Greetings from Minneapolis MN.
In most cities that I visit, the local mall is just a place for me to hang out when it rains and hop on their wifi, as I tour the area’s museums, parks, etc. But in Minneapolis, the local mall is itself one of the most popular tourist attractions. It’s also one of the hubs for the local bus system, so I’ll be here virtually every day, either hanging out on an off day or waiting for a bus.
When the Mall of America opened in 1992, it was one of the largest indoor shopping malls in the world. (Today the largest malls are in China.) It is still the largest mall in the Western Hemisphere, and receives over 40 million visitors a year. I expect a lot of folks probably spend their whole vacation inside the Mall.
There is an indoor amusement park inside the mall, two hotels, and some 550 stores and restaurants. I saw virtually every mall store I’ve ever heard of, and a bunch that I had not. Some wags call it the “Sprawl of America”. It is like a giant mega-temple to American consumerism.
Some photos.
For those who don't know, I live in a converted campervan and travel around the country, posting photo diaries of places that I visit. :)