Fortunately, I saw more than bridge bits as I biked along West River Parkway last week.
I saw my old stomping grounds, the University of Minnesota East Bank campus (although I actually spent more time at the St. Paul campus) in the distance. Ah, flashbacks to walking across the Washington Avenue Bridge (on the left) in the bitter winter winds between the U of MN East and West Bank campuses… True, there’s an enclosed (but unheated) portion of the bridge, but it tended to smell rather vile…
Trying to make sense of the shape in the middle of that picture? You probably won’t be able to – it’s the Weisman Art Museum. Nope, it wasn’t designed by Escher. 😉
Earlier this summer, someone emailed me, hoping that I wasn’t affected too much by the flooding along the Mississippi. Not at all! The Mississippi River runs through a gorge for much of its journey through the Twin Cities. If we have flooding? Not going to be much left downstream…
While the Mississippi River Gorge isn’t much compared to, say, the Grand Canyon, it is very lovely and green in the summer – a sinuous oasis through the heart of the Cities.
Can you see the wee waterfall?
“Die, vicious feather toy, die!” -Chaos
Hmmm, is that “wee waterfall” measured in inches or feet 😉 Looks lovely up there!
The West Campus side of the Washington Ave. bridge is where I kissed my first boyfriend for the very first time, back in November of ’92.
I like the chair by the tree!
The gorge looks like a fabulous place to walk and/or picnic. Is it easily accessible? I’ve seen the museum in pictures before and it is very unique!
Oh, that sounds like a great bike ride. Heh, hard to believe that the Mississipi isn’t the raging torrent everyone imagines it would be!
Looks to me like Minneapolis has a lot of little “hideaway” places!
I love that chair on the side of the road!
It’s so lovely to bike along the river, though I could do without the hills in that particular stretch!
Jeez! I thought Chaos had turned into Captain Hook!
Your thingy swallowed my comment. That was ~5 hours ago! Too bad I forgot what I typed 😉
Wow. That museum is awesome! Is the inside as weird as the outside?
Banking! Let’s go riverbanking! That was the weekend cry when I was at the U circa late 60s — do they still call it that when they party at the river’s edge?
Heh, we know why it smelled vile, don’t we?
I really like the photo of the chair by the tree. It even looks like it was a respectable chair once upon a time.
Chris- Minnesota is gorgeous- now is the time to get outside and be a nature girl!
love the photos from your weekend ride. looks like the waterfall is cascading down a dead cedar tree.. (?)
what a funny picture of Chaos – looks like he’s imitating Cap’n Hook.
I love the photos! I don’t know as if I have ever walked or biked that trail..and I certainly have never seen that wee waterfall.
The more you talk and share about your city, the more I like it. It’s so quirky! I love that building – perfect for an art museum.
Lovely photos, as always! Though my favorite is of the demise of the feather toy… 😉
Raven killed the mousie toy….
I know it’s an odd thing to miss, but I miss the walk across that bridge!
Wee little waterfall but cute!
The Weisman Art Museum looks like what the Tin Man’s house would if had money.
Death to all vicious feather toys!
Great photos and looks like a wonderful bike ride! I can spot a Frank O. Gehry building 1528 miles away.
Beautiful tour! Love the museum–what architecture!
I love that chair by the tree! At least it’s in a nice shady spot. The design of the art museum fits so well. It looks like a nice bike ride.
Beautiful photos of a beautiful area! I love that view of the Weisman. What an architectural gem… If you like that, I bet you’d like the Pritzker Pavilion here in Chicago, too.
Wicked cool house! Lovely gorge! (that feather toy looks suspiciously like a rusty dentist implement…)
The Weisman always gives me a giggle – so whimsical (and yes, I love Escher)!
I loved the chair, too. It’s interesting to imagine what people might think about as they sit there, with their back to all that beauty, watching the traffic as it whizzes by…
My, it’s comforting to know that Chaos is there, eternally vigilant and alert to the dangers that surround us. I would have missed that feather toy as it lurked in the shadows, and what might have happened then?
The Weisman Museum is amazing!
And what a delicious green space the gorge is!
The Weisman museum looks like it could be a Frank Gehry design. It seems like most of the world falls into one of two camps — love Gehry, or hate him. I happen to like his designs!
There was a cat after all!
What a good ride. Glad you are doing this.
Umm, I think I walked across the bridge once because each bus was too full to stop.
I really enjoy your photos!
Great pictures.