How well do you know your city?Is it St. Paul, or Minneapolis? Do you drive by a small enclave going to work everyday and ever wonder why it’s there.What is the story behind it?
Is it a statue you see out of the corner of your eye while you’re stopped at a traffic light? Who put it there?How about that corner restaurant? You keep telling yourself you should check it out.
Every city is filled with with long forgotten statues, fountains and memorials. Tucked away streets with small restaurants you’ve never tried but always wanted to.
This blog invites you to check out some of these forgotten, or undiscovered treasures in the city you live in. I realize you can find information about all these places just like I did. But the point of this blog is that I’m doing the leg work for you. By putting my picks in one place I’m makingit easy for you to find the motivation to visit these places. I’ll be updating and adding new places all the time, so please check back often.
I have lived each of the experiences I post. I invite you to comment, to let me know what you think. And, maybe you can add something new that you discovered, or give the readers a different perspective from mine. I’m excited to hear from you.
The Luce Line State Trail is an amazing bike trail. It is 63 miles long. It starts in Plymouth, at Parkers Lake and ends in the town of Cosmos. I have only ever done the eastern segment from Plymouth to Watertown. I recently completed a section from Stubbs Bay, in Orono, to Watertown. It’s approximately a 20 mile round trip. The path is wide and mainly dirt/crushed limestone. The scenery is lovely, especially this time of year (October). It’s open fields, lakes and farmland. Just as the trail enters Watertown, right on the edge, is Marketplace Foods grocery store. I like to stop there and pick up something to eat. There is a small park with picnic tables just behind the store. It’s a great ride, not to grueling and food at your destination! Always an incentive for me!
This is a sweet, there and back 12.5 mile trail between Rochester and Pine Island. It’s very scenic and shady in many spots which is awesome especially this summer. It passes through wooded areas and pristine farmland.
After our ride we headed into downtown Rochester, we bought a sandwich at City Market. They specialize in New York sandwiches. My sandwich must of weighed two pounds. It was awesome! A short walk from City Market is Peace Plaza. It’s a shady public place between buildings. There are tables to sit and enjoy your lunch and on Fridays they feature local musicians.
Lake Cornelia is a pretty lake in Edina, located in Rosland Park just off Highway 62 and 66th street. It maybe pretty but it’s water quality is very poor due to excess nutrients. It actually has a population of bullheads and goldfish that stir up the mud. That being said it is still a nice short walk around the lake. Another reason I like to walk this lake is you can stop into the Edina Art Center. There is a little path leading from the lake to the art center.
2nd Stop-Edina Art Center
Edina Art Center
The art center offers classes in a variety of mediums. It also sells jewelry, pottery, paintings and many unique pieces from local and nationally known artists. The pieces are very affordable and browsing adds a little variety to your walk. Don’t forget to bring your wallet.
3rd Stop-Patisserie Margo (4510 Valley View Road, Edina)
This is my favorite bakery in the area. They serve wonderful soup, a different one every day. Sandwiches made with bread baked on the premises. Quiche served with greens. And……….Oh my, pastries, cookies, and bars that are heavenly. And, the croissants, they melt in the mouth. Excellent coffee too. Don’t leave the area without trying it.
This place is a gem! It’s 160 acres of natural beauty which includes a lake, marshland, woods, and walking paths. Entry and parking are free however, no dogs allowed which to me is disappointing but totally understandable. For the kids there is an amazing play area. My first visit I walked through the wooded area and was surprised and delighted to find turkeys leisurely strolling and pecking their way through the undergrowth.
Observation Deck
If you’re looking to get married in an outdoor setting the water garden is an ideal place for a small wedding. It comes complete with a waterfall and observation deck. It’s stunning! From the deck you can relax and take in the water gardens pond and streams.
Water GardenWestwood Lake
The center piece is Westwood Lake. It’s totally walkable with a combination of paths and boardwalks. Walking around the lake you may come across one of the desirable properties shown below.
Lake Harriet Streetcar (2330, W 42nd Street Minneapolis)
This is a sweet thing to do if you are 3 or 103 years old. It’s just a short trip on what’s left of the streetcar tracks, so plan on visiting Lake Harriet which is just adjacent to the trolley line. They don’t operate in the rain and are closed Monday and Tuesday. The fare is $3.00, on the day we rode there was a family who were riding for the 3rd time that day! We ran into them again at Sebastian Joes Ice Cream, in Linden Hills. Excellent place to go after your exciting ride on the trolley!
The new Prince mural has been unveiled. It’s located on parking ramp A, near First Avenue and Target Center. It was unveiled to celebrate Prince’s birthday. He would have turned 64, on June 7, 2022.
The mural has been in development for 7 years. Prince was actually involved in its development. The cost was $500,000, paid for with contributions from the Minnesota Twins, US Bank, Target and Best Buy. The mural was painted by Hiero Veiga, a street painter from Florida. https://hieroveiga.com/
None of us who are old enough to remember, will ever forget the collapse of the I-35W Bridge, over the Mississippi. It was August, 1 2007, at 6:05 pm. I remember it was a beautiful day, I had company. Just enjoying a backyard barbecue with friends when the unbelievable happened.
I-35W Bridge Memorial & Remembrance Garden
Thirteen people died and 145 people were injured. The memorial overlooks the spot on the Mississippi River where the bridge fell. It consists of thirteen steel girders, one for each of the victims. Inscribed on each girder is the name of the victim and on most, the story of who they were. It’s very moving to go down the line and read about who these people were and how there tragic deaths affected their loved ones. The girders are eighty-one feet high, representing the date of the bridge collapse, 8/1. A black wall is located behind the girders, the wall is etched with the names of the 145 survivors.
The memorial is located a block east of the Guthrie Theatre and just north of Gold Medal Park, on the River Road.
In the decades I’ve lived in Minnesota, I have seen this iconic tower many times but only from a distance as I am driving around town. Finally, today, I decided it’s worth a closer look.
Witches Hat Water Tower
The Witches Hat Water Tower, is located in the Prospect Park neighborhood. And wow! What a beautiful neighborhood it is. The tower is located on the highest natural land area in Minneapolis. The tower stands at 110 feet and was built in 1913. Its capacity was 150,000 gallons. Now for this amazing fact – It was also built to be a bandstand! However, only one concert was ever held there as the musicians had trouble getting their instruments up the tower. Duh! The observation deck is open once a year, around Memorial Day. The opening coincides with the Pratt Ice Cream Social. Sad news it has been cancelled again in 2022, due to Covid. The last one they had was in 2019. The plaque at the base of the tower reads as follows:
PROSPECT PARK WATER TOWER THE WITCH’S HAT WATER TOWER WAS DESIGNED BY NORWEGIAN ARCHITECT FREDERICK WILLIAM CAPPELEN AND CONSTRUCTED BY THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS IN 1913. OCCUPYING THE HIGHEST NATURAL LAND AREA IN MINNEAPOLIS, THE WATER TOWER WAS BUILT TO IMPROVE WATER PRESSURE IN THE HOMES OF PROSPECT PARK RESIDENTS. THE TOWER WAS DECOMMISSIONED IN 1952, BUT HAS BEEN PRESERVED AS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THIS CITY’S HISTORY. THE WITCH’S HAT WATER TOWER AND TOWER HILL PARK ARE LISTED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.”
NOW FOR A BITE TO EAT!
Marsala Dosa
Drive the short distance to The Market, at Malcolm Yards. It’s a food hall that offers nine different vendors and a self pour beer wall. I had a Marsala Dosa, at Momo Dosa. Very tasty. The market has plenty of seating and a great vibe. https://malcolmyards.market/location-hours/
This little gem of a park is located at, 434 NE Main Street. Just up the road from St. Anthony Main. It’s my alternative to St. Anthony Main. Perfect for a leisurely stroll along the Mississippi river. It’s 12 acres nestled between Nicollet Island and Boom Island. It was once the site of the B.F. Manufacturing company, hence the name. It’s home to the imposing statue shown here. The statue is made of Minnesota Granite and shows a pioneering family. The backside of the statue shows a Native American Chief offering a peace-pipe to Father Hennepin. Free parking, peaceful and no crowds.
Pioneer Statue
Peace-Pipe Offering
Elsie’s
When you are done with your stroll, you may want to check out Elsie’s for bowling and a bite to eat. It’s located just a few blocks away. https://www.elsies.com/
I was driving down Marshall Avenue today (4/26/2022) and noticed an interesting building. I past it. Then, I told myself, hey, you won’t discover something new if you don’t stop. So, of course I stopped to check it out and I’m glad I did. The food building is home to three separate business.
Bakers Field Bread
Red Table Meat
Red Table Meat Company – It’s an Italian style salumeria using local hogs to make fresh salami.
Baker’s Field Flour and Bread – Making bread from local grains.
Alemar Cheese Company – Making cheese from grass-fed Minnesota cows.
Alemar Cheese
You can actually walk through the manufacturing area and see the artisans at work and the fruits of their labor!
Kieran’s Kitchen
So, you can sample, or buy any of the goods made at the Food Building. Also there are soups and various grocery’s for purchase. Kieran’s Kitchen has a cozy old world feeling. The menu offers charcuterie boards, salads, sandwiches and pasta. There is a small bar/pub that offers some interesting cocktails. I am definitely going back with a pal. I’ll keep you updated but give it a try. https://www.foodbuilding.com/kierans-kitchen
