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