The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul will be hosting Gaylaxicon 2009. Our hotel is located in St. Louis Park, a western suburb of Minneapolis. The following are nearby hotspots that you may want to check out during your stay for Gaylaxicon 2009. Come early, stay longer - you'll find the Twin Cities a very friendly place to take in some spectacular fall sights, culture and fun.

Guthrie Theatre
Three theaters run simultaneously in this newest jewel on the Mississippi River. Even if you can't make a play, be sure to go up to the cantelevered outdoor balcony that looks out over the Mighty Miss. There you'll take in the remnants of our past as a mill town while enjoying the cool river breezes. www.GuthrieTheater.org

Hennepin History Museum
This small museum has funky exhibits that highlight our history in unusual ways - within a few blocks of the Art Institute. www.hennepinhistory.org

IMAX Theaters
We have 3 IMAX theatres - at ValleyFair, the Minnesota Zoo and the Science Museum of Minnesota. www.mnzoo.com and www.smm.org

Mall of America
What visit to the Twin Cities would be complete without a visit to our very own "Sprawl of America", as the locals like to call it. Underwater World, lots of movie theaters and restaurants, Legoland and an amusement park are additional draws if you're not the shopping type. hwww.mallofamerica.com

Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Take in some classical art or check out the latest photography exhibit. http://www.artsmia.org/

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
The Arboretum features more than 1,000 acres of magnificent gardens, model landscapes, and natural areas-from woodlands and wetlands to prairie-with extensive collections of northern-hardy plants. Take a tour of the beautiful fall colors on the trees and late blooming flowers. http://www.arboretum.umn.edu/

Science Museum of Minnesota
The Science Museum of Minnesota, located in downtown St. Paul, is known for its interactive exhibits, dynamic traveling exhibitions, and OmniTheater planetarium and iMax theater. The current "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition" has detailed room recreations, over 200 artifacts from the Titanic, and tells the story of the great doomed ship (advanced tickets are recommended). http://www.smm.org/

Three Rivers Park District
Hundreds of miles of biking, hiking and horseback riding trails be-ribbon Hennepin County. www.threeriversparkdistrictorg

Twins Baseball
Maybe we'll be in the play-offs this year. See one last game in the Metrodome. In 2010, we move to a brand new outdoor stadium. twins.mlb.com

Walker Art Center
Contemporary galleries and a breath-taking outdoor sculpture garden will provide an afternoon of art to feed your culture gene. www.walkerart.org

Leather
Finally, if you're into leather - as several of our guests of honor are, check out Minnesota Leather Pride for an update on local events at www.mnleatherpride.org

In future posts, we'll highlight all the great SF bookstores and outlets that dot the cities.