Category: Minneapolis

Last Ride Before Repairs

During my bike ride, paused on the Stone Arch Bridge to take in this much-photographed view. Starting Monday, the bridge will undergo maintenance and repairs for the next two years, with half the bridge closed at a time.

Rx: Comfort Food

Early lunch at Al’s Breakfast counter: corned beef hash with a runny egg on top, hot off the griddle, fueling up between whole-body scans. Note the “mouse door” behind the folding blackboard sign.

Downtown in Miniature

While exploring Downtown with a friend, peered through a window of Ryan Construction, spotted this wooden model of Downtown. The receptionist happily waved us through the lobby and summoned the model builder for an enthusiastic conversation. Hennepin Avenue Bridge is front left; the model includes our home (just off-camera).

On a Clear Day…

The mist that had lingered for days finally cleared this morning. With a squint, I could see seven Mississippi bridges from our home.

Minneapolis in the Mist

On our Sunday morning walk, Downtown was lost in a mist that had set in for the day. The Hennepin Avenue Bridge was barely visible from this vantage point on the Plymouth Avenue Bridge.

Pillsbury A Mill: Supporting Creativity

Walked down the alley behind the former Pillsbury A Mill. Completed in 1881, it was once the largest flour mill in the world. The reinforcements visible on the right were added to address the vibrations from the milling machines, which threatened to shake the structure apart. Today, the building has been transformed into a community of residential artists’ lofts.

Metamorphoses

Walking along, I came across a former inauthentic Japanese structure and restaurant, now reskinned and reinvented as a drag cabaret and 24-hour diner. The metamorphosis sparked a question in my mind as I continued my walk: what would my drag name be?

New Tools for an Old Bridge

While walking with a friend across Stone Arch Bridge, we paused to watch workers maneuvering themselves on an articulated boom. They were about to measure individual stones that need replacement. Previously, I’ve seen a drone being used for inspections.