Minneapolis, Minnesota

After so many weeks of remote areas and small towns we decided to head to the big city, the Twin Cities to be more precise.  We stayed in an Indian Reservation at a really nice casino campground south of Minneapolis.  It was kind of strange to be in a big city again.  Minneapolis is a very nice city (in the summer, not sure if we would enjoy the winter).  It seemed very clean and was also a very green city.  One of the first things we did was visit the Minneapolis Institute of Art.  There is no cost to tour the museum and there are over 100,000 pieces of art.  There is a little of of something for everyone including ancient Greek and Asian relics, Medieval arms and armor, an architecture exhibit, a beautiful view of the city and works of art from the 11th century to modern.  One could spend many hours going through the museum.  We went back a second day and still didn't see it all.

We then went to see the Walker Art center and sculpture garden.  It was free to the public on Thursday night, so all we paid for was parking.  The sculpture garden was mildly interesting, but we can't say that about the Contemporary Art exhibit in the museum.  We had a hard time appreciating the artistic value of a black rectangle and a white rectangle hanging on the wall.  It seems like the 'artists' thought "I'll just place this cube on the floor, there, now that's art!".  Needless to say we didn't spend much time there.  Thank goodness it was free, I might of had to ask for my money back. 

Minneapolis has many nice parks including Minnehaha Falls and over 50 miles of paved bike trails along the Mississippi River and Chain of Lakes.  We also visited the Mall of America.  Pretty amazing that they can fit all of the attractions and still have room for stores to shop in.  I guess it is a good place to hang out at on a cold winter day.

Minnehaha Falls Park

Cherry Spoon Bridge - Sculpture Garden in Minneapolis

How Long Has It Been?

Wow, time flies.  It doesn't seem like almost a month since we last posted.  For the past 4 weeks Janet and I have been traveling through Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota.  Since we have so much ground to cover I'll try to hit the highlights of each place starting with Wisconsin.  After leaving Bayfield we stayed for a few nights in Eagle River where the concentration of lakes is greater than anywhere else in the US.  Water makes up 40% of the area we were in.  Janet was in heaven, except for the skeeters (they seemed especially attracted to her).  We took in a ski show by the Lake Skimmers which is a amateur ski club made up of mostly college age kids.  They were really quite good and worth seeing if you are ever in the area.

Next stop was Door County which is a Peninsula north of Green Bay (the city).  It lies between Green Bay (the bay) and Lake Michigan.  Door County is known as the Cape Cod of the Midwest.  There are many small ports and villages all along the shoreline and orchards and dairy farms in the center.  While there we did a lot of sightseeing and a little shopping (way too little according to Janet) and picked cherries at an orchard.  A real gem, if you like that kind of thing, is the Door County historical museum in Sturgeon Bay.  The museum is free and a good way to spend a rainy afternoon.  It highlights many of the things that make Door County great and all items have been donated by locals.  It really is very interesting and educational for all ages.

Leaving Door County we next stopped in Chippewa Falls for a couple of nights.  While there we made a trip to the Chip.  For all you non Leinenkugel fans, this where Janet's favorite beer has been brewed since 1867.  We started our tour in the Leinie Lodge with a taste of several of the beers they create (including some special blends) followed by a walk through the brewery.

That's about it for Wisconsin this go around.  All in all a beautiful state and we will want to return to explore further in the future.

Egg Harbor

Chippewa Falls Forest