Camp Snoopy

This past weekend, I wanted to visit Camp Snoopy (soon to be known as The Park) at the Mall of America. I’ve been there a few times before to take part in rides and general amusement park fun, but recent events made me want to visit one last time before Snoopy and his gang were forced out.

Last week, the Mall of America (MOA) announced that Camp Snoopy would be no more. The company that owns the rights to the Peanuts characters and the forces behind the MOA could not agree to the usage terms any longer. Therefore, by January 19th, MOA must remove all Snoopy and other Peanuts items out of the Camp Snoopy area. The stores that sell Camp Snoopy merchandise will remain open and will continue to sell Peanuts related items until March 30, 2006.

Sad news for Snoopy lovers across the land! So on Friday night, Mark and I headed to MOA to have one last laugh with Snoopy.

We were a little disappointed when we reached our destination. It was only about 6:30 PM, but Camp Snoopy was dark, empty and a little creepy. Very few people were out and about in the park. We walked around for a bit, and were saddened to learn that most of the Snoopy stuff was already taken down. A large blow up Snoopy still stood in the entrance to the park, along with the Snoopy dog bowl, but that was about it. We headed over to the Stampede Steakhouse, where Snoopy and the gang perform nightly. But after taking a look at the menu, we decided to head over to our favorite mall restaurant, Napa Valley Grille, to get dinner. We were planning to return to Camp Snoopy after dinner to ride a rollercoaster and maybe play a game.

Our dinner at Napa Valley Grille was wonderful as always. We started off our meal with some wine chosen from their ample wine list and a bowl of amazing roasted butternut squash soup. I have never been a big fan of squash, but this was too tasty to pass up. For dinner, Mark had the grilled pork tenderloin while I went with the evening’s special of filet and scallops. Delicious! We ended the visit with a luscious dark chocolate molten cake. I highly recommend visiting Napa Valley Grille is you are in the Bloomington area, but it’s also well worth the drive to the mall area from anywhere in the metro.

After dinner, we took one last look at Camp Snoopy and decided we just weren’t up for rides and games. We decided that maybe a problem with the park is that it’s a great idea in theory – a nice place for parents to take their kids as a reward for good behavior after a long day of shopping. But when you get right down to it, it isn’t that fantastic. Now, I’m obviously not a child anymore, so maybe to them it’s still a fun mini-heaven. But Snoopy or no Snoopy, the Park at MOA just disappoints.

Saturday night Mark and I went out on the town with some friends for a belated birthday celebration for Mark. We started the night at Taste, which is a small wine bar connected to the Newsroom in downtown Minneapolis. Mark and I had been there once before, and it’s a great place to go with a few friends. The wine list is pretty extensive, and they also have a small list of hot and cold tapas. I highly recommend Taste for a low-key night out with a few friends or a place to cozy up with someone close.

Up next: Not sure yet, come back to find out!