DAY 1
DAY 3
FINISH:
miles
Lakeville, MN
1344.6
highways as much as possible. The state and local highways have much more to offer
as far as Americana is concerned. But I knew well in advance that I would be making
an exception for Day 2. I knew I had a long journey ahead of me, and I had one goal
in mind - to make it to the Mall of America in Minneapolis before closing time. If I
didn't make it in time, I would have to wait until the following morning. Since they
don't open until 11:00 on Sundays, I knew I would lose close to half a day if I didn't
make it on Saturday.
From Painesville, I headed west on Route 2 (also Interstate 90 as you make your way
through Cleveland) all the way to Toledo. From Toledo, I made my way onto the
Ohio Turnpike (Interstate 80/90), a toll road. This took me into Indiana, where the
name of the highway changes to the Indiana Toll Road - another non-freebie highway,
as the name clearly suggests. I stayed on the Indiana Toll Road across most of
Indiana, but did make a side-jaunt into Michigan. Most exits of the Indiana Toll Road
are within a mile or two of Michigan, and the region is commonly referred to as
"Michiana." I exited at Exit 107 and got back on at Exit 101.
Shortly before leaving Indiana, I hopped onto Interstate 94, an Interstate which I drove
for the next 450 miles. I-94 took me into Illinois and through Chicago, and into
Wisconsin, where I passed through Milwaukee, Madison and Eau Claire, and into
Minnesota before I reached Bloomington (a suburb of
Minneapolis) and the Mall Of America.
The Mall of America made history in the 1990's when it
opened, becoming the largest mall in the country. Most
visitors to the mall are intrigued by the fact that it also houses
the largest indoor amusement park in the country. This
amusement park is called "Camp Snoopy," and has a Peanuts
theme to it. There are 32 rides, shows and attractions, with
rides costing 3, 4, 5 or 6 points each. As of October 2000,
each point costs 70 cents. Rides in Camp Snoopy include a
roller coaster, a log flume, and a ferris wheel. (I went on the
roller coaster, surprisingly only a 5-point ride.)
Directory
Bloomington, MN
the mall forming a ring around the amusement park. The mall has 4 levels, and
includes anchor stores Bloomingdales, Macy's, Nordstrom and Sears. I spent about an
hour and twenty minutes at the Mall of America, after which I took a short drive to
Lakeville where I spent the night.