Twin Cities – Page 30

Products of Heavy Rain

Recent heavy rain explained the bike path along Minnehaha Creek being flooded in several places, and the Falls going full throttle.

Axman Surplus

Cycled over to Axman Surplus in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood to forage for parts for a project. The iron lung has been a fixture as long as I can remember.

Peavey Plaza

Walked my bicycle across the pool at the newly restored and reimagined Peavey Plaza, downtown Minneapolis. The pool is one-quarter inch deep, so there’s no need to remove shoes.

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.

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.