Friday, June 17th & Saturday, June 18th
I have no idea why all the designers and ‘creatives’ in the US haven’t all moved to Minneapolis. It seems to offer most of what Austin or Portland offer, and to a lesser extent San Francisco or New York, but apparently without the price. California of course wins when it comes to weather. The Winter is brutal here. But in the summer it seems like an ideal place to be. The culture seems to be quite outdoorsy. The city is full of lakes, parks and cycle tracks connecting them. But there’s great food and art too.
I have a blinkered view, two days isn’t very long. And I think cities become what you project on to them in many ways. Since I’d arrived expecting to like it, from what people had told me, I didn’t need too much convincing.
My hosts have definitely played a big part in my view of the place, two of the most grounded and interesting people I could have hoped to stay with. And their neighbourhood was an ideal place to be based.
I spent Friday, my 30th birthday, close by at Spyhouse coffee shop catching up on things in the morning and afternoon. Inbetween I went to Minneapolis institute of arts. It always takes half a day to a day to adjust to life off the bike and I was too tired to absorb the large collection, but the 20th century American paining and the photography galleries were good to see, along with the building itself.
I picked up some postcards in the shop and at the counter when it came to paying I was told I could have them for free. I assume this is something the sales staff they are told they are allowed to do a few times a day, but it felt like a nice coincidence on my birthday.
I ate pizza for lunch at Black Sheep Pizza and Mexican for dinner at Pancho Villa. It was a low key day, but this whole trip has felt like a good way to mark the end of my 20’s. What I actually did on the day wasn’t of huge importance to me.
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On Saturday I got back on my bike to see a little more of the city. To begin with I cycled to Pizza Lola where I met Ty. He’d seen a post of mine on the bicycle touring subreddit and had some spare maps of the ACA route he could give me. He was working but we chatted as he served other tables and treated me to a meal on the house.
According to one critic it’s the 18th best pizzeria in the world, and was probably the best i’d had in America, at least a tie with Roberta’s in New York which is saying a lot. Thanks Ty!
I headed to the Walker Art Museum after this. Cycling past lakes and through pretty neighbourhoods in the sun.
I only had an hour to explore but it had a very cool collection housed in a modern, labyrinth style building that it was easy to get lost in, in a good way, though the lack of time I had meant I had to skim over most of the galleries. An excellent photography exhibition – Ordinary Pictures, and good views from the roof.
The museum closed at 5. I decided i’d check out the Stone Arch Bridge, a former railroad crossing the Mississippi which gave a good view of the skyline and the water.
My last stop was back to the coffee shop.
I went back to the apartment briefly and grabbed my swimming stuff, I had just enough time to dip in one of the lakes before sunset. It was refreshing, despite the duck feathers.
I’ve written this several days later, hence the lack of details. But in summary: I turned 30. Ate a lot of good food. Enjoyed this beautiful city.
Next: Continuing North in Minnesota, then west to Fargo.
Map
