I live in Minnesota and it's pretty awesome... just hope you can get used to blazing hot summers and really cold and messy winters. We have some of the harshest winters in the country. U of M is pretty diverse to my knowledge but the town I live in isn't... we have like... 3 black people in our 5,000 person town. This... isn't a joke.
The Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul) are pretty shwank, the light rail is fun and we have the fucking Mall of America. It's huge. If you're into gambling we also have a huge casino called the Mystic Lake Casino which is located about a half-hour south of the Twin Cities.
The people are NOT hicks and are actually some of the most progressive speaking in the country.
The accents of the region are generally distinct from those of the South and many urban areas of the American Northeast. The accent considered characteristic of most of the Midwest is considered by many to be "standard" American English. This accent is preferred by many national radio and television broadcasters, who go so far as to actually have potential broadcasters receive training in speaking "Midwestern."
If you have more specific questions I'll be happy to answer them. I know Brown and maladroithim are both from Minnesota as well.