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Rochester (Minnesota)

Travel Guide North America USA Midwestern United States Minnesota Rochester

Introduction

Rochester was founded in 1854 as a frontier town in the southern area of the state. The biggest moment in the cities history was when the railroad arrived in the 1860s, bringing Dr. William W. Mayo in 1863. Dr. Mayo opened a frontier clinic, which toady is one of the leading hospitals in the world. The town tends to revolves around the Mayo clinic and its prestigious clients, although there are some old early 20th century homes to check out also. The town lies on the South Fork of the Zumbro River and is in Olmsted County, which is one of 4 counties in Minnesota that doesn't have natural lake. But in order to make it feel like a normal Minnesota county some artificial lakes have been built including Silver Lake.

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Neighbourhoods

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Sights and Activities

Mayo Clinic

The Mayo Clinic is a non profit medical practice located in Rochester. The clinic is one of the best known in the world and is leading center for medical research, especially in cancer. The hospital has experts in cancer, tumors, bone problems, HIV and almost every medical problem under the sun. The clinic also has a medical school and residency program attached to it. Due to the large number of international patients the Mayo Clinic has great facilities to handle people from different cultures.

Frank Lloyd Wright Homes

A. H. Bulbulian Residence - Is a good example of Wright's Usonian genre of architecture. The home has been recently restored to its original condition.
James McBean Residence - This is a nice Wright home located in the city.
Thomas Keys Residence - Built in 1950, with earth berms, this home was originally designed to be a middle class home in order to give working class families more refined homes.

Other Sights and Activities

Chateau Theatre - Is national historic building and currently houses a Barnes & Nobel Bookstore and Cafe.
Biking/Hiking Trails - The city has more then 60 m of trails for people to enjoy. The Root River and Douglas State Trails, near the Rochester area, includes an additional 55 m (89 km) of trails with mixed woods, hills and limestone bluffs.
Rochester Art Center - Open in 2004 is a small art center with visiting collections and a nice garden in the back.
History Center of Olmsted County - Learn the history and natural history of the county at this museum.
SEMVA Art Gallery - In Peace Plaza in the downtown area, this gallery has a collection of local artists from southeastern Minnesota.
Chorale Arts Ensemble - Is a good 40 voice choir that performs a wide range of styles.
Masque Youth Theater - Is the local children's theater.
Rochester Community Band - This is a good local theater company.
Rochester Community Band - Enjoy free classical concerts in East Park during the summer with this group.

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Events and Festivals

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Weather

Rochester has hot summer and cold winters.

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Getting There

By Plane

Rochester International Airport (RST) is a major airport located 7 m (11 km) southwest of the downtown area. The airport is serviced by American Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Allegiant Air and private jets. Recently Federal Express and DHL added terminals. There is a limousine service to and from the airport to the city.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

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Getting Around

During the winter there is a system of underground roads and walk ways called the Subway/Skyway. This system accesses all the major sights and shops in the downtown area, including the Mayo Clinic. During the winter these tunnels can be great way to avoid the cold and some shops even have direct access. The tunnels also have handicap access.

By Car

Many international rental companies have a wide selection of rental cars and these include Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise, Budget and Alamo/National. Most companies will require you are at least 25 years of age, although younger people might be able to rent cars at slightly higher rates and with some insurance differences as well. A national driver's license is usually enough, but an additional international one is recommended. Also note that it usually costs more to include lots of other extra things. For example extra drivers, GPS, the first full tank, SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance), PAI (Personal Accident Insurance, usually covered already at home), road assistance/service plan, and drop-off costs for one-way rentals.
If you want to book a car, it is recommended that you book your car before arriving in the USA. This is almost always (much) cheaper compared to just showing up. Also, try and book with a so-called 'broker', which usually works together with a few or many car rental companies and can offer the best deal. Some examples include Holidayautos, Holidaycars and Sunny Cars. Some of the cheapest deals to book from Europe, includes Drive-USA, which also has a German version.

For more information and tips about renting cars and campers, additional costs, insurance, traffic rules, scenic routes and getting maps and fuel it is advised to check the USA Getting Around section.

By Public Transport

Buses - Rochester has a very good public bus system. For more information on routes and schedules click here.

By Foot

By Bike

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Eat

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Drink

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Sleep

Property	Address	Type	Popularity
Red Carpet Inn	4600 West Henrietta Road Henrietta	hotel	-

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

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Work

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Learn

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Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

Post

The US Postal Service is very good and well priced mail system. There are post offices in every small and large town for sending packages internationally or domestically. If wanting to send a letter or postcard it is best just to leave it in a blue mail box with the proper postage. There are also private postal services like FedEx, UPS and DHL.