|
All Vacation Rentals in
Minnesota
As board chair of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce, I should ALWAYS be
thinking about buying local. In fact, that is the focus of our Chamber this
year. We want people to think of ways to shift their purchase to our community
rather than spending their precious dollars elsewhere.
The numbers are staggering -- through relatively minor shifts of our purchases
to local businesses, we can create thousands of jobs. We can increase our tax
base, improve our schools, pay for amenities we all enjoy, and improve the lives
of our friends and neighbors.
Like most people, when my wife and I were considering options for our family's
spring break, and we considered many options. Perhaps a trip to Mexico? Or a
cruise? How about going to Minneapolis at the Mall of America? We finally
focused in on a trip to Chicago to take in a play, go to a museum, and do some
shopping.
As spring break approached, I was stressing. Work and charitable interests were
taking a lot of my time, and the thought of driving to Chicago, paying a fortune
for a hotel, more than $30 a day for parking, and driving back was wearing on my
mind. Then, it hit me! Shouldn't I buy local? Shouldn't I practice what I
preach?
When you live in Rochester, you take for granted the things that are in our own
city. We are the home of the Mayo Clinic, one of the greatest stories and
destinations in the world. So, we decided to Buy Rochester and stay home for our
spring break.
The first day, we took in a movie at the Chateau Theaters. Great popcorn with
extra butter, and an experience that reminded us of the early days of Rochester
movies at the old Chateau Theater in downtown Rochester -- restored by Gus
Chafoulias.
We made reservations at the Ramada. The pool was filled with kids and parents
having a great time. Our package included pizza and pop from Teresa's. I had
Internet at the pool. As an added bonus, I was able to attend the Chamber's AM
Espresso event at Verizon Wireless, which was a block away. The room was higher
quality than I experience in Chicago, and the parking was free.
The next day, we took the Mayo Clinic tour. It is free to the public every day
at 10 a.m. If you want to understand the roots of our community, this is your
tour. The Mayo brothers set the ethics and perspectives that founded our city.
This tour takes you through the early days of Rochester, the unique partnership
between the Mayo brothers and the Sisters of St. Francis, and the fabric that
makes our community special.
We didn't have time to take the Mayo Clinic Art Tour, which is at 1:30 each day,
but we will do it next year. Instead, we enjoyed the Rochester Art Center's
exhibit of, "The Art of Siheung City." This is Rochester's sister city in Korea,
and they have provided our community with special works of art that will inspire
you. The price is very affordable for any family.
We then enjoyed our local artists' work at the SEMVA gallery opposite the old
Chateau Theatre downtown. No trip to our Art Center is complete without
observing local artists' works at SEMVA, who are a Chamber members. It is a
great place to buy that hard-to-find gift for a wedding, baptism, or any other
event.
We then checked into the Hilton Garden Inn. After a world-class hamburger at
Newt's, we enjoyed a great evening with their pool and hot tub. The Hilton
Garden Inn also has one of Rochester's best breakfast buffets. I strongly
recommend it even if you aren't staying there.
We then enjoyed a second movie at Chateau Theaters. No popcorn at this one,
since we were saving our appetites for ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery.
On our final day, we traveled to Owatonna to drop off our cousin from
Minneapolis who had never been to Rochester. As I looked at Cabela's hunting
gear and clothing, I decided to wait until I could return to Rochester to buy
the same items from Mills Fleet Farm, another Chamber of Commerce Member.
What can we do the next time we stay in Rochester for spring break? I called the
Rochester Convention and Visitors Bureau for a list, and have made a personal
commitment for my family to spend more time in Rochester to enjoy what we have
right here in our community. You can find them at www.rochestercvb.org.
I recommend every Rochester resident spend a few days vacationing in our home
town every year -- one of the best vacation destinations in the USA.
About author: Jon Eckhoff is board chairperson of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce.
|