A stunning, sunny, warm autumn morning in Minneapolis. Time to explore! Little did we know that this was going to be an epic day.
We had a great breakfast at Hazels, which is in a very cute neighborhood in NE Minn., and well-worth the wait to get in. This place is rightfully popular.
As we were close to the University of Minnesota, we wanted to see a bit of the campus. We walked around the campus, saw some beautiful old buildings, and explored the funky neighborhood nearby.
We wanted to walk around the river area, so we decided to park on the northeast side of the city, near Bluff park, and walk over the Stone Arch bridge. The bridge offers amazing views of the city as you cross the Mississippi River. There was a Farmer's Market that morning, with some stunning flowers and amazing fresh produce. We then walked along the Mississippi River on the meandering path.
After exploring a bit of the downtown area, we wanted to visit the famous Minnehaha Falls. When we arrived there, we noticed that parking was a huge challenge, as there was a charity 5K road race happening near the Minnehaha Falls. There were a ton of people in the park, both from the road race, and those enjoying a beautiful sunny afternoon. The waterfalls are not huge, but still worth a visit, and we really liked the surrounding, charming neighborhood.
On our drive to the park, we passed by a local distillery. So, for our return trip to the city, we decided to stop. Du Nord Craft Spirits had some really nice specialty drinks, and since it was such a beautiful day, we sat outside on the back patio. Another couple was sitting on the patio, and we struck up a conversation. When we mentioned that we were in town from Denver, visiting Minneapolis, they asked a simple question: Why? Little did we know that this was a question we would get time and again, all weekend long. They were extremely friendly, and gave us some great suggestions on what we should do and see for our weekend getaway. They suggested that we visit the sculpture gardens, and head to a few breweries (we did), along with some local areas and bars (and we did).
We returned to the city center and saw some of Minneapolis, before heading to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. This large park, adjacent to downtown, is full of a very diverse range of sculptures. The walk around the park was beautiful, and the sculptures were so very interesting.
Our stroll through the park, on a nice warm sunny afternoon made us thirsty. So, we headed down to the popular Nicollet Street area, which is full of funky shops, bars and restaurants. We decided to grab a drink at the Prodigal Public House, a fun local tavern. The bartender was very friendly and talkative. When he found out we were visiting Minn. for the weekend, he of course asked, Why? Soon after we arrived, three people sat near us at the bar, and we struck up a conversation. We mentioned we were in town from Denver, and of course, they asked us Why?. We told them of our plans to visit all 50 states, and mentioned that neither of us had been to North Dakota. Well, of course two of these people were originally from ND! They mentioned how awesome Fargo was, and started listing things we needed to see and do when we visited the city.
Based on their suggestions for Minneapolis, we visited Gasthof's German Bar & Restaurant. They were hosting an Octoberfest tent party. The restaurant was packed, and so was the tent. It was decorated in traditional Bavarian colors and decor, and they sold some local beers.
While strolling around the tent, we came across some people playing Hammerschlagen, a traditional German game where you try to hammer a nail into a block of wood with the least amount of tries. Seriously, what can be better than hammers, nails and beer? We struck up a conversation with some of the locals, and we had some great laughs. Of course, they had to ask why we chose Minneapolis for a weekend getaway. Too funny. They talked me into trying Hammerschlagen, which is a lot more difficult than you can imagine. The game was great fun, but it was the company that was a blast. We learned all about how locals head up north to the lake area and set up ice fishing cabins. One guy was so enthusiastic about showing me photos of the cabin that he pulls onto the ice every winter. It is heated, has satellite TV so they can watch football games, and was larger than my first apartment. Sharing stories with these folks was a highlight of the weekend.
After some beers and nail pounding, we wanted to head back to our NE Minn. area. We heard about a nice restaurant called The Mill, which came highly recommended. Needless to say, not our healthiest dining option of the day. I could feel my heart constricting as I ate fried cheese curds. But, oh so worth it!
This was an incredible day in Minneapolis. We really like the city. Lots to see, tons to do. But we have been so impressed with the friendly locals. They are great fun, and have been the highlight of our busy day.
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