Marathoners running on one of the scenic parkways in Minneapolis. Lake Calhoun is in the background. (Photo courtesy of Brian Roberts)

Something for Everyone

The marathon is only one part of a larger weekend “Celebration of Fitness,” including other running events and activities for adults and kids of all ages. Many participants receive free t-shirts and medals for finishing their events. These events are all held around the Capitol Building in St. Paul, a beautifully scenic area adjacent to downtown St. Paul. Most of the family and kid-oriented events will be held on Saturday, October 4. To get a feel for what the family events are all about check out the videos in the menu on the right side of the events page which include:

• Medtronic TC Family Events & TC5K
• Diaper Dash (a race for infants who can’t yet walk)
• Harry & Shelly’s Mascot Invitational
• Toddler Trot
• Pioneer Press Family Activities Tent. 

If you or your kids are interested in participating in these events, there are several ways to register.

The beautiful Minnesota State Capitol Building in St. Paul is the hub of the activity on marathon weekend.  (Photo courtesy of Tim Wilson)

If you go:

All events start and finish at the Capitol Building (map), except for the marathon itself and the ten mile race, which both start at the Metrodome and end at the Capitol Building. Registration is closed for the Marathon and 10 mile race, but it is possible to register for the family events on the day of the event up to 15 minutes before the event starts. For more information, check out the official website.

 Spectators:

Spectators are welcome to watch any of the races from anywhere along the courses free of charge. A helpful guide for spectators (pdf) offers a lot of information on how to enjoy these events without breaking a sweat.

Road Closings/ Traffic Changes

Because the marathon and other races are run on city streets, they will affect traffic in the Twin Cities during the weekend in the form of road closures and detours.

These drained but determined marathoners have almost reached the finish line… and so has this post. (Photo courtesy of Drew Geraets)

Whew! All this blogging about marathons has left me virtually exhausted! But have no fear, I shall doggedly press on to give you more of the best attractions and entertainment the Twin Cities have to offer. Stay tuned for upcoming post stops at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Walker Art Center…

          Today’s post is going to give you 11, that’s right, 11 spots for the price of one … which incidentally is zero dollars. Anyway, I wanted to share some info about farmers markets in Minneapolis. There’s no easier, (or more delicious) way to show support for local farmers and help protect the environment than shopping at farmers markets, and Minneapolis is a great place to do just that. Below is some info about twelve farmers markets in Minneapolis. I have also created a map showing the locations of all of the farmers markets mentioned here.

The Farmer in the Mall: The Nicollet Mall Minneapolis Farmers Market offers fresh local produce amongst the hustle and bustle of downtown Minneapolis. (Photo courtesy of Ry Tweedie-Cullen) 

Elliott Park Farmers Market: 1000 E. 14th St., Wednesdays 10:30 am – 2pm,  June 25 – September. Located about six blocks away from the Metrodome light rail stop.

Kingfield Farmers Market: Nicollett Ave. & 43rd St. Sundays 9am – 1:30 pm, June 1 – October 12. Accessible via public transportation.

Midtown Exchange Farmers Market: 920 E. Lake Street (in the Midtown Exchange building) Thursdays 11am – 3pm, June 28 – Oct 25th. This market is easily accessible by bike via the Midtown Greenway (trail map) and by  public transportation. There is also plenty of parking for cars.

Midtown Farmers Market: E. Lake st. & 22nd Ave S. (next to WMCA). Tues. 3:30 – 7:30pm, July 8 – Oct 21, Saturdays 8am – 1pm May 3 – Oct 25. Just steps off of the light rail line. Also accessible by bus, and bike.

Mill City Farmers Market: 704 2nd St. S. (between Mill City Museum and the Guthrie Theater – see previous posts). Saturdays 8am – 1pm, May 10 – October 18. Easily the most scenic location of any MInneapolis Farmers market – right on the Mississippi river bluffs overlooking the Stone Arch Bridge, “The most romantic spot in Minneapolis” (see an earlier post on this). It is nestled between a gorgeous old building (Mill City Museum), and an amazing new one (The Guthrie Theater). Mill City Farmers market is easily accessible via public transportation, and bike. Parking is available nearby but may be limited due to events at the Guthrie Theater and or Metrodome. 

Minneapolis Farmers Market (2 locations – Two of the largest farmers markets in the city):

Lyndale N -312 E. Lyndale Ave N. Daily 6am – 2pm. April 21 – Mid November.

Nicollet Mall - 5th – 12th Sts. Nicollet Mall (Nicollet Ave.) Thursdays 6am – 6pm, May 1 – Mid Oct. This market is located on a pleasant pedestrian and bus-only mall, in the heart of downtown Minneapolis. Shop for your produce in the shadow of Orchestra Hall, the IDS Tower, and other beautiful buildings, sculptures, and public art. NIcollet mall is accessible by bike and is itself bike friendly. It is also accessible via the Light Rail, and any number of buses. Cars are not allowed on Nicollet Ave., and parking can sometimes be difficult given the location in the middle of downtown. 

You say tomato, I say tomah-to at the Lyndale Minneapolis Farmers Market (Photo courtesy of Mary)

Northeast Minneapolis Farmers Market: University Ave. & 7th Ave E. (Boniface Church parking lot) Saturdays 9am – 1pm, early June – Mid Oct. This market is located a few blocks east of the Mississippi river and few blocks north of the historic St. Anthony Main area. Accessible via public transportation.

Healthy Powderhorn Farmers Market: 2930 13th Ave. S. Spirit of the Lakes United Church of Christ. Saturdays 9am – 1pm. (612) 872-4226. Located only blocks from the Midtown Global Market near Lake St. & 13th Ave. S. Find out how to get there by bike, bus, or light rail.

University of MN Farmers Market: Church Street Mall, East Bank Campus. Wednesdays 11am -2pm, July 9 – Oct 8. Accessible via public transportation. Park in the church street parking ramp, 1 block south of Pillsbury Dr. SE on Church St.

VA Medical Center Farmers Market: One Veterans Drive. Tuesdays 2-6 pm, mid June – Mid Sept. Call (612) 467-1789. This market is located in south Minneapolis, just north of Fort Snelling and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, near the Hwy 62 and Hiawatha Ave. Interchange. It is steps away from the light rail and also accessible by bus and bike. Plenty of car parking is available.

Still hungry? Here’s a site with a lot’s of juicy information on Minneapolis farmers markets.

Bon Appetit!

        Today we stop at what has been dubbed, “The Most Romantic Spot in Minneapolis” – The Stone Arch Bridge. Stretching more than 2,000 feet across the Mississippi river in the heart of downtown Minneapolis (map), the bridge is truly a sight to see. The bridge, built in 1883 by railroad magnate James J. Hill, earned its name because [spoiler alert]… it is supported by a series of 23 stone arches… and one steel truss. It served as a railroad bridge until 1964, and was recently re-opened for pedestrian and bike traffic (and the occasional Segway, trolley, or horse drawn carriage.). 

The historic Stone Arch Bridge stands gracefully over the placid Mississippi River.
    (Photo courtesy of Drew Geraets)

The Experience

Any of you who have ever seen or gone over a bridge, know that for the most part, bridges tend to just go straight across whatever it is they are crossing (river, highway, troubled water, etc.). We’ve all heard the saying, “the shortest distance between any two points is a straight line,” right? Apparently not James J. Hill. That was one of the first things I noticed about the bridge. Take a look at the unusual design of the bridge:

The unusual curve of the Stone Arch Bridge (foreground) with St. Anthony falls justvisible beyond the steel truss section. (Photo courtesy of Enrico Fuente)

As it turns out, there is a good reason for this design – James J. Hill (the railroad magnate who built the bridge in the beginning of this post, remember?) owned land on either side of the river, but his plots were not directly across from each other. Thus the long curvy bridge, instead of a straight one. 

As I began to cross the bridge from West to East, I first noticed the Mill Ruins. They are located in the bluff on West Bank. A series of canals and tunnels lead into the bluff. In the city’s milling heyday, water was channeled from the river above the falls, into canals to provide power to the mills along the bluffs. That water then flowed back into the river through the canals that make up the mill ruins. I really wanted to explore the tunnels, but they are, not surprisingly, sealed off with metal gates. 

Heading further east, I enjoyed watching boats slowly raise and lower through the lock and dam, and found St. Anthony falls provided a pleasing backdrop (both in sight and sound – more in my next post). The Bridge also gave me excellent view of the newest bridge in Minneapolis, the rebuilt I-35W bridge, just to the south (the old one collapsed about a year ago). In a neat contrast to the busy city on the west bank, the east bank bluffs are a peaceful state park shrouded by trees, with dirt paths winding throughout. My favorite aspect of the Stone Arch Bridge though is the views:                                

The lovely Minneapolis skyline on the western bank of the river. The building on the left that looks like it has collapsed is the MIll City Museum (Photo courtesy of Tom Westbrook)

 One section of Mill Ruins park, located at the western end of the bridge. I took this photo from the Stone Arch Bridge on a recent visit.

The lush wooded bluffs and historic Pillsbury (as in the doughboy) A Mill (flour mill) on the river’s east bank. (Photo courtesy of Kate Harrington)

The view north from the bridge features St. Anthony falls, the lock and dam, and the 3rd Ave. bridge. (Photo courtesy of Jvstin)

The Highlights:

1. The Views: The west bank offers beautiful panoramic cityscapes.
2. The Price is Right: The bridge and Mill Ruins park are free! The only expense you might incur would be parking, if you park in the pay lot at the west end or a ramp in St. Anthony. There is often ample street parking near the west end of the bridge though.
3. Fun for all: Everyone seems to enjoy the bridge. There are informational placards on the bridge, and I noticed that many young children were fascinated by the lock and dam and St. Anthony falls.
4. The ambiance: The combination of the views and the calming roar of the falls (yes, roars can be calming) make this one of the most enchanting spots in Minneapolis, especially at night:

The Lowlights:

1. Rarely the river carries a slightly unpleasant odor (once in the six or seven times I’ve been there).
2. The views of the east bank are somewhat marred by power plants, towers, and power lines.
3.  Watch out for bike riders – I’ve encountered several on the bridge who seemed unwilling to slow down or even turn slightly to avoid pedestrians. Make sure you look both ways before crossing from one side to the other (here I mean crossing the short way, from the north railing to the south railing).

The Top Four Reasons You Need to Go:

1. To see the things that make Minneapolis what it is today: The falls, the lock and dam, the old Mill buildings, the brand new Mill City Museum and Guthrie Theatre – all while standing on a National Historic Engineering Landmark.
2. The views
3. It’s the most romantic spot in Minneapolis!
4. It’s Free and fun for all ages!

A Fun Challenge:

There is a common rhyme associated with weddings: “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” See if you can spot all four of those things while standing on the Stone Arch Bridge. Feel free to post your answers as comments.

When You Go:

To Park on the West Bank (downtown): 

 From the East: Head into downtown on I-35W. Get off at Washington Ave and head northwest (towards the skyscrapers). Turn right on Portland Ave. Follow Portland Ave straight into the parking lot. From the West: Follow the directions above, or take Hennepin Ave Northeast through downtown to Washington Ave. Turn right on Washington and head southeast. Turn left onto Portland Ave and take Portland Ave. straight into the parking lot.

To Park on the East Bank (St. Anthony): 

From the East: Take I-35W towards downtown. Get off on 4th St heading Northwest. Turn left on 2nd Ave. After you cross University Ave, follow the signs into the parking ramp. Walk through the tunnel, and through the St. Anthony Main building complex. Exit onto Main St. and head southeast (towards the mill buildings). The entrance to Stone Arch Bridge will be about three blocks away on your right.

From the West: Follow the directions above, or take Hennepin Ave through downtown, and across the river. Turn right onto University Ave. Turn right on 2nd Ave. and park in the same ramp as above.

Enjoy! See you at the next stop!

        Our first stop is the Segway Magical History Tour of the Riverfront District of Minneapolis. I found this tour to be a very fun and informative way to experience the past, present, and future of the heart of Minneapolis. Before embarking on this tour, my only familiarity with Segways came from the sitcom “Arrested Development” and news reports about a certain world leader who had some difficulty riding one (apparently even the motorized machine segment of the population doesn’t support him). Rest assured, passengers of this blog tour, riding a Segway is not nearly as difficult as he made it look. Yes, it took me a while to become completely comfortable on the vehicle, but once I did, it was actually a whole lot of fun. For more info on segways and how they work, click this link or the official Segway website.

These riders posed on the Stone Arch Bridge to show the world just how important (and stylish) people look when they are riding on a Segway.

 The approximately 2.5 hour tour starts at a storefront in the St. Anthony Main building complex on the historic and beautifully preserved Main Street in St. Anthony (see map), the oldest street in the oldest part of Minneapolis and a sight to see in itself. Landmarks along the tour include The Pillsbury A-Mill (of the famous Doughboy), Stone Arch Bridge (“The Most Romantic Spot in Minneapolis – more on this in a later post), Mill City Museum (“The Most Explosive Museum in the Country” – coming soon in a later post), The Guthrie Theater, The Hennepin Avenue Bridge, Boom Island, and Nicollett Island. 

My “Fab Four” (highlights of the experience):

1. Riding a Segway is a Lot of Fun –  Unless you have $5,000 burning a hole in your pocket, this may be your best chance to experience being a “human on a stick” (in the only good way that phrase can be interpreted.)  Plus I really enjoyed getting bemused looks from surprised onlookers.

2. The Guides – I thought they were very knowledgeable and funny (One guide remarked, “Don’t ride your Segway into the river – that’s a completely different tour and it’s much more expensive”). They also quickly assuaged my fear of pulling a “W”.

3. Nicollett Island – I’ve lived in Minneapolis for two years and was (along with many other Minneapolitans) shocked to discover this picturesque preserved victorian style neighborhood quietly tucked away right in the middle of the city. If the guides don’t mention it, ask about the donkey when you get to the island.

4. Free Pictures and Coupons - Feel free to bring a camera (don’t take photos while riding though).  Guides also take digital photos on all tours which can be downloaded for free. Coupons for free admission to the Mill City Museum, and discounted meals at several unique nearby restaurants are available. See the “Doesn’t this sound lovely?” section below for more info.

Tour Riders in front of the new Guthrie Theater building and Sir Tyrone Guthrie himself. If you ever put a giant photo of a guy on the side of a building, you should probably try to find one that looks a little less like a certain former German leader.

The “W’s” (Aspects of the tour that fell flat):

1. The Price – $69.95 per person makes it one of the most expensive attractions I’ve found in the Twin Cities (though still $4930.05 cheaper than actually owning a Segway).

2. Tours are Seasonal – Unsurprisingly Segways don’t work well on snow and ice.

3. Not for Everyone – Riders must be aged 13-80 and weigh less than 280 pounds.

4. Slow Going – Most of the tour was spent whizzing along at fully twice the speed of walking (though the vehicles were capable of double that speed. On one tour we got some time to try going as fast as we could).

5. Time is of the Essence – Time commitment is 3.5 hours. I felt like I spent a lot of time waiting for things to happen or guides to give information or directions.

The Top Five Reasons Why You Need to Go on the Magical History Tour:

5. There is no better (or more fun) way to experience the heart and history of Minneapolis!

4.  When are you going to have another chance to ride a Segway – unless you take a tour in Washington DC, San Francisco, L.A., or one of these cities.

3.  It is a great family or group bonding experience! 

2.  The guides are very knowledgeable and funny, and keep the riders feeling safe and comfortable!

1.  It is extremely fun! 

Doesn’t this sound lovely?:

Have a blast cruising the Riverfront District on a 3pm Segway tour, then take advantage of the coupons offered at the end of the tour and enjoy dinner on a patio overlooking the Main Street, the river, and downtown Minneapolis at one of these restaurants: Vics, Pracna on Main, or Tugg’s Tavern.

Important Info:

Hours: Tours run 7 days a week at 10am and 3pm

Cost: $69.95 per person (kind of steep, but well worth it!)

Location: St. Anthony Main - 125 Main St. SE Minneapolis, MN 55414 (See the interactive map)

For more information, check out their website. Also check out this video.

The photos on this page both came from the Segway Magical History Tour Photo Gallery.

And now ladies and gentlemen, it’s on to the next stop of our blog tour,  Stone Arch Bridge and Mill Ruins Park. See you there…