We arrived in Minneapolis a day before running the Boom Island Brewery Beer Run in July. A few weeks before leaving home we had booked our hotel through Hotwire. We frequently take advantage of excellent deals on hotels that are listed by star level, area, and price but without the actual hotel name revealed until you officially book the room. The unnamed “4 star boutique hotel” that Hotwire had offered at about half the rate for a traditional reservation turned out to be The Marquette Hotel. Its newly renovated sleek decor and professional, attentive staff made it a fabulous find.
Shortly after settling in we set off to explore on foot. We knew little about Minneapolis but headed toward the Mississippi River anticipating that there would be some interesting sights and activities along the river.
After crossing the bridge we ended up on Nicollet Island. There were wonderful views of St. Anthony Falls at the Water Power Park.
A series of signs provided extensive information about the history of the falls, the flour and logging industry, and the development of hydro-electric power. We had no idea that our stroll over the bridge would lead us to so much knowledge.
The street across from the river is lined with a wide assortment of tempting restaurants and outdoor cafes.
The appealing atmosphere of the outdoor patio of Aster Cafe easily lured us in for a cocktail and dinner.
Although we loved our seats outside we wished we’d had a chance to enjoy the ambiance of the bar.
As we strolled along the street we came across these chalk drawings on the sidewalk.
There was no sign of the artist, Phi_the_Chalk_Girl, but encountering these drawings added a lovely bonus to our visit.
After our race the following day we were determined to crack the bus code. Our attempt to get to the race by bus had been a bit of a fiasco that became a last minute Uber ride. Minneapolis has many numbered streets…and, as we finally noticed, avenues. Once it dawned on us that streets ran in one direction and avenues ran perpendicularly and that 1st Avenue was different than 1st Street we finally got it.
Arriving at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden by bus felt like a small victory. It was brutally hot by the time we arrived. Our progress around the grounds slowed to a crawl as we meandered through the exhibits.
We found these benches with quotations entertaining.
This iconic sculpture was especially popular because it sprayed cool water.
Although we were enthusiastic about viewing the exhibits, the heat was wringing every last drop of energy from us. Like a mirage, a simple sign stating “Sisyphus Brewery” and “air conditioning” appeared at the far end of the garden. Following the arrow across the street our relief must have been visible as we passed through the doors into a blissfully refreshing and lively pub. After a pint of William Wallace Scotch Ale for Mike and a strawberry soda for me we returned to the Sculpture Museum and resumed our stroll through the grounds.
Later that evening we enjoyed a dinner of local Minnesota fare at the FireLake Grill House. Our waitress, Amy, casually asked what had brought us to Minneapolis. We eagerly explained our quest to run a race in every state. As a fellow runner this concept seemed to ignite true excitement in her as she considered launching her own quest. Once again we couldn’t stop exclaiming about how truly life-changing this adventure has been for us and eagerly encouraged her to give it a try.
A sunset walk along the river after dinner completed our time in Minneapolis. The next morning we were off to North Dakota to begin our travels through the prairie.