Category: Place

In the Footsteps of Border Raiders, a Saint, and Vera

Next week, my partner, two friends, and I will be hiking a section of the Reivers Way in Northumberland, England, from inn to inn over five days. The Border Reivers were notorious for terrorizing communities in the area around the border between Scotland and England from the 13th to the 17th centuries. Some of them…… Continue reading In the Footsteps of Border Raiders, a Saint, and Vera

AFOL* Inspiration

There’s always something new on our weekly Sunday morning walk: today, LEGO inspiration. There’s going to be some heavy lifting at this University of Minnesota heating plant. *Adult Fan of LEGO.

Zen Box Izakaya

Walked over to our local izakaya, a Japanese bar that also serves food. They had emailed me a $5 discount for my birthday, but I didn’t need an incentive.

Shortcut to Donuts

Knowing great donuts awaited us on the other side was a strong incentive to seek out this “secret” passageway in the Minneapolis North Loop.

Shielding Cyclists from Traffic

Watched this protected bikeway being extended towards our home, still a few blocks away. I appreciate being physically separated from traffic. About 200 miles of on- and off-street bikeways make Minneapolis one of the most bikeable cities in the country.

Retro Building, Retro Recording Format

Spotted this unusual industrial building on my random cycle ride. The curved brick corners suggest that it was built in the 1930s. The name of a company founded in 1931 was displayed above the entrance. Today’s occupant, Noiseland Industries, supplies millions of vinyl records every year, custom-manufactured by a partner in France.

Filling in Time at the House of Balls

Wandered around the outside of the House of Balls behind Cedar Riverside LRT Station, a good place to kill a few minutes with a friend before his train arrived. The artist who works here specializes in found objects.

Apportioning Expenses of a 5-Day Hike

Worked on a spreadsheet to apportion hotel and rail expenses for a five-day hike we’ll do with two friends in the North East of England in September. If we take turns paying for hotels, everything almost balances. I don’t entirely trust my numbers, so I’ll return to this another day.

Northrop Auditorium

Coffee and a pastry with a friend at Northrop Auditorium at the University of Minnesota, East Bank. Then, we walked through the gorgeous entry hall sharing memories of performances we’d seen.