I know where we are: Minneapolis. The airplanes swooping overhead tell me that I am near the airport. But I’m NOT flying out. Car tomorrow to Kansas City. Kansas City, here I come…(insert Muddy Waters)
Today was something of a travel day, so the recap:
Food:
Breakfast: at the inn, pictured (she did a nice job)
Lunch: a bagel at Einstein Brothers in UMn student union
Dinner: ballpark. Chicken tikka rice bowl. No I’m not kidding. (see pic)
Breweries, none. Wineries, none (there’s at least one story there). One campus. One ballgame.
Breakfast at a b&b is…well, some people like it, some don’t. I don’t want to talk or think (I think they are related) before 10, so I find it problematic.
So, when asked at breakfast my name, by Sharon, after Karen, I said “Baron.” The guy next to me was Meron. His wife admitted to being “just Jane.” There was a bit of repartee over our potato casserole.
Then we were off to the river. We stopped and bought another Leinenkugel glass (see yesterday) and for reasons I don’t understand, K got it wrapped in bubble wrap and got an extra sheet of bubble wrap for yesterday’s. I don’t get it.
The Mississippi River turned out to be quite a ways away. But, almost 2 hours later, we ran along its banks on the Wisconsin side (have I mentioned that Wisconsins seem to think that their state is in the shape of an Indianhead (with headdress?). I can’t help you with that, but they do. Here’s the money shot from Maiden Rock (myth is a Native girl threw herself off it due to her family not letting her join the man she loved back in the 18th c — hmmmm).
We stopped for ice cream for lunch. This was only in part due to the fact the only thing we saw once we reached the river was this ice cream place.
Oh, yeah. And, just after turning on the road heading north to Minneapolis, there was a huge winery.
I blew through the turn like Mario Andretti at Indy and by the time K was able to say “I wanted to stop there” we were two miles up the road and I was slumping my shoulders about the prospect. If I had known the next possible stop was 90 minutes later and a Christmas tree farm with ice cream shop (you can’t make this up), MAYBE I would have stopped.
Then to the University of Minnesota. There was not a word out of K about wishing she had gone to school here — I guess there was no warming lake UMn has some nice buildings, but the “Knoll” looks a lot like Penn State’s quad, and the buildings are regular in their red brick with Doric (I act like I know the distinction, maybe I don’t) columns.
It became a thing today for K to sit in a big chair and want her picture taken. Here’s the pair from today. I have no idea why.
We were told at breakfast that the one thing we had to see if we had short time in Minneapolis is Minnehaha Falls. (an added bonus was how Google Maps said it, like it was two words, Minny HaHa). Here’s the pic.
Call me cynical, but I’ve seen falls, and this wasn’t worth diverting to see. Like, here’s an effin’ falls
Then to the hotel.
Context: we have watched the new Queer Eye. So I am standing in line in the hotel lobby and the guy in front of me is in a tee shirt and cargo shorts. I need to point out his tee shirt was not neat, so I know what brand of underwear he was wearing, which I wont share with you. I look to the guy in the front of the line next to me and he, too, is in cargo shorts and a tee shirt. His tee, btw, is long enough to cover his belt line. The next guy in, and his son with him, are wearing cargo shorts and tee shirts.
I was mildly proud I wasn’t.
On Queer Eye, they have had several guests who sport that look. They call it the “Dad look.” & it’s not a compliment. & they do away with it at all costs. But it is damned near ubiquitous.
The guy in the elevator with us was from North Dakota. It was UND night at the Twins game and he was there for the game. He spoke like an extra from the Tv series Fargo.
Funnier was the fact I started that. Yuh know? Where you kinda add an extra uh sound to a lot of things, to make it sound like everything is longer and slower? Yuh know?
Train to ballpark. Good seats. Not like crossing the Sahara as train dropped us right at a gate.
Lousy game. Twins suck. Orioles, their opponent (obviously) suck worse. We went back to the hotel before I won the 50/50. It’s okay to find out tomorrow.
Stadium review: K said “this park could be anywhere.” You can see the Minny skyline, but it’s not distinctive. The distinctive part is they spent a bunch of money having it stone faced, in a yellowish stone you can see in the right field corner here. That’s a nice touch.
But Miller Park on Wednesday, despite the conditions, is much more interesting, with the slide for the home runs, the glass window on one side and the retractable roof.
But I had Indian food at the park. Food is an important part of the ballpark experience: I love Citizens Bank in Philly because they have Federal donuts there. The best cake donuts in the world. Still warm.
We meet John and Lanisa (why does spellcheck think her name is Labia?Has her confused with a character from Shakespeare?) tomorrow in KC. Podcast, BBQ, and a Royals game. And probably, I’m just guessing, drinks. Just guessing…
Till tomorrow.
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