Rode the light rail with a friend and our bicycles to St. Paul, then explored points beyond. I hadn’t noticed Swede Hollow Henge before. Behind, the abandoned Hamms Brewery awaits a new purpose. Until the 1950’s this area was a shanty town with no electricity.
Category: Minnesota
Reclining Buddha in a Parking Lot
While I cycled, the Buddha reclined in a St. Paul parking lot.
Min Hi Line
Pushed my bike alongside railroad tracks, following the route of a proposed cycle path, the Min Hi Line. These tracks once served several flour mills. Just one mill is still operating, producing one million pounds of flour every day.
Brewery in a Bin
Cycled around an industrial area of St. Paul’s Midway. Spotted Bang Brewery, housed in a grain bin. Peered through the door at vats biding their time.
Union Depot
Cycled to St. Paul’s Union Depot. Took the train home.
Convenient Ice Cream
It’s a little too convenient living one block from an excellent ice cream store. “Existential Crunch” (dark brown sugar, Jameson whiskey, creme fraiche, praline pecan, and cashew brittle) topped with a small scoop of “Umeshu Chocolate” (dark chocolate and Japanese plum wine).
In Pursuit of Fire Stations
Cycled with a friend past eight former St. Paul fire stations, and a monument in Oakland Cemetery to firefighters who lost their lives while on duty. This fire station, built in 1872, was St. Paul’s first.
Let the Fireworks Begin
Waited on our balcony for the Aquatennial fireworks to start.
Lamplighter
Cycled through St. Paul with a friend looking for vestiges of the past. Spotted this lamplighter, frozen in time, on a residential street.
Up Next: Fireworks
Watched the riverfront Red, White and Boom fireworks display from our balcony. Over several hours, thousands gathered below.