School of Bartending

Walked as far as the Minnesota School of Bartending. Learned that in this time of Covid, it’s holding one-on-one classes. Rode the rails back.

What is an Eruv?

Wandered with a friend in an historically Jewish neighborhood, St. Paul’s Highland Park, with a map of their eruv. An eruv is a wire on posts to define an area where it’s OK to carry stuff on the Sabbath. It turned out most of the eruv consists of existin

Long Shadows at Lake Phalen

Got in a 30-miler through long shadows to St. Paul’s Lake Phalen. When you’re a fair-weather cyclist, any chance to ride in December is a bonus

Categorized as St. Paul

Zig and Zag

Cycled to St. Paul’s Lake Como with a friend. On the way back, zigged and zagged up a ramp to get to this pedestrian bridge. Once, it must have traversed more than the two rail tracks below.

Pig’s Eye

Cycled past Pig’s Eye Lake, en route to Battle Creek Park. In 1841, the name of the settlement beyond the rail yard was changed from Pig’s Eye to St. Paul.

Categorized as St. Paul

Unusual Swing Bridge

On my cycle ride, stopped to watch barges being pushed through a gap in a rail bridge across the Mississippi near St. Paul. One span of the bridge, built 1915, had swung open. Unusually, the swing span is pivoted towards one end, requiring counterweights.

Categorized as St. Paul

Frogtown Park and Farm

On a cycle ride, discovered Frogtown Park and Farm. Opened in 2015 in a St. Paul low-income neighborhood, it includes extensive native plantings and one of the largest urban farms in the country. The small buildings include food preparation facilities and a wood-fired pizza oven.

Eagles at Pickerel Lake

Included West St. Paul on our cycle ride. At Pickerel Lake, spotted an eagles nest sitting directly on a power line. Eventually, two eaglets peered out, probably impatient for food to be delivered.