Road Trip to Minnesota

Road Trip to Minnesota

Back in July, when the NHL released the new divisions and subsequent 2013-14 Winnipeg Jets schedule, there was immediate excitement! The Minnesota Wild are in the same Central Division as the Jets and the geographic proximity would be a factor in NHL rivalries.

There were three away games where the Winnipeg Jets would take on the Minnesota Wild in St. Paul at the Xcel Energy Centre. Sunday, November 17th was on a weekend and as luck would have it, there was also a Minnesota Timberwolves game on the Saturday night. Too bad the Minnesota Vikings were playing in Seattle. That would have been the ultimate sports weekend.

Hello Minnesota! There are many reasons we go on road trips to Minnesota. Sports is at the top of the list. Between shopping and eating, it’s a close tie. Yes, Minnesota has its sports. It also has it shopping destinations too.

There’s Mall of America for starters and all the amazing retailers that Winnipeg doesn’t have such as Nordstrom Rack, H&M, and oh yes, the Lego Store. Right next to the Lego Store is the Microsoft Store.

There are the factory stores at Albertville Premium Outlets about 30mins outside of Minneapolis-St. Paul. Just make sure to download coupons from their website before heading down. You’ll save even more money. Did you also know that there’s no tax on clothes and shoes? Can you guess how many new pairs of shoes I have? Let’s leave it at a couple!

Staying in St. Paul, I decided to venture out and find some unique food spots. The Grand Ave district reminds me of Corydon Ave with the small boutique stores and a handful of mom & pop eateries.

Walking into Shish Café felt like I was walking into a Stella’s Café, except the food fare was Middle Eastern/Mediterranean. Judging from the line up for tables and bountiful dishes being run to awaiting patrons, I had to stay. As I glanced at other tables full of food, I couldn’t decide what I wanted. I finally ordered the Shish Breakfast. It could have also been called the Shish Brunch Platter. There was so much food.

Other highlights from the weekend included hitting up Trader Joe’s and finally getting my hands on a jar of their famous cookie butter. I ended up picking up a dozen jars for pasalubong.

The Winnipeg Jets lost 2-1 as the Minnesota Wild scored late in the 3rd period. The Minnesota Timberwolves demolished the visiting Boston Celtics, winning 106-88.

The next Winnipeg Jets roadtrip to Minnesota will have to wait until the 2014-15 NHL season. Until then, Go Jets Go!

Photos by Ron Cantiveros | Filipino Journal