| The Mall of America, in the Minneapolis,
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| | boxes, 44 help phones and, something many
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| Minnesota suburb of Bloomington, gets 40
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| | people don't know, jail cells on a
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| million visitors a year. Forty million!
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| | separate level.Eating is an adventure at
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| That's more visitors than Disney World,
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| | the Mall of America, which has 20 sit
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| Graceland, and the Grand Canyon combined.
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| | down restaurants, 30 fast food
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| Visitors go there to shop at the 500+
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| | restaurants, and additional specialty
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| stores, visit the Underwater Adventure
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| | restaurants. But many sit down
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| Aquarium, LEGO Imagination Center,
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| | restaurants are open to the mall and the
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| Dinosaur Walk Museum, A.C.E.S. Flight
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| | crowd noise is so bad you can hardly
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| Simulation Center, see movies in 14
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| | carry on a conversation. Ask if inside
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| theaters, and party at seven
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| | seating is available before you enter a
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| nightclubs.Before you visit the mall you
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| | restaurant. Even restaurants with inside
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| need to make some plans. Log onto the
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| | seating, such as the Rain Forest, can be
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| Mall of America Home Page for maps,
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| | noisy places. Nordstrom's department
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| directions, a store directory, a list of
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| | store has an excellent, quiet cafeteria.
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| special attractions, an events calendar,
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| | You order your food, pay for it, and a
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| and a restaurant directory. Though this
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| | server delivers it to your table.The Mall
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| website is packed with information, there
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| | of America has been hugely successful and
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| are things it doesn't tell you.First, you
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| | Phase II construction will make it more
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| need to understand that the Mall of
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| | so. Plans are in the works to build
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| America is city within a city and
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| | hotels connected to the mall, an office
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| employs almost 12,000 people. During the
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| | center, a conference center, spas, and
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| summer months and holidays this number
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| | you guessed it, more stores. IKEA, the
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| swells to 13,000 employees. On weekends
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| | Swedish home furnishings store, is step
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| the mall is often so crowded that walking
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| | one of this plan and has already been
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| is difficult. Wear comfortable shoes
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| | built across from the mall.You may walk
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| because the Mall of America covers 4.2
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| | from the mall to IKEA, but you're
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| million square feet.Getting to the mall
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| | crossing a high-traffic street, so cross
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| is easy. Driving directions are posted
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| | with the lights and watch for cars. Just
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| on the Mall of America website. The 35
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| | like the mall, IKEA is huge and you can
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| hotels near the Mall of America provide
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| | spend a day there. Arrive early and
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| free shuttle service. If you stay at a
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| | enjoy the 99-cent breakfast before you
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| downtown Minneapolis hotel you may take
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| | explore the showrooms, displays, and
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| Light Rail directly to the mall. Light
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| | warehouse. Visit IKEA and the Mall of
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| Rail service is also available from the
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| | America on a Monday morning for a quiet,
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| airport to the mall. Parking at the mall
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| | leisurely experience. It's so quiet on a
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| is free. With 12,550 on-site spaces and
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| | Monday morning you could roll a bowling
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| 22,000 overflow spaces, it's a good idea
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| | ball down the walkways.Going to the Mall
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| to jot down the location of your parking
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| | of America? If so, I welcome you on
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| space.Be sure to get a mall map from the
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| | behalf of all Minnesotans. We're
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| Guest Information Service Desk. Desks
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| | "Minnesota nice" and glad to have you
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| are located on the first level at each of
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| | here. We hope you'll visit other
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| the four entrances, North, South, East
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| | attractions while you're in town. For
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| and West. Instead of going in all
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| | more information on the Mall of America
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| directions, choose one area and explore
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| | go to the Home Page and request a Free
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| it. Young children should have
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| | Information Kit. To get the inside scoop
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| identification on them. Some parents
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| | on events and sales sign up for the free
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| dress their kids in bright t-shirts or
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| | electronic newsletter.Copyright 2006 by
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| caps so they can spot them quickly.
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| | Harriet Hodgson Hodgson has been a
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| Decide on a meeting place in case a
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| | nonfiction writer for 27 years and is a
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| family member gets lost.When you're in a
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| | member of the Association of Health Care
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| crowd you need to be aware of personal
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| | Journalists and the Association for Death
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| safety and this is true at the Mall of
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| | Education and Counseling. Her 24th book,
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| America. However, you don't need to be
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| | "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating
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| overly anxious because the mall has its
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| | Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is
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| own 100-person security force. Security
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| | available from A five-star review of
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| officers walk the mall constantly and are
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| | the book is posted on Amazon. You'll
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| very visible. One hundred sixty
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| | find another review on the American
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| television monitors scan the crowd. In
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| | Hospice Foundation website under the
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| case of trouble, the mall has 130 call
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| | "School Corner" heading.
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