Twin Cities: Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.

1. Mall of America
Love it or hate it (and you already know which way you’re voting), there’s no denying the appeal of 500-plus stores under one never-ending roof.
2. St. Paul Winter Carnival
Some people curse the cold. St. Paul celebrates it–in 2008, Jan. 23 through Feb. 3.
3. Guthrie Theater
At (or at least near) the top of America’s regional theaters for more than 40 years, now in its new building.
4. Walker Art Center
Only question is, which is more compelling–the museum’s permanent collection or the Sculpture Garden?
5. The Twins at the Metrodome
OK, with its weird dimensions and odd feel, it’s a bizarre place to watch baseball–but the dome is doomed. A new, $390 million outdoor ballpark is in the works for downtown Minneapolis, so catch a game here while you can.
6. “A Prairie Home Companion”
Garrison Keillor’s warm-and-fuzzy-and-funny radio show hits the road a lot, but its home and heart are in St. Paul’s Fitzgerald Theater. It may take Guy Noir, private eye, to get tix, but …
7. Mill City Museum
The Twin Cities were once the flour-milling capital of the world. This fascinating museum in a re-purposed mill on the Mississippi tells the story.