Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/44484
MINNESOTA Bloomington might be the ideal destination for a family reunion — or perhaps an incentive trip for a shopping enthusiast.The city is best known for the 4.2 million-sq. ft. Mall of America, which boasts more than 500 stores, 50 restaurants and a host of family attractions under its roof. Elsewhere in the city, you can enjoy these attractions at no charge: the Bloomington Art Center, the Bloomington Historical Museum, the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge and the Normandale JapaneseGardens. MINNEAPOLIS Art lovers traveling to Minneapolis will want to get a glimpse of the famously massive Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture in theMinneapolis Sculpture Garden, featuring a 5,800-pound spoon and a cherry weighing in at 1,200 pounds. Other art venues include the Walker Art Center, located across from the Sculpture Garden, and the Frederick R.WeismanArtMuseum. Another Minneapolis must-see is the pedestrian Stone Arch Bridge over theMississippi River,with its view of St. Anthony Falls. Sporting such green features as the largest solar array in the upper Midwest, the Minneapolis Convention Center offers 480,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, 87meeting rooms and a 28,000-sq.-ft. ballroom. OHIO Akron's Goodyear World of Rubber Museum and Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, former estate of Goodyear Tire and Rubber co-founder F.A. Seiberling, spotlight the industry that put the city on the map. The Invent Now Museum offers free admission to see its changing exhibits. Columbus offers a pair of notable Black heritage attrac- tions for the itinerary: the Kelton House and Garden – a restored Underground Railroad stop—and the KingArts Complex.A summertime meeting or reunion group might want to join the fun at the Columbus Jazz and Rib Fest in July. The Dayton African American Cultural Festival in August is another event to consider planning a trip around.Two notable year-round Dayton attractions are the Paul Dunbar House and the National Museum of the United StatesAir Force. The Toledo Museum of Art offers free access to its Georgia and David K. Wells Sculpture Garden. The Toledo Zoo, a popular family attraction,opens after hours for grownup wine tastings atVineyardAdventures. CINCINNATI The renownedNationalUndergroundRailroad Freedom Center,whichspotlights the anti-slaverymovement andother human rights struggles, is a must-see for Cincinnati visitors. The Harriet Beecher Stowe House also contains exhibits on theUndergroundRailroad. Summeror fall visitors toCincinnatimightbe able tocatch one of the city's special celebrations, like the Macy's Music Festival in July, theMidwestBlack FamilyReunion inAugust orOktoberfestZinzinnati – the largestOktoberfest event in NorthAmerica,drawing 500,000 revelers each year. Cincinnati's premier meeting venue, the 750,000-sq. ft. Cincinnati Skyline 44 DukeEntergyCenter,contains 200,000 sq. ft.of exhibit space, more than 100,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and 40,000-sq. ft. ballroom. Black Meetings & Tourism September/October 2011: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com The capital city of St. Paul also offers a number of free tourist sites, including the State Capitol, the Governor's Residence, the Schubert Club Museum of Musical Instruments, St. Paul Cathedral and the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory. Each May, St. Paul's Festival of Nations showcases the cultures of 90 ethnic groups, while the Rondo Days celebra- tion in July is a tribute to the local African-American neigh- borhood that was divided when an Interstate highway was built in the 1960s.