August 30, 2005
Twin Cities Album
(Filed under: History)Check out this cool flash audio slideshow from MPR about the new Twin Cities Album book. It's an even cooler book, a pictoral history of the Twin Cities. I can never get enough of those.
While flipping through the book at Barnes & Noble I saw what had to be my favorite pic: A 1930s era picture of Lexington Field on the corner of University & Lexington in St. Paul, where currently a White Castle sits.
Posted by kevin at 9:43 AM | TrackBack
August 26, 2005
Napping at the Mall of America
(Filed under: Business)
Now you can shop 'till you drop at the Mall of America, literally. You can pay 70 cents per minute to nap at the new MinneNAPolis store, which offers three themed rooms for napping.
Mall officials said the store would stick to a strict one person per room policy, so no bright ideas.
I'm not sure who would pay $42 to take a one-hour nap, but there it is. The Mall of America now has everything.
Posted by kevin at 7:53 AM | TrackBack
August 25, 2005
The 2005 Minnesota State Fair
(Filed under: Events)
What? The State Fair opened today?! Hard to believe, but the Great Minnesota Get Together is already here. Kind of snuck up on me since I haven't seen the usual week's worth of coverage in the paper leading up to opening day (or maybe I just missed it).
Highlights include:
- The 2005 Minnesota State Fair commemorative poster, illustrated by Mary GrandPré, best known for her work on the Harry Potter books. Get a poster at the fair or order one online. It's not Napoleon Dynamite, but we do what we can.
- The world's largest boot, certified by Guinness and created by the Red Wing Shoe Company in celebration of their 100th anniversary.
- Fighting robots. Gotta love the fighting robots.
- New and frightening food creations this year? Spaghetti and meatballs on a stick, chocolate dipped potato chips, grilled chocolate sandwiches, chocolate covered sunflower seeds (do I sense a theme?), and mini cinnamon rolls with softserve ice cream. (The Pioneer Press has details on the new foods)
- On Tuesday, August 30 kids can try out musical instruments at the Minnesota Orchestra's Instrument Petting Zoo. (Can you say "saxa-ma-phone"?)
- August 27 & 28 you can catch a free Hopefuls show (formerly the Olympic Hopefuls) at the Teen Fair.
- Every day at 7:00 p.m. head to the Pet Center for the St. Paul Police K-9 Unit demonstration.
And for a bit of history, check out the Star Trib Yesterday's News blog for details about the 1901 State Fair, which featured then Vice President Theodore Roosevelt and his "speak softly and carry a big stick" speech.
Posted by kevin at 8:01 AM | TrackBack
August 24, 2005
St. Paul's 7th Street Improvement Arches
(Filed under: Parks & Sights)
I took pictures of the 7th Street Improvement Arches in St. Paul a few weeks back after noticing the cool spiral pattern. The arches were built in 1884 as part of a massive project to bridge 7th Street over the combined valley of Trout Brook and Phalen Creek, several railroad tracks and ultimately link the downtown district with Dayton's Bluff. It was one of the biggest public works projects attempted by St. Paul at the time.
The arches were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 and are known for their helicoidal or spiral method, which is both rare and technically demanding. It's the only known example of such a bridge in Minnesota (read the in-depth details of its historic significance). The arches were also designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 2000.
Today the railroad tracks are long gone and have been replaced with the Bruce Vento Regional Trail. The trail starts at a parking lot at 7th Street and Payne and curves around to go under the 7th Street Improvement Arches and into Swede Hollow Park. There are plans to continue the trail under I-94 and across 4th Street to connect it with the new Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary. The trail will also continue up the bluff to connect to Indian Mounds Park, as well as follow 4th Street to Lowertown. Construction will begin next spring and should be finished by the fall of 2006.
Posted by kevin at 10:23 AM | TrackBack
August 23, 2005
Minneapolis Street Cars
(Filed under: History)Who knew the Twin Cities still had street cars? There was all kinds of history in the local papers when the light rail line opened, but I didn't realize there were still street cars running.
The Minnesota Street Car Museum runs a line between Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet. There's also one in Excelsior. It's not exactly convenient transportation, but it's some pretty cool history.
Posted by kevin at 6:05 PM | TrackBack
August 22, 2005
Mill Ruins Park & Minneapolis Riverfront
(Filed under: Parks & Sights)
Taken last week, this shot gives you a view of the work being done on Mill Ruins Park which should be completed this fall. The work will open up the lower tailraces and let you walk among the actual mill ruins.
If you haven't been to the Minneapolis riverfront lately, it's pretty cool. As usual, there's the Stone Arch Bridge and St. Anthony Falls, which are sights worth seeing on their own. But now there's also Mill Ruins Park, which you can see in the picture. Above the park you can see the remains of an old mill which now houses the Mill City Museum. In the distance the goofy looking blue structure sticking out of West River Parkway is the new Guthrie Theater.
Posted by kevin at 1:51 PM | TrackBack
August 19, 2005
Tour the Highland Water Tower
(Filed under: Events)If you missed touring the 127-foot Highland Water Tower in St. Paul earlier this month during the Highland Fest, you'll have another opportunity in October. The tower, built in 1928 and designed by architect Clarence Wigington, will be open October 8-9 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for viewing of the fall colors.
Admission is free and visitors can climb the 151-step staircase to the observation deck for views of St. Paul and the Mississippi River.
Posted by kevin at 8:09 AM | TrackBack
August 18, 2005
North Star Blankets
(Filed under: Parks & Sights)
I love the North Star Blankets building in Minneapolis near the Stone Arch Bridge and the Mississippi River. It's been converted into condos like everything else in the Twin Cities, but it still has the cool sign at the very top. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and consists of three joined structures built between 1890 and 1925. The condos were developed in 1999.
I also love the detail of the star shape behind the bolts in the wall of the building. I don't know if those are washers with a functional purpose or purely decorational, but they're cool. What a nice detail.
Posted by kevin at 9:11 AM | TrackBack
August 17, 2005
St. Paul from the Bluffs
(Filed under: Parks & Sights)
This is the view from Indian Mounds Park in St. Paul. It's located on the bluff east of downtown, and offers a great view of the river and the barge traffic, as well as downtown.
The first bridge you see is Highway 52. Directly behind it you can just make out the Robert Street bridge, and in the distance you can see the High Bridge.
Posted by kevin at 12:23 AM | TrackBack
Mississippi River at Minneapolis: East River Flats Park
(Filed under: Parks & Sights)
This shot was taken from the far eastern end of the East River Flats Park in Minneapolis, looking upriver. The bridge you can just see in the distance is Franklin Avenue. Most of the East River Flats Park is located below the University of Minnesota and the bluffs. There's a parking lot on the western end but as you go east it turns into a bike trail that follows the shoreline for a ways, at one point narrowing to a cantilivered bridge over the water. There's a small waterfall at one point along the trail, and at several places the land is so low it's often in danger of flooding.
It's one of my favorite bits of nature in the midst of the city.
Posted by kevin at 12:10 AM | TrackBack
August 15, 2005
Fort Snelling Carvings
(Filed under: History)More than 140 years ago Union soldiers stationed at Fort Snelling carved their names into the bluff. Last December those carvings were uncovered, adding even more history to Fort Snelling.
The three soldiers who carved their names on April 1, 1864 were part of the 25,000 soldiers who called Fort Snelling home during the Civil War. Shortly after the carving the soliders went west to fight the Dakota and then returned to the south to fight in the Civil War.
Posted by kevin at 10:27 AM | TrackBack
August 1, 2005
St. Paul Homeless Unite
(Filed under: The Greater Good)The homeless in St. Paul have united to form a group called the X Committee, "by the homeless, of the homeless, and for the homeless." The group addresses issues homeless people face and tries to find solutions. One recent example was adding lockers to a downtown day shelter.
Posted by kevin at 7:41 AM | TrackBack