Stone Arch Bridge

                                                  The Stone Arch Bridge

                            University of Minnesota's Hydroelectric Power Laboratory

                                                        St. Anthony's Falls

                                                       Pillsbury Flour Mill

                                    Juxtaposition of the smokestack and the skyscrapers

The Stone Arch Bridge is an architectural gem of civil engineering and a must-see for lovers of bridges. It spans the Mississippi River close to St. Anthony's Falls, which is the area where the city was founded. The falls played an important role in the founding of the city and in providing power for the flour mills which were located alongside the river. The remnants of the Pillsbury and Gold Medal flour mills can still be seen, and the area around the Gold Medal mill has been turned into a park. Very interesting indeed.

Mall of America

You may have heard legends about the Mall of America having a roller coaster. It has four. Since David needed some flip flops, it only seemed logical to take public transit for 1.5 hours to get to the Mall of America and do some exploring. Needless to say, we shopped til we dropped, which was not difficult considering the large distances you have to walk from one part of the mall to another. The food court surrounding the theme park in the mall is by far the most impressive shopping center food court that I have ever seen. It is closer to something you would see at a real theme park.

Minneapolis By Day

Here you have a glorious view of the Mississippi River at the point where it divides the East Bank Campus and the West Bank Campus of the University of Minnesota. Imagine having an office with such a view!

The large Scandinavian population in Minnesota has clearly contributed to the title given to this bar, aptly named the Viking Bar. Though I suppose that if they have closed, it would more appropriate to write "Gone pillaging" rather than "Gone fishing," right?

And now on to the lovely Grain Belt beer picture. There are a number of local breweries in the area, and Grain Belt happens to be one of them.

Beer Bike

Those of you who are reading this blog from Munich understand the significance of this photo. This vehicle is actually called "Pedal Pub," but it also exists in Munich under the name "Beer Bike." Before moving to Munich, I had never seen anything like this. On warm lazy days in the English Garden, you can hear the laughter (or drunken shouting) from the Beer Bike several minutes before it reaches you. I was surprised to see something like this in the U.S. simply because I don't understand how the strict liquor laws in most U.S. states would allow the existence of a wagon-like vehicle which enables the consumption of beer while in public. I suppose it must be considered a mobile bar which has its own liquor license. In any case, every time the Pedal Pub lurches by, the passengers are enjoying themselves just as much as those in Munich, and it never fails to entertain curious spectators.

Minneapolis by Night

One evening, we decided to stroll across the 10th Avenue bridge which spans the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. The sky over the city put on a nice show for us. The group of skyscrapers is known as Downtown, which is the financial center of Minneapolis. The blue bridge in the foreground is the new version of the bridge which collapsed several years ago. Notice the smoke stacks on the right side of the picture - those are from the Pillsbury flour mill, which is no longer operational. After having lived in Germany for several years (where most power lines run underground), the sight of power lines really stood out to me, which is part of the reason why I captured them in these photos.

The City of Lakes

It was nearly two months ago that I arrived in Minnesota. However, I am a bit behind in my posting, so please bear with me. On my second day in the Twin Cities, an old Smith College DJ friend picked David and me up to show us around the city a bit. We went to Uptown Minneapolis to where Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles are located to enjoy the sunshine and the breeze. You thought the Alster in the center of Hamburg was lovely? You should see these exquisite Minnesota lakes.

David Arrives in the U S and A

David made it  through U.S. Customs without being detained by those wonderful and competent Homeland Security officers, so he got a delicious cheeseburger dinner!