In honor of Presidents Day, I’m remembering the Metrodome, named after Minnesota’s own 38th Vice President of the United States, Hubert H. Humphrey. Built in 1982 and recently torn down to make way for the new U.S. Bank Stadium, the “Dome” was home to the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings for years. It hosted two World Series Championships, a Super Bowl and countless games. While it didn’t have the most striking architecture, the Metrodome was one of my favorite places to go. Target Field is lovely, but honestly, there was nothing like the roar of the crowd, the Homer Hankies waving in the air and the playoff atmosphere in the Dome.
While I attended many great games there, probably my most memorable was Game 163 in 2009. After the regularly scheduled 162 games, there was a tie for first place between the Twins and the Detroit Tigers, so there was a one game playoff required. Hosted at the Dome, the Twins beat the Detroit Tigers with a game-ending hit…the crowd erupted and it was just amazing! I don’t think I’ll ever forget the excitement of that historical game.
Cheers to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for hosting some of Minnesota’s best moments in sports!
What’s your favorite Metrodome memory?
After months of being away from the ballpark, Minnesota Twins fans are invited to join their favorite players and alumni at Target Field for a weekend of fun and games. Attendees get autographs, participate in Q&A sessions, explore the Twins’ Club House and Press Box while having a few of their fave ballpark foods.
But the best part? Well, it’s being inside Target Field and knowing that baseball season isn’t so far away…
In recent years, the mall has undergone significant renovations, including the addition of two new hotels. The Radisson Blu opened a few years ago and offers a modern setting connected via skyway to the mall. In late 2015, the latest expansion opened. While there’s a lack of new tenants in the crisp, modern and very white new addition, the J.W. Marriott has opened…and there’s a sign up promoting the first Shake Shack is coming to Minnesota!
I checked out the new expansion this weekend. I found the architecture quite nice and the new hotel has a lovely bar and restaurant. I was sad to see the newness didn’t have a lot of new retailers to discover…but yet, it’s exciting to see there’s plenty of room for new additions and I look forward to future announcements.
The state’s been hit by an arctic blast this week…which has put me in cooking mode! My go-to destination when I’m ready to do some serious cooking is Lunds & Byerly’s, a local chain of upscale grocery stores throughout the Twin Cities metro area. When I can’t be out exploring, I love experiencing new flavors and trying out new recipes—and the aisles of Lunds & Byerly’s are an ideal way to treat my tastebuds to an adventure. This weekend, I made a Kalbi Pork Tenderloin (a featured item from the meat department), an Asian chopped salad (Buy One, Get One offer), Chicken Marinara Pasta (with Lunds & Byerly’s own sauce) and my special Mexican Chicken Soup recipe. Plus, I tried Pennywise Wines as they were on the Buy One, Get One Free deal as well! Thanks to one trip to Lunds & Byerly’s, I was able to get all the ingredients in one place and stay in from the below zero temps.
One of my favorite places in the entire state is the Minnesota Zoo (it’s actually one of my faves in the world, honestly). Whether it’s the middle of winter, spring, summer or fall I LOVE going there. I think they do a wonderful job of creating respectful habitats for the animals, while offering daily enrichments AND doing their part to help with conservation efforts. There’s a lot of animals throughout the property, but I have to say I’m rather partial to the sea otters, prairie dogs and beavers. Their enclosures allow you to get up close and personal with the species, while gaining insight on the roles and importance of the animals in our daily lives.
