Visiting Mill Ruins Park

Last weekend I got to practice some local tourism in Minneapolis for a marvelous, unexpected window.

Josh needed to go into work for a couple of hours before we met our friends at Medicine Lake, so rather than driving separately later, I decided to go with him and visit the Mill City Farmers Market while he was in the office. I've always wanted to check out this farmers market but in past summers had been doing long runs on Saturday mornings when it's open, so it never worked out.

The market is next to the Guthrie Theatre, with many of the vendors in the Mill City Museum's historic train shed. I got there at 11 a.m. (too late for blueberries!) and there was a great crowd. I liked wandering through a farmers market in a new-to-me place.

I've been picking up a bouquet of flowers at the farmers market (usually the St. Paul one) most weekends this summer, so although it wasn't entirely practical given that day's upcoming trip to the lake, I still had my eye out for flowers. At one table, I noticed a bouquet composed entirely of snapdragons of all colors, and any sense of practicality flew out the window.

I liked my market visit a lot, but here's where the true little adventure begins: I decided to amble back to Target Field (and maybe the main Minneapolis Farmers Market) the long way, via the river parkway. I walked down the street toward Mill Ruins Park, across the street from the Mill City Museum. Just for fun, because I wasn't in any hurry, I wandered a few steps into the park and saw a new view of the museum and theatre right away:

And then I noticed that people were walking on paths way below the ruins and the Stone Arch Bridge. (I think I really said "What!?" out loud, followed by "How did they get there?!") Cradling the huge bouquet of snapdragons in one arm a tad awkwardly, I followed the sidewalk around the corner toward the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam, an area I had previously thought was restricted.

And all of a sudden, I found myself almost literally under the Stone Arch Bridge...

...and then literally under the Stone Arch Bridge!

I've run over the Stone Arch Bridge many times, but always with a focus on getting across and turning left to make my way back to St. Paul (or admiring the skyline at bridge level). I had no idea it was possible to wander under the bridge's first few arches. The museum, theatre and "Gold Medal Flour" sign are an iconic view of Minneapolis, and it was pretty amazing to be gifted with an entirely different perspective.

I love being caught by surprise like this in a place I thought I knew well.

Art on a snowy evening

Tonight Sara took me to the Matisse exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. On loan from the Baltimore Museum of Art, it's a massive collection of prints, paintings and sculptures from a career that spanned six decades. I did not know much about Matisse before we went, and I was still struck by how much I learned about the artist, his process, and all of the context behind his art (as well as the Baltimore sisters who amassed a large collection of Matisse's work during the Gilded Age). This exhibit runs through mid-May, and I do recommend it.

After the exhibit, we went outside and learned that the freezing rain has switched over completely to snow. It's true that it did look more like December than April - but it made for a pretty walk back to the car.

Marvelous midweek

A little snapshot from yesterday's six-miler under purple-gray clouds:

Onward with more marvelous tidbits:

1) Last week, a friend told me about using Zinio, a digital magazine program through the St. Paul Public Library and available in other metro systems. (More info here.) I loved exploring the free lending program, seeing some magazines I already really like and discovering new ones. (This month's Smithsonian Magazine, for example, had gorgeous pictures and a neat feature on small towns around the U.S.) I can browse the magazines on my phone and click a "text" option to read the articles in larger print. I think this is such a neat resource.

2) Josh was in Arizona over the weekend, and his flight was originally due in at 11:30 p.m. yesterday, but he changed flights and got in at 10:30 instead. (Marvelous indeed!)

3) Both Tennessee's men's and women's basketball teams are rolling into the Sweet 16! Orange Gerbera daisies are on the table this week to celebrate.

4) The Twins' home opener is less than two weeks away. It is still not feeling very springy here (with the fleeting exception of days like Friday) but the beginning of baseball season is a good sign. I've been listening to baseball podcasts to get up to speed on the spring training storylines.

5) I am looking forward to seeing the Matisse exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts with Sara tomorrow!

That's it! I hope your Wednesday is a good one. What's your favorite magazine? How's your bracket? And are you planning to catch some baseball games this spring?

Marvelous Monday: Week 9

First, a question: My first visit to the American Swedish Institute over the weekend made me wonder what else I've been missing all this time. Do you have a Twin Cities museum recommendation for me? Please share.

On with the marvelous tidbits:

1) Natty's due date is this week, and I am thinking of my friends in D.C. as they get ready to finally meet their little one!

2) Over the weekend, I finished Liz Murray's powerful book Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard.

3) It's March now, and that means spring (sometime soon!).

4) Temperatures are finally heading in the right direction: to the 20s and even 30s for the foreseeable future. I have been in maintenance mode with my miles lately, just trying to consistently get outside when I can. I was hoping to do 8-10 miles on Sunday morning, and when I woke up, it was -10 with a windchill of -31, which is just not very conducive to the mileage I had planned. (I skipped that run, just to be clear.) I am excited to finally do more outside and put together my spring and summer race calendar.

5) This scene from over the weekend:

Back to museum for just a minute: What's your favorite museum ever? (I just tried to type out a few favorites and had so many feelings that I might have to write about this another time.) What's the best one in your town? What museum would you love to visit but haven't yet?

Hoping that your week is starting out well - all of you.