeast Asian population, and there is a large East African population spread throughout the Twin Cities, but centered mostly in Minneapolis--the Safari Restaurant (Somali), the Blue Nile (Ethiopian), and the Holy Land Deli (Middle Eastern) are three well-known restaurants catering to those communities, along with countless hole-in-the-wall places along Franklin, Nicollet, and Central Avenues.
As in the rest of the United States,the drinking age is 21. Minnesota has an ingrained drinking culture that is prevalent even in rural areas. Bars and restaurants that serve liquor may do so until 2AM seven days a week, although not all do (especially on Sunday through Thursday), and some municipalities may enforce an earlier closing time.
Unlike most other states, youcannot buy alcohol in a grocery store or convenience store, unless it is3.2 beer, which is a low-alcohol beer containing only 3.2% alcohol by weight (4% alcohol by volume). Some grocery stores don't even bother selling 3.2 beer even though they are allowed to, a testament to the state's rather prevalent drinking culture.
If you want regular beer, wine, or liquor, but don't want to drink it at a restaurant or bar, then you must go to a liquor store. Per state law, liquor stores are allowed to operate M-Sa 8AM to 10PM, and Su 11AM to 6PM. Local jurisdictions are allowed to greater restrictions as they see fit. For example, Sunday sales were only legalized at the state level in 2017, and some towns have opted to keep the prohibition on Sunday sales. Some cities and towns may operate municipal liquor stores and prohibit private ones. Despite this puritanical approach to alcohol sales, even rural towns have a fairly active drinking culture (the cliche of "more bars than churches"). Identification is checked less often than in other states, though it happens more frequently in areas with a high number of college students or tourists.
Perhaps the biggest danger is the weather. Given that the state has a continental climate, Minnesota often experiences extreme temperatures. The weather can be quite nasty, so prepare and plan accordingly.
During the spring and summer seasons, the state (particularly its southern region) has the tendency to experience violent thunderstorms which do, on occasion, spawntornadoes. It is a good idea to pay attention to weather conditions during these seasons to maintain an awareness of any potential for these severe storms to occur. Keep in mind that weather conditions change very quickly, and therefore, frequently updating yourself in regards to the conditions is something to consider while traveling to or through the state during the spring/summer seasons.
Refer to theTornado safety page for more information.
When traveling outside major metropolitan areas during winter months it is advisable to take extra blankets or warm weather gear in the event of an accident or mechanical difficulties. One rule of thumb for native Minnesotans is to always have your vehicle's gas tank at least half full during the winter months. The high temperatures during the winter are typically in the 10-30 °F (-10–0 °C) range, but can go below zero a few weeks during the winter. Native Minnesotans are taught to bundle up and wear layers during the winter at a very early age. You might also note that unlike many other states, Minnesotans are quite accustomed to driving on icy and snowy roads. Furthermore, the Minnesota Department of Motor Vehicles has a great number of snowplows that clear and salt roads after snowstorms. Therefore do not be surprised if businesses and schools remain open even after a heavy snowfall.
In winter months, make sure to check the ice thickness before going out on a frozen lake or pond. Do not park your vehicle on a lake or pond unless it is deemed safe by the local DNR officers. Never walk on river ice. It may appear safe but may not be thick enough to support your weight, due to the river current flowing underneath.
Minnesota - the land of 10,000 Lakes - has beautiful wilderness and camping sites. It is home to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW or BWCA), a 1,090,000-acre (4,400 km²) wilderness area within the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota (USA). Northwest of the BWCA is Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota’s only national park. There are also numerousstate parks.
See alsoCamping in the United States.
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