6. TWIN CITIES

YOU JUST CAN’T talk about Minneapolis without talking about St. Paul. The cities are equidistant from Minnesota's St. Paul– Minneapolis International Airport and are easily reachable by the speedy and convenient Metro Transit light-rail. In less than 10 minutes, you can get to Historic Fort Snelling, located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. There, you’ll see reenactments of 1820s military ceremonies, blacksmithing, and carpentry.

Head in the opposite direction of Historic Fort Snelling and you'll find the Mall of America, in Bloomington. The largest mall in the country has become a bit of a cliché, but your visit needn’t be. Feed sharks at Underwater Adventures Aquarium, the world’s largest underground aquarium (located beneath the mall), or feel what it’s like to pilot an F/A-18 Hornet at A.C.E.S. Flight Simulation. You can also hang out in the four-story Lego Imagination Center, where you’ll be in esteemed company: Fortune pronounced these bumpy little plastic bricks the “toy of the [twentieth] century.”

If you’re in St. Paul come dinnertime, stop into Heartland. Founding chef Lenny Russo blends categories in this restaurant that are at once organic, Midwestern, and contemporary. If you’re headed for Minneapolis, try Moto-i, the first sake brewpub to open outside Japan. Since sake is the main attraction there, don't settle for sipping just one; instead, order a flight so you can sample and share. The food is phenomenal, and the mood is hip yet relaxed. And best of all, thanks to an affordable menu, you won't break the bank.

The Twin Cities are widely known for their art and architecture. Do as the Minnesotans do and admire the Frank Gehry–designed Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, which foreshadowed Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. The Minneapolis Central Library, designed by Cesar Pelli, is also worth checking out, and there are even more reasons than before to visit the Walker Art Center, thanks to a stunning expansion by Herzog & de Meuron, the firm that created London’s Tate Modern. Another draw is Wolfgang Puck’s 20.21 Restaurant and Bar, located inside the museum.