As we enter the first few days of June, everyone is wondering what vacation destinations should be added to their summer bucket lists. New York, Los Angeles, and Miami are all obvious choices, but what about Bloomington Minnesota, home of Mall of America?
Minnesota is too frequently connected to Canada (like that Minnesota accent, don't cha know?) or disregarded as farmland, but one trip to Mall of America will cut through any misconceptions. Whether you're coming from California or the Twin Cities, the MOA is a destination that must be on your summer bucket list.
1. It provides a variety of options to the daily question, "What do you want to eat tonight?"
At the MOA, restaurants range from quick and cheap McDonald's or Dairy Queen, to sit in restaurants like Benihana or FireLake Grill House. This month, the East Coast legend Shake Shack will be opening, providing Midwesterners with an additional burger joint. My personal favorite is Piada, which features the Italian version of a wrap (it's hard to forget the taste of spicy Diavolo sauce mixed with grilled chicken, on a tortilla buttered with salt and pepper).
2. There are things to do even if you hate shopping.
My favorite kind of shopping is window shopping, but even if that's not your thing there are plenty of other attractions that will interest everyone in your group. For thrill seekers there's Nickelodeon Universe and the SEA LIFE Aquarium for animal enthusists. For anyone who wants to be a kid again (and let's face it, that's most of us), there's the Crayola Experience, where you can star in your own coloring book and name a crayon after yourself. In short, here you can forget about all of the crippling college debt you've accumulated.
3. You don't have to worry about knowing what is recyclable or compostable and in general feel better (or at least less guilty) about your impact on the environment.
One lesson I appreciate from my overpriced liberal arts education is an enhanced awareness of the environment. There are no recycling or composting bins inside the mall because all trash is sent to a third party to be properly sorted (when there were bins, visitors would too frequently put the wrong items in the wrong bins, making all of it trash). There is also no energy used on central heating (body temperature and solar energy take care of that) and the Nickelodeon park is powered by wind energy.
4. There's a walking program.
This speaks more to those who live within commuting distance, but the MOA Mall Stars program is a great way to get some exercise during the winter for those who hate the idea of a gym. Personally, the idea of going to the mall is easier than going to the gym anyway. While there is a $15 fee to join, participants receive free monthly breakfasts with speakers, exclusive discounts, and a way to track time spent walking and calories burned.
5. They have this cool thing called Enhanced Service Portal (ESP).
One of the lesser known facts, the MOA has a team of people who moniter social media posts about the mall and respond to them. From Facebook to Instagram, if you post about your visit, there's a chance the mall will respond or react back. Additionally, their phone number can be found in a variety of spots within the mall (parking lots, bathrooms, etc.) so you can contact them directly. Whether you have questions about where something is or if you want a reminder of where you parked, MOA's unique team can help. ESP is exclusive to the MOA, making it the only mall in the world to offer these services.
