We modified our usual Sunday morning walk along both sides of the Mississippi because three out of four bridges are currently being repaired or replaced. Here, a new pedestrian/cyclist trail is being built above the entrance to a dock then through a tunnel under Plymouth Avenue (just beyond the crane). The tunnel will lead to a recently opened park, Graco Park. The Minneapolis park system is a big reason we live where we live.
Category: Americas
Last walk on Northern Pacific Bridge Number 9 (for now)
Our Sunday walk took us across the curvy Northern Pacific Bridge Number 9, the closest Mississippi crossing to home. It closes tomorrow for eight months of railing, deck, and abutment work. I’ll miss this quick route to the University of Minnesota’s East Bank campus and points beyond.
Ghosts from Palm Springs’ past
While making random turns down streets that were new to me, discovered this scene of celebs who once had homes in Palm Springs. The developer of this building site had decided to have fun until construction begins. The mountains in the distance are topped with last night’s fresh snow while down in the valley it was warm enough to wear shorts while riding my bicycle.
Palm trees thriving where tectonic plates collide
Drove across the Coachella Valley to a ridge trail with lovely 360° views looking across the valley. Initially, we hiked directly on the San Andreas Fault. Here, we’re looking down at a line of native California fan palms owing their existence to groundwater pushed up by the collision of the tectonic plates.
Palm Springs arrival
It was 65° warmer at Palm Springs PSP than when we left Minneapolis/St. Paul MSP this morning. This is cool for Palm Springs but it heats up next week. Here, we’re walking from the arrival gate to baggage claim.
Palm Springs 2025 #1
More journeys ≫
First encounter with an 88-foot loon
Rode the LRT to St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood, then walked to get a haircut. Along the way, encountered a loon (our state bird) with an 88-foot wingspan in front of the Minnesota United soccer stadium. This was unexpected. I learned it was designed by an artist from Scotland, a country devoid of loons.
Testing the limits of campus security
A friend and I wandered around the University of Minnesota’s East Bank campus, testing doors. Most required a card swipe, but we occasionally found unlocked doors, allowing us to explore further. Two students offered to swipe us through a locked door, but we decided against it, not wanting to contribute to the delinquency of youth. We did discover this lovely seating area in Burton Hall without breaking rules.
Owamni by the Sioux Chef: pre-colonial flavors, modern plates
Walked over to Owamni by the Sioux Chef restaurant for dinner. Enjoyed a meal of indigenous, pre-colonial ingredients in modern recipes. This is a popular restaurant, especially since it won a national James Beard award for the best new restaurant in America. We’ll be back to try out another season’s ingredients.
Campus Art Hunt
A friend and I embarked on a quest to check out public art on the University of Minnesota’s east bank campus. At the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, we peered through windows, eventually finding doors to a fancy lobby housing a sculpture called Humanaissance. Noticing us testing doors, a receptionist kindly buzzed us in. I suppose our age made us look harmless enough.