Mall of America

Mall of America is a shopping mall located in the Twin Cities suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota. It is just southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway 77, and is across the interstate from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Mall of America has a gross area of 4.2 million sq ft. (390,000 m²), with 2.5 million sq ft. (230,000 m²) 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 bring store amount up to 900. Four "anchor" department stores are located at the corners. The Mall is organized into 4 different zones, each with its own decorative style. Despite Minnesota's sub-zero temperatures in the winter, only the mall's entrances are heated. Heat is allowed in through skylights above The Park at MOA. Heat is produced by lighting fixtures, other electric devices and also by employees and guests of the mall in sufficient amounts to keep it comfortable. In fact, even during the winter, air conditioning systems need to be run nonstop during peak hours to ensure a comfortable shopping environment. Two nearly identical seven story parking ramps on east and west sides provide approximately 13,000 parking spaces. Parking lots on the north and south of the building, along with nearby overflow parking, bring the total number of spaces up to approximately 20,000. The mall is used as a major transportation hub in the region, with bus and light rail service linking the mall to other destinations. Regular public transit service is provided by Metro Transit and other area bus lines, and nearby Mystic Lake Casino offers free shuttles to their establishment. The primary bus/rail station for scheduled local service is in the lower level of the eastern parking ramp. There, the Hiawatha Line light rail line connects the mall to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and from there to downtown Minneapolis (another major shopping destination in the region, particularly during weekdays). The mall is being discouraged as a park and ride facility, and overnight parking is banned to prevent passengers taking the train to the airport. Commuters are encouraged to use the nearby 28th Avenue Station's parking lot.
Our Trip	Welcome to Iowa	Welcome to South Dakota	Welcome to Minnesota. So far Minnesota has had the best state sign that we've seen.
	Our Campground
Trying to decide which way to go first.			Daddy loves Bubba Gump
		Marla found the Disney store.	Part of the amusement park that is in the center of the mall.
	Lego Land		They had some incredible things made out of legos.
The dinosaurs moved.
	There were several tables to play on.

Marla liked this place because it was so colorful.		The food was pretty good, too.
	On our second day we went to the aquarium.

	The walkway through the tunnel was very nice.	They had a moving sidewalk that you could ride on if you liked.
		There was a fake beach to play on.	Puzzling over the map.
Then we spent some time at the amusement park.
	The view from the ferris wheel.		Inside the ferris wheel.