After three years in New York, we often rented cars together and took self-drive trips all over the United States. This Thanksgiving, we decided to conquer a new state: Minnesota!
Photos and article by: Isabelle Chiang (Monroe College)
[Minnesota attractions] Off to Minnesota!
(The plane has landed and the trip is about to begin)
As soon as we got off the plane, we took the free shuttle to our hotel to check in and planned to go out for a big Thanksgiving dinner. To our shock, not a single restaurant was open! It turns out that on Thanksgiving Day most restaurants close because everyone wants to celebrate the holiday — even the Asian restaurants were closed! After a long search we finally found an Ethiopian restaurant. But since we had only arrived in the afternoon and thought we’d save money by not renting a car on the first day, we had to take an Uber to get there!
(The Ethiopian restaurant)
The moment we walked into the Ethiopian restaurant, we were the only table of Asians. We ordered a dish called Mother’s Special to mark the fact that, on Thanksgiving, our homes were far away and we couldn’t eat our moms’ cooking (sob). The dish came with lamb, beef, corn mash and bean mash, but no knives or forks — you eat it with your hands. Truly an unforgettable memory, haha!
(Mother’s Special: lamb, beef, corn mash and bean mash, with no cutlery — you eat it with your hands)
Then we noticed all the locals ordering Ethiopian coffee, so we spent $10 on the set just to try something new!
It went down really smoothly, not bitter and harsh like regular black coffee.
(Trying Ethiopian coffee)
Since we hadn’t rented a car and had to get around by Uber — $20 for a five-minute ride — we didn’t go anywhere else and headed back to the hotel to rest after dinner! We couldn’t wait to pick up our rental car the next day and see more fun places.
[Minnesota attractions] Renting a car with gogoout
(Ready to pick up the car and start our U.S. road trip!)
On day two, we headed excitedly to the car rental area at the Minnesota airport first thing in the morning to pick up our car. We had already booked it on the gogoout website before leaving — with such a packed itinerary, we really didn’t have the energy to check prices company by company to find the right rental deal. We went with gogoout, Taiwan’s largest online car rental service. Besides Taiwan, they also handle car rental bookings in the United States, and in one go they searched four chain rental companies inside the airport and offered us more than forty rental options.
These were the cars we considered within our budget:
(gogoout lets you search and compare major U.S. rental companies, with transparent pricing so you can book with confidence)
From the cheapest, nimblest compact cars to big pickups built for northern winters, the choices covered everything and made it hard to pick. While booking, we found that unlike booking directly on a rental company’s official site, the all-Chinese interface let us compare options clearly and easily, and the site experience was smooth: from browsing to booking to checkout, everything was done in under half an hour. We also paid close attention to the little details of renting — hidden fees, rental restrictions and the endless list of paid add-ons — and were pleasantly surprised that gogoout’s site openly and transparently flags the details users should watch out for, which takes most of the silent tug-of-war out of dealing with the rental desk.
More details to watch out for when renting a car in the United States:
(The airport has a dedicated Hertz counter for car pickup)
In the end, weighing our budget against riding comfort, we chose a mid-size SUV from Hertz. We couldn’t wait for the next day’s itinerary, when we’d have our own ride and could roam the city more freely and more widely. In the Thanksgiving spirit, we’re truly grateful for gogoout’s thoughtful service!
(The most important thing at pickup is checking the car body for damage, which protects both sides)
Before setting off, you have to check the car’s condition. The exterior was in good shape with no obvious scratches, the interior was clean, and even the easily overlooked storage compartments and trunk were spotless — you could really feel how much care the rental company puts into vehicle maintenance and the customer experience. We were thrilled to have a comfortable SUV, and we were ready to go!
(The car from Hertz came with Apple CarPlay, so music and navigation on the road were effortless)
The car had built-in Apple CarPlay, so the driver could navigate right on the built-in screen instead of glancing at a phone while driving. It met our out-of-town visitors’ need for navigation and greatly improved driving safety. The car also had a backup camera, so even a new driver could park easily and tackle the tightest spots. On the road you could tell the car was regularly serviced: smooth acceleration, no hesitation when braking, and no shaking at idle while waiting at red lights. The last thing you want on a trip is car trouble, especially in the wide-open United States — nobody wants to spend their vacation waiting for roadside assistance and repairs. Thanks to gogoout for vetting the car so we could fully enjoy our vacation!
What do you do if you get pulled over in the United States? How do you read the road signs? Here are some tips for driving in the U.S.!
[Self-drive travel in the USA] Driving in America is super EASY in 2021 – gogoout
[Minnesota attractions] Target shooting at Total Defense!
(The range walls are lined with all kinds of firearms)
For our first stop we wanted to do something you can’t do in New York: shooting! We went to Total Defense for target practice. One of our friends had recently been taking a shooting class, so he showed us how to handle a pistol (sounds scary). We rented two guns in total, bought 50 rounds, and with admission for four people it came to close to a hundred US dollars.
(Feeling like a sharpshooter)
Even though the four of us got through fifty rounds in just 30 minutes, we were all exhausted — shooting takes a lot of concentration. So for our next stop we picked something more relaxed: the famous Cathedral of Saint Paul, where we took some nice photos and repented for the dangerous shooting we’d just done, hahaha.
(A solemn, elegant cathedral)
(The soaring, magnificent cathedral interior)
For dinner we went to a Taiwanese-owned restaurant called Tasty Pot, specializing in Taiwanese stinky tofu hot pot. Business was booming and the place was packed! It’s right next to the University of Minnesota, so lots of Asian students eat there — maybe they’re all homesick like us!
(You can get Taiwanese-style personal hot pot in the United States too)
The flavor was pretty close to hot pot back in Taiwan, but of course the price was American — $16.99 a serving. Compared with hot pot in New York, that’s not bad at all! The taste of home is priceless!
[Minnesota attractions] Skiing at Afton Alps
(Northern Minnesota had less snow than expected)
Compared with the heavy snowfall in upstate New York, we were surprised that Minnesota, which is farther north, actually had less snow — at one point we even thought the ski season hadn’t started yet.
(The packed parking lot was full of visitors there to ski)
Luckily, when we arrived we saw people already laughing and playing on the slopes. Skiing has always been one of the activities we look forward to most, so once we were geared up, we took our first run of the season. From the highest point we looked out over the endless plains — the leaves had all fallen and the early-winter scenery was laid out in full view. Then we plunged down in one go, with the cold wind rushing past. What a thrill.
As night fell, we drove to the Minnesota State Capitol, where the lights gathered on the building and gave it a grand, stately beauty. Being a bit lazy, we pulled over briefly, snapped a few photos, and then hurried back to the hotel to rest for the next morning’s long drive.
(The Minnesota State Capitol, grand and stately under the night lights)
[Minnesota attractions] Lake Superior
(You have to take a photo to remember a U.S. road trip!)
Another highlight of the trip was seeing a name we’d usually only read in textbooks — Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes. Sitting on the U.S.–Canada border, Lake Superior
has vast, sweeping scenery and one national park after another nearby. Driving north along Highway 61, we gradually felt the northern atmosphere grow stronger. With four-wheel drive, we could push on through the snow without a second thought.
Along the way we also passed Duluth, a town on the upper Mississippi, and the Aerial Lift Bridge that controls the key entrance to the lake. Every time a ship comes through, the bridge rises slowly so vessels can pass in and out freely — it’s quite charming to watch.
(The bridge rises to let ships pass through)
(A group photo at the Aerial Lift Bridge)
For the end of the trip, we planned a small, indulgent foodie outing. We arrived full of anticipation at Kaiseki Furukawa. The head chef originally worked in New York, then went to Japan to refine his craft, and finally settled in Minneapolis to open his own restaurant.
(Japanese-style décor and tableware)
From the appetizers to the chawanmushi to the small starters and the nigiri sushi, you could clearly feel the chef’s care and his thoughtful choice of ingredients. The one slight letdown was the final dessert — black pepper granita. You could guess the chef wanted a creative pairing of sweet and spicy, but the execution felt a little rough. Overall, we still told the head chef, “New York needs you.” The bar attached to the restaurant is also well worth recommending.
Gori Gori Peku – Japanese Whisky Bar has a wonderfully calm interior, with shelves lined with Japanese whiskies that look even more elegant under the lighting. The drinks were a real surprise, each cocktail with its own character. From the aroma to the kick going down to the lingering finish, it fully showed the craftsman’s spirit unique to a Japanese-style bar — highly recommended and worth a return visit.
(A whisky bar with wonderful atmosphere)
On the last day, since our flight was in the afternoon, we returned the car first thing in the morning and tried the local light rail! Compared with the New York subway, Minnesota’s trains are very clean and cheap at $2.8. But compared with having a rental car, it’s still less flexible, since only a few places have stations. We were glad we’d booked a car with gogoout in advance — otherwise we probably couldn’t have fit in such a full itinerary of target shooting, the Great Lakes and skiing!
(Getting together with friends is the real highlight of this trip)
And finally, the two of us — best friends who studied and lived together in New York — had to say goodbye. We each flew to the same city just to meet up and reminisce about the road trips we used to take together in New York. It was a trip full of great memories. In the end, getting together with friends is the real heart of the journey, and we look forward to visiting each other’s cities again.
Learn more about self-driving in the USA:
[USA Car Rental Guide] 2021 update: nine things you need to know! – gogoout
[USA Self-Drive Travel] Driving across the USA made easy in 2021 – gogoout
This article was translated by AI from the original Chinese version.
