Wasting Away Again in...The Mall of America?

I can get in a happy vacation kind of vibe when I hear a Jimmy Buffet song.  A little day dreaming that I am on a tropical island sipping a margarita, lounging on a chaise with nothing ahead of me but blue skies and a blue sea.  On our first cruise, having a cocktail at the Ochos Rio Margaritaville felt like a vacation pilgrimage of sorts.  Then there was one on another island, and another. Patronage was all the same-cruise tourists or all inclusive resort tourists looking for a change from their regular surroundings, and college kids scraping together pennies, or worse, student loan money, to drink overpriced drinks and eat mediocre food. But hey, it was part of the tropical vacation vibe.  Music pumped up at high volume, everyone in a happy mood, and sand and water to enjoy. My sister is the ultimate Jimmy Buffet fan, and requests whenever anyone goes on vacation, would they kindly bring her back a beer bottle cozy and a t-shirt. Her Sirus radio programmed to the Margaritaville station.

Now though, the chain is soon to open a franchise in the Mall of America, in Bloomington Minnesota, a suburb just southwest of Minneapolis. Besides the fact that it is an entirely enclosed, four story building with what feel like miles and miles of shops and restaurants, there is no water, no beach, and no sunshine in sight, unless you get a glimpse of the equally mammoth Water Park of America. I already am not a fan of malls, and this mall in particular.  You cannot really shop there, unless it is to go into a single store, maybe two, and know what you want, buy it and get out.  Mostly you see dazed and confused people wandering around with bags filled with things they probably didn't really want, but felt they needed to buy something. I guess in the heart of winter, with the Nickelodeon Universe theme park in the middle, and endless movie and restaurant choices, it could be a destination spot of sorts out of the cold and snow. Though, picture the outdoor scenes from the movie Fargo and know Minnesota really is that cold and snowy in the winter; putting a tropically themed bar and restaurant on the 4th floor of a mall isn't going to change that.  Even my sister agrees this is a misfit. This is over franchising at its worst. There might be cheeseburgers, but this Margaritaville will be no paradise. 

You might want to think you are here...

but you are really here.

At the risk of further promoting this, I am sharing the link so you can see the ridiculousness for yourself.If you cick the :visit website" link, you will see a beautiful tropical island scene-not Bloomington, MN.  http://www.mallofamerica.com/shopping/directory/margaritaville