All I ever wanted to do was spend a few hours there and I got my chance this past weekend. He dropped me off and then after his meeting he joined me for mini golf and dinner. I made a list of things I wanted to do while I was at the mall and even color coded it. In the end I had 3 hours or so to spend exploring the mall before the hubs met up with me. I managed to do just about everything I wanted to do.
1. Ride the Carousel -- this one I did not get done. I think I was too big for it which the website did not really say there was a weight limit or that it was meant for little kids. I was a tad disappointed. If I really wanted to, I probably could have tried to get on it.
2. Ride a roller coaster -- this is the first thing I did at when I got there. I figured it was best to hit the rides before it got super busy. I walked right onto SpongeBob Square Pants Rock Bottom Plunge. Oh.My.God. After I scanned my ticket, I realized this thing goes straight up and then plunges you back to the ground. Oh, and you want me to do this sitting in the front row?? Okay if the 7 year old next to me can do it, so can I despite the fact I haven't rode a roller coaster in over 10 years. After the initial climb, this was one wild ride. If I had an unlimited wristband, I would definitely ride it again. I now can say I have ridden an indoor roller coaster. Only down fall it was over way too quick.
3. Play mini golf. I want to play mini golf in every state and since this was my first real trip to Minnesota, this was going to be a great way to cross off Minnesota. Up on the 3rd floor is Moose Mountain Mini Golf and it was one of the activities that both the hubs and I could do together. The hubs and I are quite competitive when it comes to mini golf and he said he was going to beat me. Well he did beat me but only by 3. Par was 40 and I shot 55. It wasn't an overly tough course just a lot of obstacles and turf that played tough. We had to wait at some holes awhile but we had nice views of Nickelodeon Universe. I personally was expecting it to be a lot cooler but it was kinda lame. The bat cave had some sound effects but they got annoying when you have to wait to to play the next hole.
4. Go to the Peeps Store -- I almost missed this. In the process of trying to find lunch and get out of Nickelodeon Universe, I forgot to stop in here. Luckily I remembered before I headed up to the 2nd floor. It wasn't all that impressive. I was pleasantly surprised to see Mike and Ikes and Hot Tamales that would could mix and match. Based on the prices, I could buy a lot of boxes of Mike and Ikes at Walmart for what a bag/container would cost there, especially since I am a Mike and Ike traditionalist and only like the original flavors. I did get a free mini chocolate peep.
5. Go to the Lego Store -- I was disappointed. The one at Woodfield is better. The Lego Displays were very cool though. Again to mix and match a tub of Legos, seemed pricey to me but then I again I find Lego sets pricey too.
6. Do one of the Mayo Routes -- I didn't official do a Mayo Mile but I did follow a sign when I saw one especially when it lead me down a dead end. I walked over 7 miles at the mall, I think I managed do one of the routes. I think this is a really cool idea and if I had more time, I probably would have followed the 1 mile or the 5K route just because I could.
7. Catch a Rotunda Show -- I did not stay for the entire show but I did manage to catch a few minutes of Tony Dovolani's Show. There were other dances for a local dance company that I did not really care to watch. I saw Tony dance and that was good enough for me...even if it was from the second floor.
8. Eat the Magic Crepe Pan -- This is what I wanted for lunch. It took me a little while to find the place. I knew it was on the first floor, west wing. However since I went the wrong way out of Nickelodeon Universe, it took me a lot longer to get there. Oh.My.God. That was one of the best crepes I ever had. They had both sweet and savory crepes. Since it was lunch, I figure a savory crepe would be a better choice. I had the Turkey Club Crepe. It was amazing. Too bad, I was too full to have a sweet one for dessert. There is always next trip.
9. Eat at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company -- This is actually on the extended bucket list. The hubs and I wanted to eat at some place for dinner that we can't get at home. He is a big shrimp fan and I always wanted to eat here. It was very good. I loved the little Forrest Gump touches here and there. Check out my entire review here.
A few things that I did not get to do that sounded like fun:
1. Watch a movie in Minnesota. There really wasn't anything I wanted to see except maybe Paddington Bear which started before I got to the mall. This actually turned out to be a good thing I didn't get done because the hubs meeting ended early and I would have been in the middle of a movie when he was done.
2. CSI: The Experience. This would have been fun if I was with a group of people but to do by myself, I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much.
3. Amazing Mirror Maze. This would have been another fun activity with a group of people. I am not a big fan of mazes and I probably would end up getting so lost in there if I was by myself.
4. The Aquarium. I really didn't have any desire to see this. Maybe it was a cost thing or maybe I am not a big aquarium/zoo person. If I was with a group of people and they wanted to go, then I would have gone.
My overall impress of the Mall of America -- It's a Mall. Yes, it is big and there are a lot of stores and things to do. It's no different that the Fox River Mall except just bigger. I think I like Woodfield better even if Woodfield isn't as neatly laid out. I did like it was a giant rectangle which made it easy. If I never get back, it won't break my heart. If I had the opportunity to go again, I would but I would't go out of my way to get there.
Two ways I think the Mall of America can improve is to have more/bigger bathrooms. It was hard to find one and when I did, it only have about 10 stalls and they were hard to tell if someone was in them. There was usually a wait. The other way to improve the mall experience is to have cell phone charging stations like the Fox River Mall does. I saw no place I could charge my cell phone if I needed to except on the way out where one guy was literally sitting on the floor next to some lockers charging his phone. I am glad my phone didn't need to be charged.
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