Just a few days ago we were in northern Illinois hanging out at a wine bar with family. Since then we’ve blown through Wisconsin, been embraced by old friends in Minnesota, and made our way across North Dakota, stopping to see a lot of cool stuff (YES – in North Dakota!).
We said goodbye to Illinois and headed to Minneapolis, where we would spend a couple of nights and reunite with some of my former colleagues and dear friends. Along the way to the Twin Cities, we made a pit stop in Wisconsin Dells that turned into a research opportunity, where I hoped to gain some inspiration for my Western “look” from the Cowboy Muffler Man.
Before retiring, I always knew that there would be a small handful of people I worked with over the years who would be friends for life. I can count them on two hands, so it was a real treat to have four of them join us for happy hour in Minneapolis. It was wonderful to visit with my kind, passionate, wickedly funny, and hysterically cynical colleagues.
We spent the remainder of our time in Minneapolis exploring the city on foot. We learned about the history of milling on the Mississippi River and got a ranger-led tour of the St. Anthony Falls and Lock, which are maintained by the National Park Service and critical to the Twin Cities. We walked across the Mississippi on the Stone Arch Bridge, a feat of engineering built in 1883.
Minneapolis also has a new indoor stadium, home to the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. The stadium is designed to look like a ship run aground and it definitely gives that appearance on the skyline.
The approach to the stadium features a Viking ship, where Bev climbed “aboard” and waved from the deck. From the outside, this stadium looks amazing and we’ve been told that the inside is even more impressive. It sure beats the hell out of the old Metrodome, which was a horrible venue that deserved to be imploded so that this new one could be built on the existing site.
We finished our day on foot by walking across town to the Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. The garden is immense and full of unique artwork, including the famous Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture.
What a great visit to a diverse and vibrant city. We love Minneapolis!
Looks like a fun time! Please remove shades so we can see your sparkling eyes. 🙂
Great pictures! You two always have fun exploring 🙂 Looking forward to seeing
how Greg’s research pays off in the final cowboy clothing!
Good stuff Greg and Bev! Sounds like a great trip so far!
Love this! My grandparents were from Minnesota and my grandpa was a Vikings fan to the core. Such a treat to see these photos. Thank you, Greg! Love you, Peas!