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Viking fans after the game

The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings compete in the North Division of the National Football Conference 

Minneapolis is nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County,  the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States. Its name is attributed to the city's first schoolteacher, who combined mni, the Dakota word for water, and polis, the Greek word for city. A person from Minneapolis is a Minneapolitan.

Minneapolis lies on both banks of the Mississippi River, just north of the river's confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Saint Paul, the state's capital. Known as the "Twin Cities," Minneapolis-St. Paul is the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S., with 3.5 million residents. The Metropolitan Council estimated the city's population in 2009 as 386,691.

me outside hotel befor train trip to Minnieapolis/St Paul

Day 5 the train from Milwaukee to Miinieaplois-St Paul

After a beer and saying our good buts to the bar start at Miller Time pub it was on the 3.55pm train to Minnieapolis-St Paul which will take about 6 hours and out longest train trip so far.The train "EMPIRE BUILDER" was massive with at least 20 carriages long and a two tier train with observation car,bar and dinner car and the seat recline and were very comfortable.It is a great way to travel by train and you can get up and strech your legs and move about the train to the observation car to watch the scenery pass before you. We decide to have a meal on the train and booked our table for 7.15pm which they call you promptly and on time to the minute and seat you down at a table of four which is a great way of meeting fellow passengers and to exchage stories of your trip.

Sergi catching the last rays before train trip

We had a lovley girl called rachel Colberg who was from New Your but is studing to be an English teacher and she had some fantastic tatoos of Lucy Ball, Marlyn Munroe and I think Rita Heyworth. I ordered the three peice chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans with a diet coke and that came to only 15$ which I thought was great value.

We arrive just before 10.30pm and got on the free shuttle bus to the DAYS INN which is just a couple minutes drive from the station to our hotel and after booking in we went to the bar/grill attached to the hotel. Same as before when after a couple minutes they picked up our accents and thought once again we were Irish but we really impressed to find out that we were Scottish travelling all over the USA. We got talking to a couple called Bill Klaus and Jessica Zaiger who bout us a shot of Vodka which was very hard to drink but we had to take it to be polite. after a few drink we got talking to sister who had just came back from the LADY GA-GA concert and were Kristen kent and Jennifer Anniston( not friends one) so at 1am it was off to bed to start again.

 

 Minneapolis Travel Blog

 

September 1st, 2010 –

Geo and Sergi out for stroll down town midway

Day 6 Minneapolis

After waking up from last nights beer it was out to midway to see if George and I could cash a traveller Cheque at the bank there and although we thought that would not be a problem it didnt turn out that way. At the Bank of America they said that they could not change it because there were a lot of forgeries going about even though we had passport and serial numbers with us fro our bank back home. After trying at least another four places we were told the same thing and out best bet was the Wells Fargo bank in Minneapolis. Will $15 between us we went back to the hotel where I tried the ATM machine on my visa and took out $200 then to our disbelief the small bar attached to out hotel said they would cash a $100 no problem.

geo at college

We then decided to head into down town Minneapols by cab and on route we passed by the Mall of America which is the largest mall in -- yes you have guessed it America.The cab driver was great and dropped us outside the Wells Fargo building which is massive and so plush inside it puts all our major banks back home to shame.George then tried to cash a $500 dollar cheque but again there was a problem but after 30 - 45 minutes they accepted it and we were happy once again so if you are ever in Minneapolis beware of cashing traveller cheques. In the bank they had a stagecoach from the past years and Riley from the bank who was very helpful had his picture taken with us.

We then wandered around the town seeing different buildings and came across the Mary-Tyler Moore statue where in the last epesode from her show she threw her hat in the air for the final shot.

Mall of America Minneapolis

Then we decide to have a seat at a bar just outside the swanky Radison Hotel which would have cost a fortune to stay there but the staff were great and two came out to see our lucky mascot Sergi who has been travelling the trip with us. Before heading back it was a last call at the Hard Rock Cafe for a beer some pictures of various rock stars especially PRINCE who is from this town.We decided to get a cab back to our hotel before the traffic got busy as the baseball team THE TWINS were playing in town the George headed for bed and a rest I went to the bar for a few night caps where i got talking to Loel J Seoe who was great and we swapped various stories and another guy called Tim showed me a peice of Agates mineral rock which he found down by the river. At closing time it was off to bed for a day out into the other twin city St Paul.

Wells Fargo bank

Day 7 St Paul

A short cab ride into St Paul and we were dropped outside the Great Water Brewery which is one of many micro-brewries in this city where Scott made us welcome and asked out or travel and why we were there.From there it to the Wells Fargo bank to see if we could cash another $500 dollar but just like the last one we had to wait about 50 minutes before they would think about giving us the money but in the end they did which was most important. St Paul is a smalled town than Minneapolis but it is the state capital but I liked the feel of the place and the building were better although we didnt have time to visit the St Paul Cathederal which was a shame. St Paul is also easier for getting around and I just wished we had more time to expolore more of this worderful place.After a couple of beer and something to eat it was back to Midway for us to pick up our bags and head down to the train station to head on our next keg of the Journey which is to Minneapolis to Glasgow Montana for a 14 hour train journey so from george and I - till next time soon keep watching and see you all soon

Gordon

 

me Riley and Geo at the stagecoach