When I was slightly taller than an average carryon, I pronounced the word ‘suitcase’ as ‘snootcase.’ My family jokes that my suitcase is always packed. Travel satiates my wanderlust and curiosity and refills my personal and creative well.
I moved to Minnesota several years ago. In that time I’ve been exploring parks, prairie, small towns, big cities, festivals, landmarks, and the unordinary. If you come to Minnesota chances are you will be flying into the Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP), aka the Twin Cities, airport. If you stay overnight or have a long layover my top 5 recommendations for Twin Cities fun are:
1. Stroll, or run, the Mississippi River Walk that parallels the wide Mississippi River--start near the Lake Street-Marshall Bridge or the Ford Parkway Bridge or the numerous sidestreets connecting to the paths (seasonal bike rentals tend to be available)—the views on either bridge are excellent.
2. Visit the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory and the adjacent parkland, lake, and golf course.
3. Walk across the Stone Arch bridge, off downtown Minneapolis, and admire the Saint Anthony Falls.
4. Tour the state capital with its architectural details, marble, murals, glass-paneled elevators, and enjoy the view from the golden horses ‘rooftop.
5. Sample numerous coffee shops and restaurants with local and global cuisine.
There are sports teams’ venues; concerts; an eclectic, frisky music scene; museums, and summer weekend festivals. In a later post, I’ll highlight my top favorite Minnesota recreational parks. Several Minnesota born friends taught me to say ‘skol’ before toasting. It means cheers and good health. Welcome and Skol!
