Did a long cycle ride to beyond southeast St. Paul. Our turnaround point was the Rock Island Swing Bridge that now ends in the middle of the Mississippi, forming a pier. The swing portion has been removed to economically streamline barge traffic.
Category: Minnesota
Breakfast at Lake Harriet
Breakfast at Lake Harriet.
View from a Hotel Room, Up North
Our view for the evening, after riding rolling hills. Our room in a comfortable old hotel, Up North.
Heartland Trail
After cycling 20 miles along the Heartland Trail, it was time to enjoy this view then cycle back via a small-town bar for lunch. One of the first rail-trails in the country, it’s an easy ride, no serious climbs, shaded by forest most of the way.
Turn Left at the Giant Walleye
We didn’t stop as we turned left at the giant walleye and continued our journey Up North. We’re staying in a comfortable old hotel by a lake where the Paul Bunyan and Heartland State bicycle trails converge
Remnant of WWII
On my cycle ride: World War II guard tower built to protect a Norden bombsight factory. Today, tenants of the old factory buildings include a distillery and a company that develops LEGO military model kits. (The LEGO Company has a strict policy against selling military models.)
Aquatennial Fireworks
Watched the Aquatennial fireworks from our balcony.
Energy Recovery Center
Cycled past the carefully named Hennepin County Energy Recovery Center where over one-third of our county’s (population 1.3 million) waste is burned and turned into electricity and steam for district heating. More than 11,000 tons of metal are recovered annually.
Coffee with an Earworm
On a random cycle ride, a pitstop for coffee came with an earworm.
Rainbow Run
Hundreds of runners unexpectedly surged towards us, just as we reached the middle of a bridge. The starting line for the Rainbow Run 5K was just beyond the bridge in Boom Island Park.