Finally. A total Minneapolis Day.
We started out with a 5 mile power walk on the Purgatory Creek Preserve Trail at 7 am in Eden Prairie. (suburban Minneapolis) Spotted several owls, many Canadian Geese, a Sharp-shinned or Cooper’s Hawk as well as many Mallards and smaller ducks that I thought were Pintails. It was very warm before sunrise here. Extremely unusual weather for this time of year in Minnesota. Was supposed to hit 80 plus.
Sunny, clear and very warm. But lacking the miserable Midwest summer humidity. It was refreshing to see people dressed in corporate khakis and ID badges striding to work on the paved walkways. So civilized. Many bikers as well. These miles and miles of paved trails are what I love so much about the Twin Cities region. It is one of the prime reasons Fred and I are thinking about making an eventual move here.
You can step out your door and walk, jog, and bike in an enchanting world of nature devoid of automobiles unlike any other city in the country.
For those of you who think Starbucks has taken over the country, the ubiquitous coffee shop here is Caribou Coffee, all its stores done up in lodge décor. Its corporate logo features what we referred to as a moose, but – guess what? – it’s a caribou. Duh.
We continued on the day by focusing on one neighborhood we had not seen in the two trips we made to MN earlier this year. 50th and France Ave. Kind of a cross between Fillmore and Union Street areas of SF, but with a MN twist. We discovered an artisanal cheese shop that reminded us of Cowgirl Creamery in Point Reyes CA. The owner and his wife clued us in to some homes for sale in the neighborhood as well as homes along the Minnehaha Creek Parkway. The Parkway has a trail that runs for miles throughout Minneapolis. It is part of the overall trail system called the Grand Round.
Fred and I spent a great deal of the afternoon walking and exploring all along the Grand Round. Minneapolis should show the country how walkways and bikeways are done. They are also adding miles of exclusive Mountain Bike singletrack in Theodore Wirth Park and elsewhere throughout The City.
We ended our day at the end of Minnehaha Creek --Minnehaha Falls. This is near where it empties into the Mississippi. Then back to a restaurant called Salut in the 50th/France hood. Since it was unusually hot, we both had huge salads. I had a Cobb (just OK). Fred had a steak salad. Clearly the better choice.
Doom and gloom severe weather forecast for tomorrow, which sounds ominous. All the more reason to have taken advantage of today’s weather.
1 comment:
Hi, guys! It looks like the weather gods have smiled on you so far, so I hope the inclement weather you expect passes quickly. I can certainly see why MN appeals to you; it is heaven on earth. It's been a long time since I visited MN, but I still remember the stunning natural beauty and the lyrical place names like Good Thunder and Blue Earth. Lovely. I would adore seeing more fall foliage shots if you can manage them. I do miss that from my childhood in MA.
Our reordered sink came in and looks great, so we are well on our way to having the cabinetry constructed. We hope for demo in about three weeks and plan to start packing up non-essentials this weekend. Dan is angling for a credit card that offers double ff miles so we can charge the appliances to it.
I'll be checking back as time permits. Savor your time in wonderland! Love, Margy
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