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www.nitravelnews.com


April/May 2025


‘Rock and Roll is Alive and It Lives in Minneapolis...’


BY ANDREA MCVEIGH


MINNEAPOLIS is the foodie heart of America’s Midwest you didn’t know about – until now!


Its variety of delicious and affordable cuisine ranges from fine dining to the city’s famous Juicy Lucy burger, featuring cheese stuffed into the middle of the patty, rather than placed on top. But more about the food soon, first you


have to work up an appetite! And that won’t be difficult in Minneapolis,


which is just a hop across the Atlantic thanks to frequent Aer Lingus flights from Dublin to Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport.


Minneapolis and its neighbour, Saint Paul


(the capital of Minnesota state) are known as the Twin Cities and it’s a quick 20-minute taxi from the airport to the Downtown area’s hotels and nearby neighbourhoods.


My friend and I started our trip with a


Skyway walking tour, led by wonderful tour owner/guide Jessica Schugel, who wants visitors to get to know the city through her love of her hometown. The Skyway is a continuous, nine- mile system of enclosed glass- walled bridges that connect 80 blocks of skyscrapers, offices,


bars,


restaurants, hotels and more. As we walked, Jessica pointed out the hidden gems of this ‘city within a city’ such as its public art and architectural details. As an all-weather tour, it’s


perfect for staying warm on chillier days and cool in summer, as it’s all indoors apart from a brief excursion on the Metro Light Rail and an outdoor photo stop at the statue of Mary Tyler Moore (the city was the setting for the 1970s sitcom of the same name). Another must-do is a Minneapolis Trolley


Tour. Set up in 2023 by John and Norman after they bought and restored an old trolley car,


their candlelit ghost tours and scenic routes are hugely popular. We opted for their True Crimes Tour, and after John, our guide and driver, introduced himself and his faithful Great Dane, Madonna, we set off. What followed was a hugely fun and interactive jaunt that took in stories of the mob and the world’s first serial killer and ended up with passengers helping to solve a real-life 1950s crime, all while learning about the history of


especially its seedier side.


Also worth


visiting is the 11- acre Sculpture Garden, featuring more than 60 sculptures from the


Walker


adjoining Art


Centre’s collection.


Art and architecture lovers will also enjoy


the Foshay Tower’s outdoor


Deck, offering amazing


Did You Know? Once the flour milling capital of the world, Minneapolis earned the nickname “Mill City.”


Observation


Minneapolis,


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