Pre-Trip Fun for Minneapolis, Minnesota

"The Mary Tyler Moore Show" -- Some parents may recall this popular sitcom, which was set in Minneapolis and features scenes from the downtown area. In 2002, a statue honoring the hat-tossing heroine was raised in downtown Minneapolis shopping destination Nicollet Mall. (School Age and Up)

"Jingle All the Way" -- This Christmas movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom Arnold is set in the Cities and showcases landmarks like the Mall of America. (Toddlers and Up)

"The Mighty Ducks" -- Winter sports are -- no surprise -- huge in Minnesota and this Emilio Estevez/Joshua Jackson story of a ragtag hockey team is a great example of what MSP tweens do when the ice sets in. (School Age and Up)

"Grumpy Old Men" -- And this Jack Lemmon/Walter Matthau classic touches on another popular Minnesota sport -- fishing. (School Age and Up)

"A Prairie Home Companion" -- See Garrison Keillor's popular Minnesota Public Radio program come to life while spotting popular St. Paul landmarks like the Fitzgerald Theater and Mickey's Diner, a greasy spoon inside an old streetcar. (Teens)

"Drop Dead Gorgeous" -- Kids will giggle at Kirsten Dunst and Kirstie Alley's attempts at the "Minnie-soda" accent in this beauty pageant spoof that was filmed throughout the Cities. (Pre-Teens and up)

Swedish Meatballs -- Use this classic recipe to get in touch with the region's strong Scandinavian roots.

Tater Tot Hotdish -- a "hotdish" is Midwestern slang for "casserole" -- popular meals, especially for Minnesotans.

Chocolate Cake -- Cake requires flour, which they'll see plenty of when they visit the Mill City Museum

"V is for Viking: A Minnesota Alphabet" by Kathy-jo Wargin -- Get the scoop on the history of everything from Itasca State Park to why the state's name means "sky-tinted waters." (Ages 4 to 8)

"M is for Minnesota" by Dori Hillestad Butler -- Learn everything about the Land of Lakes from Agriculture to Zoo. (Ages 4 to 8)

"Kristen, an American Girl" by Janet Shaw -- This American Girls series is about a Scandinavian pioneer girl who moves to Minnesota with her family in the 1850s, when the Minneapolis area was still mostly wilderness. (Ages 9 to 12)

"Falling Boy" by Allison McGhee -- This young-adult novel features a wheelchair-bound teenager growing up in Minneapolis. (10 to 13)

Soapy Snowmen -- Minnesotans are no strangers to the white stuff and these snow folk can last through any weather condition.

Sweater Mittens -- Playing in the snow results in lots of wet clothes. Recycle outgrown sweaters and make a couple extra pairs of mittens to take on the road

"A Prairie Home Companion 20th Anniversary" by Garrison Keillor -- These family-friendly folklores will get the entire clan wrapped up in that home-spun feeling. (Babies to Teens)