Minneapolis - Last Week In Review

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Last week found me in Minneapolis again. This time I was on the northwest corner of the metroplex, near Maple Grove. It was nice to see another part of town, but I didn't make much effort to see the sites. Monday I drove around the shopping area there and wound up having dinner at, of all places, Dickey's Texas Bar-B-Q. The food was comforting and predictable, but the free soft-serve ice cream cone was a disaster. So I decided to push myself to go out Tuesday and explore downtown Minneapolis to see what I could see.

After class on Tuesday I headed downtown and parked on Hennepin Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets. There was a $2 after 5pm deal that made parking quite attractive. And since Hennepin Avenue is the Theater District, there would be plenty to see. But instead, I headed over to Nicollet Avenue and made my way up and down this pedestrian-friendly mall. First, I walked down to about 15th Street before making a U-turn and walking all the way up to where it ended at Washington Avenue. As I looked across Washington I saw the Mississippi River, and decided I had to at least walk up to the river.

By the time I made my way to the foot of the Hennepin Avenue Bridge I decided it would be fun to walk across the Mississippi and back. As I took in the lovely view of the flowing water and the vibrant cityscapes on both banks, I thought how remarkable it was that I could do this so effortlessly when the first people that lived here would consider it a major undertaking to cross by boat.

But before I could get all the way across the footpath left me on an island in the middle of the river. Nicollet Island is home to a number of attractions, not the least of which was the Nicollet Island Inn. This tony boutique hotel with 24 rooms has a long and interesting history. The building first housed a sash and door company, then a flour company. In 1913 it became a Salvation Army men's shelter until the 1970s. It has since been transformed into a rather attractive property, which I thought to explore. (OK, so I was hungry and thought I could get a decent dinner here. And I did.)

That week Minneapolis was having its Restaurant Week, where a bunch of haute cuisine establishments offered prix fixe menus for the Other Half to come in and find out what we've been missing. I thought to treat myself for one decent meal, and I was not disappointed. The salad with field greens was average, but the entree was fantastic. The pork chop served with a rice and lentils pilaf was perfectly tender and tasty. The 15-layer mocha cake wasn't too shabby for dessert either.

After dinner I walked across the bridge to the other side of the river before coming back along Hennepin Avenue. Walking through the Theater District at 8:00pm on a Tuesday night is not all that exciting, though there is still some people watching to be had.

I must confess that one night in downtown Minneapolis gave me a new admiration for the town. While the syllables "Minne-" conjure up a mental image of 10-foot snowdrifts and an absence of sun, the downtown was very pedestrian-friendly and a delight to explore on foot. There were more joggers out than I have seen in other downtowns, and many more were out on bike or on foot enjoying the pleasantly warm autumn evening that it was.

Alas, the rest of the week I confined myself to hotel rooms and little else. But for that one magical Tuesday, I was a carefree tourist.

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