The Mall of America

Adessa, when I ask you what you'd like to do on any certain day, often you'll reply:

"I want to go Mall Playland."

To you, "Mall Playland" is that spot in the mall where they have a few little coin-operated rides like a bucking pony or a little three-seat merry-go-round.

So when I told you we'd be going to the Mall of America this past weekend, I described it as a Mall Playland -- a really big Mall Playland.

Still, I don't think anything quite prepared you for the sheer enormity of this place. I mean, it's basically a full-on amusement park in the middle of the biggest mall in all of the US.


So here we are posing in front of the theme park, Nickelodeon Universe, just before it opened at 10:30am on Sunday. Those are our friends Josie and Chris Arrowsmith Bagdons and their little one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Elin. Chris is an old friend -- one of my first, actually. We grew up together and got to know each other as babies, went to church together, grade school together, Jr. High, and even my first year of high school together (our birthdays are only one month apart) before I moved to Phoenix with Uncle Matt and Grammy and Grandpa when I was fifteen.

It was awesome to have Chris, Josie, and little Elin along with us!


Wasn't sure how many rides you'd want to do so I bought an a la carte ticket to start, but soon discovered we were going to need an all day unlimited pass since you were really into the rides. Fortunately, they let me trade up to the pass at no extra charge -- and I even got to ride for free as your "chaperone" on all the rides. Nice!


This was our first ride: Dora's train, La Aventura de Azul. I thought this would be a good place to start, a slow, quiet sedate little ride. As you can see in this photo, you were a little concerned -- this is a big place with a lot of sights and sounds. A little overwhelming at first.


Hey, you loved it! After the train ride got our feet wet, you couldn't wait to try the next one.


We stepped into a harmless-looking car ride called Swiper's Sweeper. I thought it would be another slow mover, and it was for the most part. Except this ride whips you around a hairpin turn at Mach speeds. Yikes! I was a little worried it would be too much for you, but no, you loved it! If anyone had a problem with this ride, it was Daddy. I don't think my stomach can handle those kinds of turns like it used to.


Oh yeah, in addition to a theme park, a bazillion stores, and more restaurants than the entire state of North Dakota, the Mall of America has a massive underground aquarium beneath it. Here you very bravely put your hand right into the gaping maw of a Great White Shark.


Preparing to take off on the Balloon Race ride.


And oh, yeah, this is a mall, so we couldn't get away without doing at least some shopping, right? Here you are playing in the Hello Kitty Store in a little playhouse.


Meeting the President!


After meeting Barack Obama, you were in a patriotic mood.


Stopping by the Lovesac store so you could jump into their enormous, soft pillow loungers.


Goofing around together with you and Elin. She adores you.


We joined Chris, Josie, and Elin for lunch at one of the mall's massive food courts. You and Elin were soon fast friends. Here you are playing "Peek-a-Boo" with her, which she just loved!


After lunch, more rides, such as the Carousel. You chose to ride a tall giraffe.


We met up with another of Chris and Josie's friends, who brought her daughter, Sarah. We rode with her on El Circulo del Cielo, Dora's ferris wheel. I was amazed to watch you transform from being scared of the ferris wheel when we first got to the park to begging to ride it just a couple hours later. I think having Sarah along for the ride really helped.


This was the one ride you did all by yourself, Crazy Cars.


At one point, we were all making plans to head over to our next ride, when you shrieked:

"Look, Dora! Daddy, I want to go see Dora!"

Sure enough, standing not too far away was Dora herself. You were not to be dissuaded so we got in line and within moments you were face-to-face with one of your favorite cartoon characters, in the flesh -- so to speak.


Posing for a picture together.


We walked away to rejoin our friends after meeting Dora, when all of a sudden you exclaimed:

"Daddy, Spongebob!"

Wow, are you kidding me? Meeting not one but two of your favorite characters in a matter of minutes? This was our kind of place.

After about six hours here you were just exhausted, so we said our goodbyes to Chris, Josie, and Elin and headed back to the Richters. You were out like a lamp in the car within minutes and slept for more than two hours. All in all, it was a perfectly wonderful day at the Mall of America -- and to think, we only scratched the surface of the place. I think we'd need a good week to see everything there. I'm hoping we'll have the chance down the road.

Daddy