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My memories of driving vacations as a child are still quite vivid. Highlights range from arguing with my two sisters over who had to sit in the middle seat to what game would we play- alphabet license plates or I Spy? The debate over who got to hold the all important paper map would almost always send my dad making hollow threats of staying home. All of this would occur prior to leaving our driveway. Today’s driving trips are much more luxurious. New technology has provided parents with two great gifts: DVD players and GPS systems. My family recently headed to Minneapolis, Minnesota for a weekend of fun and relaxation at the Mall of America. The 5-6 hour trip was done just as the second movie was finishing. Perfect!
 Our first stop in Bloomington was to our hotel, The Embassy Suite Minneapolis Airport. I knew that we had made a great choice in accommodations as soon as we checked in. The hotel’s free shuttle to the Mall of America had just departed. Instead of making us wait for an hour for the next shuttle, the concierge arranged for us to make the short ride via the hotel’s van. This was not a service that was required of them and it was much appreciated by my family. Just a short distance from our hotel was the home of the nation’s largest retail and entertainment complex. The Mall of America has over 520 shops, numerous restaurants, a wedding chapel, an aquarium, an indoor amusement park complete with roller coasters and much more. It is on four very large levels and you should plan two to three hours just to walk through the place. To give you a better idea of its size-Two hundred and fifty eight Statues of Liberty could fit inside of this mall. Thirty-two Boeing747’s could fit inside of this mall. Seven Yankee Stadiums can fit inside this mall. Simply put, it’s huge. Although some might argue that you’ll find the same stores at Mall of America that can be found at any mall in any city, it’s the overall experience you won’t find anywhere else! Plus, add anchor stores like Nordstrom’s Bloomingdales, and Macy’s and you’ve got a fun weekend of shopping. An added bonus that we did not know about beforehand is there is no sales tax on items purchased at the mall. That’s a nice discount even before you hit the sales rack. And for those non-shoppers, there are plenty of other entertainment options including Nickelodeon Universe, the nation’s largest indoor family theme park. Located in the center of Mall of America, Nickelodeon Universe features seven acres of unique attractions and entertainment, including twenty five great rides for guests of all ages. The best bet is to buy an unlimited ride wristband. You have unlimited access to rides from open to close the day you buy it. The cost is $29.95. You can also buy points to use toward rides. Visit nickelodeonuniverse.com for special offers.
 Another attraction you won’t want to miss is the Underwater Adventures Aquarium located on the lowest level of the Mall. Imagine traveling fourteen feet underwater where sharks, stingrays, seahorses and giant sea turtles swim so close, you could reach out and touch them. Our adventure began with a stroll through the Wild Woods, a northern Minnesota forest adventure filled with hundreds of turtles, trout, toads, and native fish. The glass tunnel takes you under the water's surface to witness the lakes, rivers, reefs, and deeper oceans of the world. See sharks, stingrays, sawfish, and endangered sea turtles in Shark Cove and revel in the beautiful wonders of the Wild Amazon. Our favorite part of the aquarium visit was Seahorse Kingdom. We saw six different species of Seahorses including the magnificent Sea Dragon! Did you know that male Seahorses carry the babies? No trip to the aquarium is complete until you touch real live sea creatures at the touch pool! Touch real sea stars, crabs, snails, and more creatures from the sea! Pricing is as follows: Adults 13+ are $18.99; Kids 3-12 are $12.49 and kids under 2 are free. Visit www.sharky.tv for more information.
Mall of America also offers an American Girl store where girls can shop for their favorite American Girl products, enjoy brunch, lunch or dinner in the Bistro, treat their doll to a new “do” in the Doll Hair Salon or celebrate a birthday in a private party room. The four-story showplace, LEGO, entertains guests of all ages and comes complete with LEGO bricks to play with. It features more than thirty full size LEGO models and the world’s largest animated and interactive LEGO clock tower. Also onsite: Silicon Motor Speedway, A.C.E.S. Flight Simulation, Moose Mountain Adventure Golf and Theaters at Mall of America. We spent approximately a day and a half at the Mall of America and I still don’t think we saw everything! It’s definitely worth another driving trip.
 Accommodations: I highly recommend the Embassy Suites- Minneapolis Airport location. (7901 34th Avenue South, Bloomington, Minnesota, United States 55425. Phone: 952-854-1000) The nice thing about Embassy Suites are the size of the rooms. It’s a great choice for families. There’s a manager’s reception every evening and a complimentary breakfast each morning.
(They have omelets cooked to order!)
The Embassy Suites, Bloomington is the perfect place to base from for your trip to the Mall of America. For more information, call (952) 854-1000 or visit www.embassysuites.com.
 The weekend we visited the Mall of America, we also attended a Minnesota Twins baseball game at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Opened in 1982, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome has been home to the Twins for the past 20 years. It was the third domed facility in baseball and remains the only air-supported structure among the 28 in use. The Metrodome is the only stadium in the world to play host to the World Series (1987 and 1991), baseball's All-Star Game (1985), the Super Bowl (XXVI, 1992) and the NCAA Final Four Basketball Tournament (1992 & 2001). Soon the Twins will be moving to a new facility. The new Target Field is scheduled to open in April 2010. Target Field will not only be the premier sporting and entertainment venue in the Upper Midwest, it will also be one of the most unique, and spectacular parks in all of Major League Baseball. For ticket information, visit www. minnesota.twins.mlb.com.
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