Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Sep 22)
Minneapolis is a destination that wasn’t on my radar of places to visit, smack bang in the middle of nowhere! So had it not been for Hannah (Emma’s daughter) completing her degree at the University of Minnesota, I doubt I’d have ever visited this city – and what a big mistake that would have been!
The people here are so friendly and there is so much to do and see. We’ve felt welcomed wherever we’ve been and whatever corner of the city we’ve ventured both day and night.
Our hotel is on the banks of the Mississippi in the old mill quarter right beside the falls. On our morning strolls we would see bald eagles, peregrine falcons, cormorants and herons all fishing for food on the urban river. Look up at any given time to see flocks of birds navigating their journey by the river.
The weather has been near perfect, sunny, hot and tropical all week too, well except for our second day when a tornado ripped through the metropolis 😳. That was the day we headed for Minnesota State Fair (one of the largest in the country) where, oblivious to what was about to happen, we joined tens of thousands of locals and tucked into the mandatory cuisine (I use that term loosely) of cheese curds, Martha’s Cookies and corn dogs!
The state fair is everything you’d imagine it to be, over 300 acres of livestock, food stands, (country) music and beer! We booked seats at the Grandstand arena for the evening and it turned out to be the first time I’ve had to be evacuated from a music venue! Andy Hull the lead singer from Manchester Orchestra (a band on my playlist back home) had to break off their set to warn us that a fierce storm was about to hit. Within minutes of them leaving the stage and just as the crowd was about 90% clear of the arena the situation escalated as our mobile phones started buzzing with emergency tornado warnings. We swiftly headed for undercover safety and listened/watched as the storm hit with an intensity that had to be seen to be believed.
Anything that wasn’t nailed down had taken flight and roads had turned to rivers. Thankfully no one was injured so it didn’t spoil the day, just ended the gig a little prematurely and gave us something different to remember!
The rest of the week the temperatures climbed and we continued to explore the city and broader countryside – lake Minnetonka was a great find (one of many thousands of lakes in the county).
The city manages to mix the old and new worlds really well, preserving its heritage and acknowledging the wrongs of the past, wildlife is starting to recover and European names being replaced by indigenous ones.
It has an amazing selection of our favourite tipple IPA, craft breweries everywhere!
The week ended with an American football game, on the day we dropped Hannah off at her new home for the next year. We even managed to end the night drinking light beer beside the tailgate of a truck parked on a lot outside the stadium with some guys who took care of our bags which we weren’t permitted to take in earlier. American football is an “experience” not to miss, but I’m not yet hooked – far too many breaks in the game caused by the need for slots for televised adverts!
If you ever get the chance to visit this place – do so, it’s really chilled, calm, tidy and friendly! So much better than I had imagined it would be.
We’re off this morning. Next stop Northern Minnesota, Canada and the start of a road trip around the lakes – towards the East Coast…
