Friday – September 5, 2014
Today is my oldest granddaughter’s 14th birthday! From a thousand miles away, I wish her a wonderful celebration and much happiness!
Shopping
Since we had two full days in Minneapolis, we had to choose what we wanted to do among a long list of possibilities. We visited the Art Institute and the Mill Museum yesterday and the next two items on our list were: The Mall of America and the Walker Art Center.
Indoor Amusement Park
The Mall of America received a lot of press when it open and was billed as the largest shopping mall in the United States. Jeff need a new suitcase because the handle on his old one broke a few days ago. We saw the huge building and adjoining parking lots from a distance as it loomed above the flat prairie at the intersection of several highways. Not being a shopper, it’s difficult for me to get too excited about a mall, but I was curious.
Interior
The Mall of America had a large amusement park in the center with four sections of stores along the sides and four large department stores in the corners. Yes it’s big, but I could have been in any mall anywhere in the country. The smaller stores were all the same ones that are found everywhere. I’ve been to the West Ed Mall in Edmonton, Alberta and I would recommend that one over this smaller imitation. Someone could spend their life (and money) at the West Ed because it had several hotels, casino, restaurants, a huge water park with beach, a replica of the Santa Maria ship in an Adventure Lake, theme streets, regulation ice skating rink, as well as shopping.
The Walker Art Center
After the mall we drove to the Walker Art Center which is a well known museum of contemporary art. The building was also an amazing work of architecture.
Entrance
Below is a photo of a visitor-participation exhibit which we really enjoyed. Old turntables and crates of old 33 rpm records were placed on four tables in a large room. The records were a mix of jazz, Doo-Wop, Elvis, Don Ho, classical, comedy, folk, John Denver, Mo-Town, etc. etc. People chose a record and set it on the record players at the same time as other people. It was wonderful! I walked around the room listening to a cacophony of music. Great fun!
Great Vinyl Exhibit
Jeff said it was a ‘depressing’ exhibit because he owned many of the records in the crates. One of the museum guards told me she tells children that they can ‘touch the music’ when they participate in this exhibit and play the records. “Most of the kids never saw records before this,” she stated. “They love this exhibit.”
Interesting Building
My Favorite Exhibit
Lutheran Church at Night