After reading that Minneapolis had been ranked the best biking city in the country by Bicycling Magazine I thought a post about biking in Minneapolis was mandatory. I don’t consider myself a serious biker. I don’t bike everyday, never in winter, and when I do bike it is usually no more than 5 – 10 miles and often shorter. But when I do bike around Minneapolis, I can’t help but notice how incredibly bikeable the city (and many suburbs) really are. And not only that, but it seems like everywhere you ride offers natural beauty, action and excitement, or both.

The best skyline view in Minneapolis is from Stone Arch Bridge, which can be accessed by foot or on a bicycle.

My favorite place to ride is downtown. I have discovered that a person can see Target Field, the Sculpture Garden/Walker Art Center, Loring Park, Nicollet Mall, the Hennepin Ave Bridge, Nicollet Island, St. Anthony Main, Stone Arch Bridge, the Milling Disctrict, Metrodome (AKA Mall of America Field) and more, in about two hours, and without riding on any city streets except Nicollet Mall (which only allows bus, taxi, police, and bike traffic) and Nicollet Island (cars are very few and far between here, except when De La Salle High School is dismissing for the day). I have even found this route to be fun, safe, and manageable for children as young as nine riding their own bike. More adventurous bikers can explore more of downtown by riding in the many bike lanes that crisscross the downtown grid.

The Minnehaha Creek Trail ends at the stunning, 57 foot Minnehaha Falls.

But of course, the great cycling is not limited to downtown. I also love to ride the paved trails around the chain of lakes, and particularly enjoy the spectacular view of Lake Calhoun that unfolds before you as you come through the tunnel under Lake Street from Lake of the Isles. The Mary Tyler Moore house and the stunning mansions on Lowry Hill are also easily accessible from these trails. In addition to the trails around the lakes, the cedar lake trail and kenilworth trail are also beautiful, easy rides (the Cedar Lake trail ends downtown right at Target Field). The other great thing about riding around the chain of lakes, besides the stunning beauty, is that there is no shortage of places to grab cool drinks, sweet treats, or even swim in the lakes. Lakes Calhoun, Cedar, and Harriet all feature multiple swimming beaches just steps from the bike trails. The lake harriet bike trail also connects to the Minneahaha creek trail which is an easy, beautiful ride that winds along the creek, past Lake Nokomis and Hiawatha, before ending at the spectacular Minnehaha park. The midtown greenway is another nice ride that should always include a stop at the Midtown Global Market.

For those of you who prefer more adventurous biking, Wirth Park now features miles of marked, official off road bike trails, which range in difficulty and offer riders the chance to navigate such obstacles as rocks, logs, sharp banked turns, and steep uphill and downhill slopes. I have ridden most of the trails, and found them to be quite fun and challenging, without feeling overly dangerous. Accessing the trails can be difficult if you have to drive to get there. If so, park at Wirth Beach and ride north to the trailhead at Highway 55 and Wirth Parkway on the northwest corner. There are other trailheads as well.

Whether you live in Minneapolis or are just coming for a visit, take the time to explore the city on a bike. Enjoy the beauty and serenity of the lakes and parks on the chain of lakes or Minnehaha Creek trails, or experience the excitement and energy of the city by riding downtown, to a Target Field for a Twins game, or on the Midtown Greenway. Most trails are easy rides for even young riders, and only those along the Mississippi river feature substantial uphill or downhill slopes. If you don’t own a bike, pick one up at the Nice Ride stands all over the city for a short trip, or rent one for a half or whole day from Freewheel, Calhoun Bike Rental (they also offer tours) or Erik’s (note: Erik’s at this time does not rent kids bikes). There are also limited bikes for rent from Wheel Fun Rentals at Lake Calhoun, and Minnehaha Park (lots of unique and fun bikes here). All of the buses and light rail trains are equipped to accommodate bikes to help you navigate areas that don’t have trails or bike lanes.

If you’d like to bike Minneapolis but aren’t sure where to start, or what to see, I would happy to recommend a route or even take you on a tour myself. The bottom line, find a bike, saddle up, check out these maps of bike trails, lanes and paths in Minneapolis, and find out why Minneapolis is so deserving of the title “Best Bike City in Minneapolis”.

After a very long hiatus, I am back with a post about the new home of the Minnesota Twins. I visited Target Field yesterday afternoon to watch the Twins play my hometown Milwaukee Brewers, in what turned out to be one of the most exciting baseball games I have ever seen (won by the Twins in 12 innings). But the ridiculously crazy game aside, here are my thoughts on Target Field. On the whole, it is a spectacular place to watch a baseball game (especially when the weather is as glorious as it was yesterday). I believe Target Field is already worthy of place amongst the elite baseball parks like Fenway, Wrigley, AT&T Park (San Francisco), and PNC (Pittsburgh).

Accessibility – Very Good

Target Field is located in downtown, between seventh and fifth streets, north of first avenue. I would say it’s location is pretty much ideal. It is almost unbelievable how many different, relatively easy ways there are to get to the stadium. The Twins website has more info on this. Here’s a list of the ways to get to Target Field:

Hiawatha light rail, numerous bus routes, car via I-394, I-94, 35W or city streets, bike, foot, Northstar,  commuter line.

The Hiawatha light rail and Northstar commuter line stop feet from the field.

The Experience in the Stands – Amazing

Actually finding my seat was a little frustrating (make sure you enter via the gate listed on your ticket, especially if you are in the upper deck of the main stands. If not you may have to hunt for a while to find a ramp or other way to get to the upper deck). However, all my frustration was forgotten the second I sat down and took in the ballpark from my seat. All can say is WOW! What a spectacular place to watch a baseball game! Just look at the pictures:

I did walk around almost the entire stadium, and it seemed like almost all of the seats in the main stands offered great views of the ballpark and the city. The bleacher sections also offered good views, but only those in left field and the uppermost levels afford skyline views. Be forewarned that many outfield seats offer partially obstructed views of some parts of the outfield, particularly in right field. Also, know that anyone sitting in the upper outfield levels or in the lower level left field stands are liable to be baked to a crisp during day games, so bring a hat, and plenty of sunscreen, and scope out shady places to cool off.

Concessions – Good

Admittedly, I don’t usually buy much at baseball games because I find it way overpriced. Many items at Target Field seemed very expensive, but there were a lot of less expensive items as well. I was hoping they would sell 12 chocolate chip cookies for $5 as they did at the dome, but didn’t see them. The brat I had was decent, but far from spectacular. The only vendors that came by my section were selling beer and Mike’s hard lemonade, neither of which I drink.

The view through the right field gate on Target Plaza

Overall – Outstanding

I loved watching yesterday’s game at Target Field. The stadium feels like it has been there for 100 years, like it  was always meant to be there. I don’t mean that it feels old or worn, but that it has everything that makes classic stadiums like Fenway and Wrigely great – the cozy feel, the character and charm, the nooks and crannies, even the classic stadium smell of hotdogs and pretzels, beer and peanuts. However it also has the luxuries and amenities of the best new stadiums, including a skyline view to rival PNC park in Pittsburgh. The stadium may be new, but the team has a rich and storied tradition, and it is omnipresent at Target Field. Legends are honored inside and outside the park with statues, plaques and banners.

Bottom Line – An absolute must for all baseball fans!

Go  to Target Field. Even if you can’t get a ticket, hang out at Target Plaza and share in the excitement, or peek in through the numerous “knotholes” around the park. Come when there is no game and just walk around the stadium. Bottom line, Target Field is a great, great place to watch a baseball game, and even at a mere two months of age, this beautiful ballpark already holds its own with the hallowed elysian fields of Wrigley and Fenway, and the sparkling newer yards in New York, San Francisco, and Pittsburgh. Target Field is a must-see for all baseball fans. Everything about watching a game at this spectacular stadium is a reminder of why people write poetry about baseball.

Have you been to Target Field? If so what did you think?

It’s almost time set off on our blog tour, but first I wanted to tell you about how we are going to navigate through the Twin Cities. Our journey will be tracked on an interactive Google Map that I have created especially for this tour. There is a link to the map under the Blogroll heading. I will post a marker on the map for every place that we visit. Each marker will provide a brief description of the place it represents as well as any other important information. Our first stop, the Segway Magical History Tour is already marked on the map. It is just northeast across the Mississippi river from downtown Minneapolis in historic St. Anthony, the oldest part of the city. Take a minute to check out the map, play around, zoom in and out and give yourself a good feel for where the Twin Cities are in relation to each other, within the state of Minnesota, and within the U.S. Also take note of the Mississippi River. Any comments or suggestions about the map would be appreciated.

Now that you know about the map, we can begin the tour. On to the Segway Magical History Tour…

TCTG

(Twin Cities Tour Guide)

      What do you think of when somebody mentions the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul? Mediocre football teams? Endless winter floggings by mother nature? The Mary Tyler Moore show? Tater tot hotdish? Even after spending four years at St. Olaf College, less than 45 minutes south of the Twin Cities, I still thought of the Twin Cities as place where it was always winter and the sports teams could always be counted on to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the big games.

Yet, in the last two years since I moved to Minneapolis from my hometown of Milwaukee, my perception of the Twin Cities has changed drastically. Yes, the Vikings and Timberwolves still have a knack for pulling out clutch losses, and the winters are cold enough to make the inside of a glacier feel like a sauna, but there is so much more to the Twin Cities than that. Under all the snow and purple and gold facepaint are two bustling metropolises (metropoli?) that together share a vibrant cultural scene featuring world class art museums, galleries, and artists, the most theater seats per capita in the U.S. after New York City, a thriving music scene, parks and recreation areas that are second to none, and ample opportunities for fun activities and adventures all year round, from the cold winters to the beautiful warm summers.

My goal with the Twin City Tour Guide Blog is to focus each post on a different attraction, event, or place within the Twin Cities. The posts will provide information such as location, price of admission, hours of operation, and list of the top five reasons why you need to check it out. I will also include historical information, trivia, and my own personal anecdotes when appropriate.

That being said, it is time for my blog tour of the Twin Cities to begin, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

The first stop on our tour is the Segway Magical History Tour. I’ll meet you at my next post.