My Brother Visited Me in Minneapolis

Happy summer! For the past few weeks, we have been enjoying warmer weather and sunny days, meals in sidewalk cafes, bike rides around the lake, and all the other fun activities that come with late spring and early summer. I don't get guests very often in Minneapolis, so I was quite pleased that my brother decided to visit me in late May. Most people who haven't been to the Midwest assume that because the winters are so harsh, the summers are also cool. That, however, is not the case - the summers can be as extremely hot and humid as the winters are freezing and miserable. And my brother visited me during a week when it was unfortunately in the upper 80s and humid.

But we didn't let the hot weather deter us from exploring and having fun. We met up with a good friend of mine from college in a quaint town, Red Wing, which lies south of the Twin Cities on the Mississippi River. We had lunch at a local bakery, which reminded me of my hometown bakery where I worked as a teenager. We then explored the town, strolled along the Mississippi, and visited the Red Wing boot shop.

                                                  Maple bacon donut

                                                 Red Wing Foundry

                                                     Red Wing Train Depot

                                                         Grain Mill

One thing that I especially like about visiting these old industrial towns in Minnesota is that they remind me of my hometown in Pennsylvania. Many of these towns were founded in the 1850s and 1860s, and the remnants of the lumber, grain, railroad, and other industries still exist.

                                        Having fun at the Red Wing boot shop

                                         Testing out the Red Wing equipment

One of my brother's requests was that we visit some good ethnic restaurants in Minneapolis. The Twin Cities have an amazing selection of ethnic restaurants, and I think we ate out nearly every night during my brother's stay. On one particular evening, we headed to Eat Street, a few blocks from my apartment, where there are several Vietnamese restaurants and delis.
                                             

                                  Enjoying Bun: Vietnamese rice noodle salad.