Category: Place

Turn Left at the Giant Walleye

We didn’t stop as we turned left at the giant walleye and continued our journey Up North. We’re staying in a comfortable old hotel by a lake where the Paul Bunyan and Heartland State bicycle trails converge

Remnant of WWII

On my cycle ride: World War II guard tower built to protect a Norden bombsight factory. Today, tenants of the old factory buildings include a distillery and a company that develops LEGO military model kits. (The LEGO Company has a strict policy against selling military models.)

Chicago Impressions

Plane MSP–MDW, train, foot, bike. Old Glory, Muddy Waters, former Marshall Fields clock. Lakefront Trail. Lake fish, fries, local brew at beach bar. The 606 High Line. Only said “f___ you” once (as I swerved past a driver chatting on his phone). ORD–MSP

Energy Recovery Center

Cycled past the carefully named Hennepin County Energy Recovery Center where over one-third of our county’s (population 1.3 million) waste is burned and turned into electricity and steam for district heating. More than 11,000 tons of metal are recovered annually.

Rainbow Run

Hundreds of runners unexpectedly surged towards us, just as we reached the middle of a bridge. The starting line for the Rainbow Run 5K was just beyond the bridge in Boom Island Park.

Pedestrian Lift Bridge

Cycled to Wisconsin across a rarity: a working lift bridge for pedestrians and cyclists. Rode in a friend’s truck part-way, then cycled the Gateway and Brown’s Creek State Trails to Stillwater where the bridge crosses the St. Croix River. A new bridge now carries vehicle traffic.