Recently in Minneapolis Category

For more than a century, Minneapolis has welcomed thousands of Swedish immigrants who bring with them distinctly Scandinavian customs, attitudes, and beliefs. The American Swedish Institute is a tribute to Swedish-American culture and its prevalence in the Twin Cities, and it's filled with exhibits highlighting the contributions Swedes have made in the U.S. as well as an impressive collection of arts and handicrafts from the old country. Not surprisingly, the museum has an extensive collection of Swedish oil paintings and sculptures, but there are also exhibits celebrating Arne Larsson, the inventor of the pacemaker, and pops composer Leroy Anderson, whose song "A Sleigh Ride Together With You" is a Christmas classic. Speaking of Christmas, a special display called A Nordic Christmas opened on November 1, bringing the warmth of Swedish holiday traditions to the American midwest. The museum is housed in the only castle in the city - a 33-room chateau - and offers a variety of tours, including a special tour for children led by "Tomte," a 427-year-old elf. Gotta love those Swedes. Starwood has seven hotels in Minneapolis, including the nearby Sheraton Minneapolis Midtown Hotel.

[image via the American Swedish Institute]

Break out the oranges and start practicing. St. Paul, Minnesota's MONDO Jugglefest is approaching, and you know you want to be there among the Midwest's best torch tossers. Now in its 19th year, the festival provides a fantastic opportunity to learn new tricks, meet some highly skilled people, or just watch in amazement as jugglers extraordinaire, whip balls and rings through the air, sometimes on unicycles. Yes, unicycles! The MONDO Jugglefest is not just for jugglers. Unicyclists and yo-yo masters will also be found among the merry-makers in this maelstrom of fun.

It all takes place April 11 - 13, on the campus of Concordia University, just a 15 minute drive from the Four Points By Sheraton Minneapolis. The highlight of the fun-filled weekend is the MONDO Spectacular, a variety show featuring the festival's most skilled performers which takes place Saturday, April 12, at the Central High School Theater. Think you've got what it takes to be among them? All you need is a little balance, coordination, and courage, and you'll be "walking the dog" in no time.

We continue thelobby.com's chronicle of places to stop while on road around the US. For a truly unique cultural experience, drop by the Spam Museum in the other Austin: Austin, Minnesota. This quirky attraction has everything Spam fans could want, including Spam exhibits relating the history of this mystery meat, a Spam counter that keeps track of how much Spam is sold around the world, and interactive Spam challenges. (Do you have what it takes to be a Spam canner? Time it.) Admission to the spam-sized 16,500 square foot museum is free, and you'll find devotees from all walks of life gazing up at a Wall of Spam made from thousands of Spam cans, browsing among displays such as a World War II exhibit (Spam was used to feed U.S. troops, since it traveled well), and watching the ten-minute film "Spam ... A Love Story."

And what, exactly, is Spam? Well, Spam is a pre-cooked canned meat made of ham, pork, sugar, and salt. It's commonly sliced, fried, and put in sandwiches, but there are hundreds of Spam recipes to choose from, including Island Spam, Spam Piccadilly, and Japanese-style Spam Musubi. And before you have too much of a laugh at Spam's expense, know that over six billion cans of Spam have been sold since 1937. Now that's a lot of Spam. As for the term "spam" being used to describe unwanted emails, the Hormel company has decided to take the high road. Rather than letting the lawyers loose on those who use the term, they merely ask that you use lower-cased letters to describe email spam. Fair enough. The Spam Museum is less than two hours away from the Westin Minneapolis and a fun choice for a day trip or when you're on the road.