Nicollet Mall, a pedestrian avenue in downtown Minneapolis, has Dayton's, Marshall Fields, and two malls, upscale Gaviidae Common and City Center. Hip galleries and antiques stores abound in the restored Warehouse District, north of Hennepin between North 1st and 7th streets. Uptown, near Hennepin and Lake streets, is the place to find trendy shops and boutiques. In St. Paul, good shopping can be found all along Grand Avenue, just west of the downtown.

The Mother of All Malls--The Mall of America (tel. 952/883-8800; www.mallofamerica.com), the nation's largest shrine to consumerism, has everything--restaurants, major department stores like Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom, over 500 specialty stores and boutiques, movie theaters, nightclubs, and even bowling. The big draw for kids is Camp Snoopy, America's largest enclosed theme park.

The mall is in Bloomington, about a 20-minute drive from the city center during non-rush hours. Follow I-35W south to Minn. 62 East, go about 1 mile, and exit onto Minn. 77 South (Cedar Ave.). Follow the signs to the mall. To get there by public transportation, take bus 80, which stops at Nicollet Mall near South 7th Street at the rounded glass booth. The trip takes about 30 minutes and costs $1.75 non-peak hours, $2.25 peak hours. Mall hours are Monday through Saturday from 10am to 9:30pm, Sunday from 11am to 7pm. Restaurants, nightclubs, and movies may have varying hours.