From Wikitravel

Rochester [1] is a city in the state of Minnesota that is home to the world famous Mayo Clinic [2]. It is about 80 miles (130km) SE of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Cold in the winter and warm, sometimes hot, in the summer. Population slightly over 100,000 in the city limits, with more in the surrounding areas. The city hosts numerous out-of-town visitors coming for treatment at the Mayo Medical Center (Mayo Clinic) and has a well developed infrastructure to deal with its many visitors.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

• Rochester International Airport (RST) [3]is located 10 miles south of Rochester along Highway 63. Due to the large number of visitors to the Mayo Clinic, there are more flights than in comparably-sized cities, approximately 15-20 per day. Northwest Airlines [4] has flights from Minneapolis/St. Paul and Detroit. American Airlines [5] offers direct service from Chicago O'Hare. Allegiant Air [6] offers twice-weekly flights from Las Vegas. There are several car-rental companies located at the airport. Taxis are relatively expensive, approximately $25 between downtown Rochester and the airport. Shuttle service is available, timed to meet each arrival; one-way fare to downtown hotels is approximately $11.50. Some hotels also provide shuttle service. Make sure you fly into Rochester, MN not Rochester, NY!
• Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) [7] is located approximately 90 minutes drive northwest of Rochester. A major airport, it has flights from most major cities around the world. Dominated by Northwest Airlines. Go Rochester Direct [8], offers shuttle service between MSP and Rochester.
• When flying in to Rochester, it is worth checking flights into both airports. Flights in to and out of Rochester are typically slightly more expensive (about $50); however, as with all things related to airfares, this varies widely, and I've seen airfares anywhere from Rochester over twice as much to Rochester being cheaper.

[edit] Driving

• The closest interstate to Rochester is I-90 running east and west across Minnesota. There are two exits from I-90 that will take you north into Rochester, US Highway 63 (when coming from the west) and US Highway 52 (Exit 218) (when coming from the east).

• US Highway 14 runs east and west through Rochester, connecting Rochester with Winona and Owatonna.

• US Highway 63 runs north and south through Rochester and is the main north-south thoroughfare through downtown Rochester, and connects Rochester with Lake City and south to Waterloo and connect you up with the Avenue of the Saints.

• US Highway 52 also runs north and south through Rochester and is the main pipeline connecting Rochester with the Twin Cities and running south to the southeast corner of Minnesota and into Iowa.

[edit] By train

• There is no train service into Rochester. The closest station is 45 minutes drive away in Winona. However, ground transportation between Rochester and Winona is available from GoCarefree Shuttle [9].

[edit] By bus

• Jefferson Lines [10] offers service to many cities, plus connects to Greyhound in Minneapolis. Jefferson Lines buses stop at the Sinclair gas station located at 205 6th St SW. If part of your trip involves travel on Greyhound [11], you can purchase your ticket on Greyhound's website, which will cover travel on both carriers.

[edit] Get around

• If you are only going to the Clinic, you may not need a car as most hotels provide (free) shuttle service to the Clinic. However, most visitors will want or need a car to get around.

• Parking. In most areas of Rochester, parking is not an issue, with plenty of surface parking. The only exceptions are downtown and near the Clinic (and the Apache Mall right before Christmas). It is possible to find street parking downtown, although difficult in the inner downtown. The city-owned parking lots are free nights and weekends, with the first hour free during weekdays. However, the privately-owned lots do not offer this, so look for the "free evening parking" signs if you want to take advantage of this. The signage downtown is pretty much non-existent, so you're own your own to find the lots. If you are going to the Clinic, there are Mayo-owned lots near the primary patient-care buildings; Mayo provides a map showing them. Rates are $2 for the first hour, $1 per hour thereafter. You can purchase 5 or 10 day passes, which are very convenient as they allow in-and-out in the same day. They also do not need to be used on consecutive days. The Mayo lots sometimes fill during the morning hours (8 AM - 10 AM), but turnover is very quick and you are unlikely to wait more than 10 minutes.

• Public bus system [12]: There is a public bus system, but it is likely not to be useful to the visitor. There is no bus service on Sundays or holidays, and during the rest of the week, they will stop running fairly early, generally the last routes end at 9 p.m. The main goal of the bus system is to serve the downtown area. Also, the bus system revolves around the Mayo Clinic schedule, so if the Clinic were to close early (Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve), the buses will also stop running early as well. The buses run generally on an hourly basis with half hour service during the rush hours. The bus system utilizes a wagon-wheel-spoke type of grid, with routes all ending up in the downtown area to make transfers. You can request a transfer pass from one bus to the next if you are getting on a bus to get to another part of the city. On Tuesdays, there is a Shopper's bus that will get you to some of the different shopping areas in Rochester.

The central part of the city is arranged on a more-or-less standard grid. Streets run east-west and avenues run north-south. This divides the city into four quadrants, NW, NE, SE, SW. There are some named streets you might encounter.

• The dividing line between east and west is Broadway (up to about 25th street north when things get weird).
• The dividing line between north and south is Center Street.
• Civic Center Drive runs east-west from highway 52 to downtown approximately at 5th street northwest.
• West Circle Drive (also called CR 22) run north-south at the west edge of town.
• There is also an East Circle Drive, but there are fewer businesses there. In case you're wondering, the two circle drives do not meet.

As is typical for suburbs, most of the newer residential development in the last fifteen years has largely abandoned the numbered grid system and gone to named curved streets. If you need to find these, there are free maps available in most hotels, the local phonebook has a city map, and of course many online map sites.

[edit][add listing] See

[edit] Tours

• Mayo Clinic Tour, [13]. Offers both a general tour of the history of the Clinic, and an art tour showcasing the art collection. Can also pickup a brochure from any Help Desk for a self-guided tour. Free.  edit

• Assisi Community Center (Assisi Heights), 1001 14th Street, ☎ 507-282-7441, [14]. Guided tours are available Monday and Saturday at 2 p.m. by appointment. Additional times may be arranged for groups of 10 or more upon request.. Originally built as the home of the Sisters of Saint Francis, now part is being used as a Community Center. Beautiful Italian Romanesque structure. Free, but Donations are appreciated.  edit

• Mayowood Mansion, 3720 Mayowood Road SW, ☎ 507-282-9447, [15]. Varies by season. Offers tours of this thirty-eight-room mansion, originally the home of Dr. Charles Mayo. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. $12 Adults, $5 Youths under 15.  edit

• Plummer House, 1091 Plummer Lane SW, [16]. Grounds open Sunrise to Sunset year round, house open for tours every Wednesday during the months of June, July, and August from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.. Original home of Dr. Plummer. 49-room mansion on 11 acres. Building primary used for events. Free.  edit

• Heritage House, 225 First Avenue NW, ☎ 507-286-9208. June 1 - August 30 Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday 1:00 - 3:30 PM. Exhibits the way of life of a typical middle-class Midwestern family as of 125 years ago. The house has been restored and authentically furnished with antiques, quilts, dolls, and china.  edit

• Historic Chateau Theatre (Barnes and Nobles Downtown), 15 First Street Sw. The Historic Chateau Theatre was one of the most elaborate threatres built in the early 1900's. Has French Village decor complete with balconies and turrets. Then remodeled into the best Barnes and Noble book store you will ever see. Its a must see in downtown Rochester. (Not to be confused with the current Chateau movie theatre.)  edit

[edit] Museums and Theatre

• Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Drive SE, ☎ 507-282-8629, [17].  edit

• History Center of Olmsted County, 1195 West Circle Drive SW, ☎ (507) 282-9447, [18]. Tuesda - Saturday 9 AM - 5 PM. Rare pictures, maps, diaries, exhibits about Rochester's history. Visit William Dee Log Cabin, Hadley Valley School House, and the George Stoppel Farm. $5 adults, $2 children.  edit

• Rochester Repertory Theatre, [19]. Local theater company, check website for calendar  edit

• Jon Hassler Theater, [20]. Nationally recognized theater in the middle of nowhere.  edit

• Rochester Civic Theatre, 220 E Center Street, ☎ 507-282-8481, [21]. Community theatre. Also offers classes year round.  edit

• The Masque Youth Theatre and School, [22]. Youth theatre  edit

• Feast and Footlights Dinner Theatre. Fall only. (507) 288-4440 TODO: call and get 2007 schedule.

• Mayo Civic Center, [23]. Main event center, check website for calendar of shows, events, etc. (latitude,) edit

[edit] Live Music

• Oak Center General Store, [24]. Live music Saturdays and Sundays, November - April (latitude,) edit

• Blues, 129 Main St S, Chatfield (South on Hwy 52 about 10 minutes), ☎ 507-867-3939 (blueson52@hotmail.com), [25]. Live Blues every weekend  edit

• Many local bars have live music on weekends, main ones are Dunn's Brothers (north), Kathy's Pub

[edit] Comedy Club

• Goonies, 7 Second St NW, ☎ 288-8130, [26]. Live comedy shows every Friday and Saturday. Open mic Thursdays.  edit

[edit] Movies

All three movie theatres are relatively new and offer stadium seating.

• Chateau, [27]. 14-screen theatre located on the NE side  edit

• Cinemagic, [28]. 12-screen threater located on the NW side. (latitude,) edit

• Galaxy, [29]. 14-screen theatre located on the south side in the Shoppes on Maine lifestyle center. Also has one 60 foot wide MegaScreen. (latitude,) edit

[edit] Current Events

• The Post Bulletin's listing, [30]. The local newspaper's list of upcoming events. The best source for looking for things to do. (latitude,) edit

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit] Parks

• Recreational Trails, [31]. Rochester has over 60 miles of paved trails suitable for pedestrian, bike, in-line skate, wheelchair, and stroller use. Downloadable pdf maps available from the website listed, or paper-version can be purchased for $1  edit

• Silver Lake Park, (7th street and 8th ave NW). Small lake with many walking paths. Best known for the thousands of Canadian Geese that winter here. Park has outdoor pool, playground, and skateboard park.  edit

• Silver Lake Boat and Bike Rentals, 700 West Silverlake Dr NW, ☎ (507) 261-9049, [32]. 11AM - Sunset April-October. Canoe, kayak, paddle boat, and boat rentals.  edit

• Quarry Hill Nature Center, 701 Silver Creek Road NE, ☎ (507) 281-6114, [33]. Nature center with displays. Lots of trails and parks to explore. Cross-country skiing and snow shoeing in the winter. Free.  edit

• Oxbow Park and Zoo, 5731 County Rd 105 NW, Byron (Take Valleyhigh Rd NW (highway 4) west from Rochester about 15 minutes. Right before stop sign, turn right.), ☎ 507 775-2451, [34]. Picnic areas by river. Several miles of hiking trails through the woods. Small zoo. Free (donation requested for zoo).  edit

• Soldiers Field Veterans Memorial, Third Avenue and Seventh Street, [35]. Consisting of 4 60-foot circular granite walls, the Soldiers Field Veteran's Memorial was created to honor Veterans from Southeast Minnesota who died serving our country and dedicated to all who served our country to help keep us free. The Wall of Remembrance contains the names of the 2300 men and women from SE Minnesota that died in the service. Free.  edit

• Douglas State Trail, ☎ 507-285-7176, [36]. 13-mile blacktop trail between Rochester and Pine Island. Suitable for biking, walking. Start of trail in Rochester, with parking, is at Valleyhigh Dr just east of West Circle Drive NW  edit

• Chester Woods, (About 20 minutes drive east of town along Highway 14). Picnic areas. Small beach. Fishing. Canoe and paddle boat rentals. Camping.  edit

• Carley State Park, (Approximately 15 miles northeast of Rochester, or 4 miles south of Plainview on Wabasha County Road 4.), [37].  edit

[edit] Other

• Recreation Center, 21 Elton Hills Drive, ☎ 507 281-6167, [38]. Olympic length indoor pool. Two 85' x 200' ice rinks for hockey and figure skating. Make sure to call or check the website for hours the pool is available for open/lap swimming, it is often in use for specific activities. City-owned, no membership required. $4 adults, $3 youth.  edit

• Skyline Raceway, 2250 40th St. SW, [39]. Paintball, go-cart racing, mini-golf  edit

• House of Bounce, 6301 Bandel Rd, ☎ 507-292-0372, [40]. Inflatable bouncing structures. For bouncing. Kids and adults. Free WiFi if you want to work while watching your kids bounce.  edit

• Prairie Walls Climbing Gym, 4420 19th St. NW, ☎ 507-292-0511, [41]. Indoor rock climbing facility  edit

• Midwest Skate Park, 1020 Seventh St. N.W., ☎ 507-529-1382, [42]. 4-8 PM weekdays, 12-6 PM weekends. Indoor skateboarding facility $5 weekdays, $10 weekends.  edit

• Golfing. Over a dozen golf courses in and near Rochester  edit

• Rochester Honkers, [43]. During the summer, take in a Rochester Honkers (collegiate baseball) baseball game.  edit

• Recreation Lanes, 2810 Broadway N, ☎ 507 288 2602. Bowling and mini-golf  edit

• Colonial Lanes, 1828 14th St NW, ☎ 507 289 2341. Bowling  edit

• Flamingo Bingo (Circus World Bingo), 2828 E Frontage Road, ☎ 507 282 0988. Bingo  edit

[edit][add listing] Buy

• The Apache Mall, located southwest of downtown, is the main (indoor) mall. Major department stores are Macy's, Herbergers, Sears, and J.C. Penneys. Also contains about 60 other smaller stores. However, there are not any stores here that you wouldn't see at any other mall.
• For most of the unique and interesting stores, the downtown is your place to go. The Shops at University Square (which used to be called The Galleria) is home to most of them, conveniently located just two blocks east of the Clinic. It is, unfortunately, rather small, only about a dozen stores, but well worth the visit if you want something different. The subway level (between US Bank and Gonda Building) also contains several unique stores, well work a walk down there if you're downtown. There are also some nearby at street level between The Shops at University Square and the clinic.
• Other small malls with some unique stores can be found in Miracle Mile, located just northeast of the intersection of highway 52 and 2nd Street South. Second Street (just west of Highway 52) is starting to turn into a small but interesting shopping area. Crossroads, located at 12th Street and South Broadway, rounds out the small malls.
• There are four major strip malls in town. Northwest Plaza (at 55th Street NW and Highway 52) has Wal-mart, Sam's club, Gander Mountain, with Menards on the east side of Highway 52. Marketplace Plaza (located at 41st Street and Highway 52) has SuperTarget, PetSmart, Staples, and Home Depot, with Best Buy and Hobby Lobby on the east side of Highway 52. South Broadway between 23rd street and 30th street has Wal-mart, Kohl's, Shop-Ko, Menards, Bed Bath and Beyond, and others. The newest is Shoppes on Maine (located at Highway 63 and 48th Street South) is home to SuperTarget, Lowe's, Dick's Sporting Goods, PetSmart, numerous smaller tenets, and an enormous Fleet Farm.
• The best place to buy Rochester souvenirs would be Eagle Drug in downtown Rochester as well as at the gift store in the Kahler hotel.

[edit][add listing] Eat

Grocery Stores

• Hy-Vee. The primary grocery store in town, with three locations. Both Wal-marts and both Targets also have grocery sections, but smaller selection.  edit

• 500 37th St NW, ☎ 507 289-1815.
• 1315 6th St NW, ☎ 507 288-8233. Newly renovated to be more upscale (e.g. has olive bar), has kids play area.
• 500 Crossroads Dr SW, ☎ 507 289-7500. Open 24 hours, has complete pharmacy.

• Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe, 902 7th St NW, ☎ 507 282 5908.  edit

• Good Food Store, 1001 6th St NW.. Rochester's primary source of organic food. Also includes a bulk food room for spices, flours, pasta, beans, etc. Also home to a vegan deli restaurant.  edit

• Gluten-Free Cupboard, 1833 Third Ave. S.E.. Carries only gluten-free items. Also provides information on area restaurants that have gluten-free items on their menus.  edit

• Just Rite foods. Neighborhood style grocery with an excellent deli counter and butcher.  edit

• Asian Food Store, 1010 7th St NW, ☎ 507 536-9097. Rochester's largest Asian grocery store. Also has more East Asian (China, Japan, Korea) food items than others in town, others focus more on SE Asia.  edit

• Rice and Spice, 810 S Broadway. Indian groceries.  edit

Budget Restaurants

The majority of budget dining options are fast-food chain restaurants. Some of the higher-quality chains in town include Chipolte (burritos), Cluver's (hamburgers and more), Nick 'n Willy (pizza), and Panera (sandwiches). Some non-chain restaurants that deserve your attention are below.

• El Carambas, (East side of town). Hole-in-the-wall type casual. Great soft-shell tacos  edit

• Daube's, (One branch in subway (lunch only), one branch west of downtown on Civic Center). Bakery, also serves sandwiches and quiche and such.  edit

• Good Food Deli, (Hidden just north of Civic Center Drive). Vegan.  edit

• Newt's. Voted best burgers in Rochester. Also see Beetles Bar and Brother's  edit

• Pho Tai (Pho Hoa), (North side). Vietnamese. Southeastern Minnesota has a sizable southeast Asian population, so Rochester does have Vietnamese grocery stores and restaurants, such as Pho Hoa. In addition to sit-down meals, bahn mi, inexpensive Vietnamese sandwiches on French bread, are usually available for takeout.  edit

• Zorba's, (West of downtown on 7th street NW). Greek.  edit

Mid-range Restaurants

• Azteca, (South of downtown).  edit

• Billoti's, (Downtown). also serves Italian-American food, and is very popular for pizza.  edit

• Canadian Honker, (Across from St. Mary's). Traditional American, but Fresh fish Friday and Saturdays. Often has live music.  edit

• Dos Amigos, (5 blocks southeast of downtown, on the north side along highway 52).  edit

• Famous Dave's. Branch of popular chain of BBQ  edit

• Fiesta Mexicana, (North Broadway).  edit

• Great China. Chinese. Great deal on lunch plates  edit

• Green Mill.  edit

• HuHot. Mongolian barbecue  edit

• Hunan Garden. Generally considered the best (certainly the most popular), although Americanized. Voted Best Chinese Food in Rochester Magazine poll 8 of 9 years. [Not to be confused with Hunan Wok across the street or Hunan on South Broadway.]  edit

• India Garden, (About 20 blocks north of downtown on Broadway). Open from 11 until 2:30 for lunch buffet, and then reopens from 5 to 9 for evening, but without the buffet. Indian. Consistently voted best in the "Indian/Other Asian" category in the Best of restaurant survey.  edit

• John Hardy's. Another local BBQ place  edit

• Kingdom Buffet. All-you-can-eat buffet with over 100 dishes, sushi, Mongolian grill, some American dishes. International Buffet is very similar  edit

• Oak Room, (In the Marriott downtown). Good food, but you feel like you are eating in a hotel lobby.  edit

• Redwood Room, 300 First Ave. NW (Three blocks north of downtown on 1st Ave.), [44]. American. Live music most days. About as hip as Rochester gets. Below Broadstreet Cafe / 300 First  edit

• Roscoe's Barbecue. has two locations in Rochester: A stand at 603 4th St. SE which only offers outdoor seating and is closed during the cold months, (507)285-0501. And a restaurant at 4180 18th Ave. NW which is open year-round, (507)281-4622.[45] Tasty BBQ, award-winning ribs, and home-made root beer.  edit

• Sytje's Pannekoeken, (One branch downtown, one branch in Crossroads). Dutch and American. Popular for weekend brunch.  edit

• Whistle Binkies, (One location on the north side, one on the south side). British-style pub. Great beer selection, good bar good, OK regular food.  edit

• Victoria's, (Downtown). A local favorites, serves a wide variety of Italian-American food, with huge portions and cute decoration.  edit

Splurge Restaurants

• Chester's Kitchen and Bar, 111 S. Broadway (Downtown in Galleria/Shops at University Square), ☎ 507 424 1211, [46]. Traditional American with a Twist, most popular restaurant in town. Voted Best New Restaurant in Rochester Magazine poll in 2009.  edit

• City Cafe, 216 First Ave. SW (Downtown on 1st Ave), ☎ 507 289 1949, [47]. Modern American. Voted Best Restaurant in Rochester Magazine poll in 2006, 2007, and 2008.  edit

• Jaspers, 14 3rd St SW (Downtown on 3rd street), ☎ 507 280 6446, [48]. Alsatian [Alsace] food.  edit

• Michael's, 15 S. Broadway (Downtown), ☎ 507 288 2020, [49]. Traditional American / Steaks. Local favorite. Go for the pictures of famous people on the wall who have eaten there. Voted Best Steak Dinner in Rochester Magazine poll in 2009.  edit

• Pescara, 150 S Broadway (In Doubletree/Radisson hotel), ☎ (507) 280-6900, [50]. Seafood. Recently opened (May 2009), probably the best seafood in town. Smallish but fancy dining area.  edit

• Prescott, 1201 S. Broadway (Crossroads shopping center), ☎ 507 536 7775, [51]. Bistro-style French, casual but with great food. Smaller but excellent wine list, ask the sommelier for advice. Voted Best Restaurant in Rochester Magazine poll in 2009.  edit

• Söntés, 4 Third St. SW (Downtown), ☎ 507 292 1628, [52]. Tapas. Extensive wine list, gourmet cheeses.  edit

• Sushi Ito's, 318 S. Broadway (Downtown), ☎ 507 280 0034, [53]. Sushi and dishes.  edit

• 300 First, 300 First Ave. NW (Three blocks north of downtown on 1st Ave), ☎ 507 281 2451, [54]. New American.  edit

Late Night Dining

Rochester doesn't quite roll up the sidewalk at 9 PM, but it can feel that way at times. Below are some places that are open late, "late" here being defined at past 10 PM. [Hours may change.]

• 24 hours: Denny's and Perkins (American). And don't forget Hy-Vee (grocery store) and Wal-mart, also open 24 hours.
• Redwood Room: 11 PM weekdays, midnight weekends
• Wendy's : 1 AM (drive-through only)
• Greenmill
• Baker's Square

[edit][add listing] Drink

• Beetles Bar & Grill: 230 20th AVE SW, Phone (507) 529-9599 [55]

• King's Crossing Bar& Grill: 915 21st Ave SE, Phone (507) 289-1690

• Sand Trap: 3342 19th St. NW, Phone (507)536-7768

• Newt's 216 1st Ave SW, Phone (507)289-0577 [56]

• Kathy's 300 South Broadway
• Whistle Binkies, (NE location near Chateau theatre and South broadway location). Both locations have an excellent pub atmosphere with dozens of beer selections to choose from. South Broadway location has outdoor seating during the summer months. Both locations serve from a good variety menu. Because of the pub atmosphere, not for romantic evenings or business talk.  edit

[edit][add listing] Sleep

Due to the large number of visitors to the Mayo clinic, and their unique needs, there is a wide range of sleeping arrangements to fit almost any budget or need, from low-end to high-end, from short-term to long-term, from standard hotel rooms, to rooms with kitchenettes, to fully furnished apartments. While there are some hotels spread-out through-out the city, most of the hotels are grouped downtown (by the clinic), along SW second street (by Saint Mary's), and along South Broadway (where most of the cheaper, non-chain ones are located). Below are only a sample of the available hotels. Most of the cheaper, non-chain hotels are not listed.

[edit] Mayo Clinic

The following downtown hotels are connected to the clinic, and to the rest of downtown, via a network of above-ground enclosed skyways and below-group passages (called subways). This is very useful in the winter!

• Holiday Inn Express, 220 South Broadway, Phone: +1 507 252-8200, [57]. Note that the Holiday Inn Express is downtown and is fancier than the Holiday Inn. However, starting December 2006, they have been involved in a labor dispute after the new owners fired all the union workers and hired non-union ones. If this matters to you, avoid this place.
• Kahler Grand Hotel, 20 SW Second Avenue, Phone: +1 507 280-6200, Fax: +1 507 285-2701, [58] Old hotel, lots of character. Many like it for the character and not looking like every other hotel, others don't like it due to being older.
• International Hotel, 20 SW Second Avenue, [59]. Rochester's only AAA 4 diamond hotel. Actually the upper two floors of the Kahler Grand. Gets consistently excellent reviews, but pricey.
• Kahler Inn and Suites, 9 Third Avenue Northwest, Phone: +1 507 285-9200, Reservations: +1 800 533-1655, Fax: +1 507 282-4478, [60]. Not to be confused with the Kahler Grand, this hotel is not as nice. But it is convenient to Mayo.
• Marriott, 101 First Avenue SW, Phone: +1 507 280-6000, Fax: +1 507 280-8531, [61].
• Oakwood Broadway Tower, 15 1st Street SE, Rochester, MN 55904, Phone: +1 507 424-4200, Fax: +1 507 424-4201, [62] High-end long-term stays. Currently also allowing shorter term stays, reviews have been very positive.
• Radisson Plaza, 150 South Broadway.  edit

[edit] Downtown

• Residence Inn, 441 West Center St NW, +1 507 292-1400, Toll-free: +1 877 623-7775, Fax: Phone: +1 507 536-5020, [63].
• Best Western Soldiers Field Tower and Suites, 401 6th Street SW, Phone: +1 507 288-2677, Toll-free: +1 800 366-2067, Fax: +1 507 282-2042, [64].
• Hilton Garden Inn, 225 South Broadway. In downtown, but not connected to skyway  edit

[edit] By Saint Mary's

• Courtyard Rochester St. Mary, 161 13th Ave, Phone: +1 507 536-0040, Toll-free: +1 800 504-1035, Fax: +1 507 536-0050, [65].
• Fiksdal Hotel And Suites, 1215 Southwest Second Street.  edit
• SpringHill Suites, 1125 2nd Street SW, Phone: +1 507 281-5455, Toll-free: +1 800 678-9894, Fax: +1 507 285-9641, [66].
• Staybridge Suites, 1211 Second St. Sw, +1 507 289-6600, [67].

[edit] South Broadway

• Country Inn and Suites, 77 Wood Lake Drive SE.  edit
• Econo Lodge South, 1850 South Broadway. Two story Motor Inn (no internal hallways), clean basic accommodations.  edit
• Hampton Inn, 1755 South Broadway, Phone: +1 507 287-9050, [68].

[edit] Other locations

• Microtel Inn, 4210 Hwy 52 North, West Frontage Road, Phone: +1 507 286-8780, [69]. Cheap rates for Mayo patients. Free shuttles to Mayo, free long distance, free breakfast and free internet. [70]
• Motel 6, 2107 West Frontage Road, Phone: +1 507 282-6625, Fax: +1 507 280-7987, [71].
• Ramada, 1517 16th Street Southwest. Small indoor warterpark, otherwise mixed reviews. Recently (2007) changed from being a Best Western, so undergoing many changes.  edit

[edit] Contact

Many many places offer free internet access

• Public Library. Free computer use, free wi-fi.
• Caribou Coffee. All five locations offer free wi-fi.
• Dunns Brothers. Both locations offer free wi-fi and free computer use.
• Panera Bakery. Both locations offer free wi-fi.

[edit] Get out

• Minneapolis / Saint Paul, [72]. About a 90 minute drive north on Highway 52, the Minneapolis / Saint Paul area offers all activities of a big city without being overwhelming. Including, of course, the Mall of America.  edit

• Whitewater Park, (Take highway 14 to St Charles, then North on Hwy 74. Located 3 miles south of Elba. About 45 minutes drive from Rochester), [73]. beautiful park with many miles of hiking trails.  edit

• Winona, Lake City, Red Wing, Wabasha, [74]. Cute cities on the Mississippi River  edit

• National Eagle Center, (In Wabasha), [75]. Chance to see our national bird up close and learn more about them. Recently (Spring 2007) renovated.  edit

• Spam Museum, [76]. Yes, really. Hormel is headquartered in Austin, MN, about 45 drive from Rochester. For an experience you can't get anywhere else, give this one a try.  edit

• Tour SE Minnesota, [77]. The Rochester Tour Company provides private tours of the areas best scenic areas.  edit

• Forestville / Mystery Cave, [78]. Historic Forestville is a restored 1800s village operated by the Minnesota Historical Society, complete with guides in period clothing and activities. Mystery Cave is an underground cave.  edit

• Niagara Cave, [79]. Very impress underground cave  edit

• Lanesboro, [80]. Historic village in a beautiful valley. Old-town main street with unique shops and restaurants. Many outdoor activities. Near a fish hatchery where you can feed hundreds of fish with one toss.  edit

• Bluff Country, [81]. Beautiful area in SE Minnesota  edit

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!