While venturing to new territory in a new city, what’s a better way to get a grasp of the city’s highlights than asking your Uber driver for a personal verbal tour? This past Halloween weekend, I had the pleasure of flying out to Minneapolis with my boyfriend to attend the “COSMOS” opening reception and project release art show to see not only his piece featured in the show, but the pieces from other artists who contributed to a phenomenal show.
The show was on a Friday night, so we decided to make it a weekend endeavor. Before we set out on our way to grab dinner before the show, we called an Uber. We ended up with a six-foot-something beard enthusiast named Stan, who had a love for his job and his city. Here’s what we learned on our enlightening journey to the Minneapolis:
1. Minnesota loves brewing.
From coffee to beer, Minneapolis takes pride in providing the best of both worlds. Stan suggested a variety of places to indulge in while visiting the city, such as The Freehouse, which brews and sells its own quality beer and serves unique food combinations to make the place distinguishable to tourists and is a crowd favorite among Minnesotans. Coffee shops are abundant. Around every corner the aroma of coffee appeases the senses. In a place that’s cold for a good majority of the year, it’s no wonder Minnesotans specialize in drinks that warm your core.
2. The Indian summer.
Like Pennsylvania is experiencing at the moment, Minnesota experiences an Indian summer. An Indian summer is a short period of time, usually in the fall, when the temperature is unseasonably warm. Just as the weather is appreciated for it appearing at an untimely manner, the cold air of winter abruptly invades. For some, it’s a time to celebrate. For others like myself, it’s a time to hibernate in an abundant amount of blankets. Minnesota go through the same phenomenon but gets hit much harder. The day before Thanksgiving is usually when winter tightens its grip and doesn’t release until as late as April.
3. Frostbite, anyone?
During the holiday season, temperatures can plummet so low, to the point where one can experience frostbite after standing outside for 15 minutes. I guess Minnesotans do go into a sort of hibernation for the winter. Their extremities count on it.
4. Too cold for comfort.
It is not uncommon for Minnesotans to have multiple out-of-state residences. Because of the harsh and strenuous winters, people migrate to different parts of the country that have warmer climates. According to Stan, people typically have three estates: one in Minnesota (obviously), a cabin in the woods for hunting in the fall, and an estate further south in a warmer climate to escape to during the winter.
5. The restaurant business.
In the last five years, the restaurant business in Minnesota, especially in the cities, has been booming. Chefs from California, especially San Francisco, have been making the move to Minneapolis to fulfill their dreams and open their own restaurants. The cost of living in California is so high, especially for someone who is just starting out, so moving to the charming city of Minneapolis is a smart business move. Because of this, Minneapolis has acquired a number of very talented chefs that are exposing the city dwellers and visitors to their exquisite cuisines.
6. Cheese? Cheese.
Apparently, the cheese in Minnesota is not the best, though it is gradually improving. The options are limited and bland, but within the last five years because of the incoming flow of talented chefs, the array of cheese has been widened. Stan told us a story about his grandmother, who lives in the East Coast, and how she would visit him and his family in Minnesota once every few years when he was a child. These visits were special in his opinion because when she arrived, his first reaction would be, “All right, Grandma, I know I haven’t seen you in a few years, but where’s the cheese you brought?”
7. Home away from home.
The most surprising fact we learned was that he used to be a Philadelphia resident. Out of all places, and out of all Uber drivers, we ran into the one that had a connection to home. It was reassuring to have someone be familiar with our hometown, even if he was only a resident for the first few years of his life.
Minnesota is filled with exquisite food, quality drinks, and warm-hearted people. I am lucky to have experienced all of these during my time in Minneapolis thanks to the friendliest Minnesotan I met, Stan.
