New to Mayo and first time traveling to MN...

@kellye5, I am a patient at the Mayo Rochester Campus. The first thing I want to share is that Rochester is very attentive to the Mayo patients. Mayo is a huge complex of buildings, and it is amazingly well planned and easy to navigate. There are enclosed walkways to protect you from the weather. There are nearby lodgings, and others farther out that run shuttles to/from the Clinic. If you wheelchairs, they are also available at the entry.

I know that some other members are going to want share their tips for your first visit. In the meantime, I would like to share with you the following Mayo Clinic information.
-Here is the visitor guide for the Mayo Rochester Campus.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide/minnesota/travel-lodging-maps
-Here is the Concierge Service - a free service that Mayo Clinic offers its patients.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide/minnesota/becoming-a-patient/concierge-travel-services
-Here are some visitor tour videos for the Mayo Rochester Campus
https://videotours.mayoclinic.org/minnesota-videos/
I hope that this helps to get you started. When is your appointment ?
Rosemary

My Mother had a triple bypass and a myectomy recently in Rochester MN. We had the same anxiety nervousness as you. Not knowing the area or what to expect. But let me reassure you it was a wonderful experience. Not one bad mishap at all.
Make sure you do not book your Motel through a booking agent as it makes the price of your room per night more. Call the motel directly to reserve your room. Make sure the motel is affiliated with the Mayo clinic , there will be a discount and they provide a shuttle service, not only to the clinic but St.Marys hospital as well then back to your motel. The motel will provide you with a schedule. Only a few times did we have to take a cab due to unexpected appointments or no shuttle service on weekends. The average cab ride was around 9 dollars.
The clinic was extremely easy to navigate. They also provide wheelchairs for those who need them right at the front door. There are information desks if you have any questions. But the staff including Doctors I stopped in the hallways were always more than happy to give directions. But dont be afraid to ask.
Food was pricey. So we just went to the local grocery store closest to the motel. Hi-V had a wonderful deli , tons to choose from. Little chinese restaraunt inside it, a very nice store. My Mom had one appointment after another , there was very little time to stop in the cafeteria at the clinic so we just took snacks , sandwiches etc. And ate when we could. At the Mayo clinic there are stores to buy drinks , snacks that are cheaper then the cafeteria.
I hope this may have helped you some, after the first couple days you will become an ol pro at getting around. I pray everything goes well with whatever you are having done. God Bless.

@atterberry, Welcome to Mayo Connect. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I do believe that your detailed account will be useful and encouraging for others who read this.
I hope your mother is doing well.

Looking back, is there anything that would have helped you to be better prepared you for the first visit?
Rosemary

@atterberry, I would like to add my welcome to @rosemarya. Thank you for posting to this thread. I agree- your post will be of help for future readers who may have some "pre Mayo visit anxiety". So glad to hear that your visit was a positive experience and that entrusting Mayo Clinic with Mama's healthcare was successful. Prayers to a full recovery!

Mayo is very easy to navigate and everyone is helpful if you have questions or need help to find your way around. Once you get acclimated to the setup, it is easy.

Lots of eating options at Mayo. The cafeteria is fine, plus there are also lots of other options if you venture further in the Subway. Lots of chains (Dairy Queen, Quizno's, Subway and coffee places like Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Caribou) plus some very good local places.

If your appointments are in the Mayo or Gonda buildings (or the other nearby buildings), I would recommend staying in the hotels nearby. If you have lots of appointments, you can easily go back to the hotel to rest, etc. While I have stayed at hotels further out plenty of times and have used their free shuttles with no issue, what so ever, for first visits, I would recommend staying in the hotels downtown that are connected by the Subway.

Good luck! Mayo is amazing and unlike any other medical facility.

A particular one?? We are scheduled now at the Khaler? Grand hotel???

Hi @kellye5, the Kahler Grand is pretty convenient since it's right downtown and has subway access to the Mayo Clinic buildings. Here is a subway/skyway map that you can see which hotels are downtown and where they are located. You could probably print it out for reference:
http://318commons.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Dowtown-subway-and-skyway-map.pdf
John