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The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota September 2009 |
Mall of America is a super-regional shopping mall located in the Twin Cities suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota. The mall is located southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway 77, north of the Minnesota River and is across the interstate from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. In the United States, it is the second largest enclosed mall in terms of retail space but is largest in terms of total enclosed floor area. Opened in 1992, the mall received 40 million visitors in 2006. Triple Five Group, owned by Canada's Ghermezian family, fully owns and manages the property. Mall of America has a gross area of 4.2 million square feet with 2.5 million square feet available as retail space. The mall is a nearly symmetrical building, with a roughly rectangular floor plan. Over 520 stores are arranged along three levels of pedestrian walkways on the sides of the rectangle, with a fourth level on one side. An addition planned north of the mall will allow for up to 900 stores. Four "anchor" department stores are located at the corners. The Mall is organized into four different zones, each with its own decorative style. |
Below: Nickelodeon Universe is an indoor theme park in the center of the mall, formerly known as Knotts Camp Snoopy, Camp Snoopy, and The Park at MOA. The park features roller coasters, among numerous other rides and attractions, and is the largest indoor theme park in the United States. Unlike many indoor amusement parks, Nickelodeon Universe has a great deal of natural foliage in and about the park, and its floor has a wide variance in height - the highest ground level in the park is 15 feet above the lowest. This allows for a far more naturalistic experience than would normally occur in an indoor amusement park. The park features two new roller coasters; Sponge Bob Square Pants Rock Bottom Plunge and Avatar Airbender. It also has a golfing section called Moose Mountain. With 18 holes, designed to create a challenge for players hoping to seek a hole in one. | |
Below: a neat Lego display |
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Also at the mall - Underwater Adventures Aquarium - travel through a 300 foot long curved tunnel through 14 feet of water to view over 4,500 sea creatures including sharks, turtles, stingrays, and many more. (no photos taken on this date) | |
Below: Other sights while
driving in Minnesota |
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Below: Lots of windmills
- a very good thing! |
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Below: While parked at the visitor's center, the motorhome of the two RV Gypsies was parked near a blue semi-truck and the blue color from that truck made part of their motorhome appear bluish. | |
Below: Lebanon Hills Regional Park Campground, Apple Valley, Minnesota - Nice spaces at this park. No TV, No Wi-Fi. Quiet park. No carpet, mats or tarps on grassy areas of sites. No clotheslines. Satellite dishes allowed only on gravel campsite pad. | |
Below: The new yard of
the two RV Gypsies - September 15, 2009 |
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Below: The view from the
yard of the two RV Gypsies at Lebanon Hills Regional Park Campground -
soybean fields for making fuel. |
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Continue on in order of travel to Forest City, Iowa
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