I was out for a run while in town for a conference....I was looking for a Yelp entry for the…read moreMinneapolis Diagonal Trail (which I was running on) but couldn't find one so I searched "park" and the Lookout came up. Since it was on my way back to my hotel from the running trail, I figured I'd take a look. I will say if you're running up from New Brighton Blvd and you're a husky guy like me, the hill upon which the Lookout sits seems pretty impressive. If you drive up, you might not even notice it. But once you huff and puff your way there, you're rewarded with a lovely skyline view. In this instance, the view is worth the climb. This is right across the street from a cemetery and there's a nice path along this road - Ridgeway Pkwy -as well as St. Anthony's Blvd. Those two road form the two legs of an approximate right triangle with the Minneapolis Diagonal Trail making up the hypotenuse. It's a nice, level, asphalt path almost all the way around (a little section is concrete) and you do get a little elevation change in so if you want a nice run, about three miles, do that loop and reward yourself with the beautiful view at the end.

This is honestly the most spiritually guided place I have ever been to in this city. Never before…read morehas a view made me think of our accomplishments as man both large, and small at the very same time. From this hill where you can park your vehicle (be aware that you should never actually leave it there), you can look out and see the entire valley containing downtown Minneapolis, North East, and North. It is truly an experience that warrants mentioning, especially on a site like this! There is a walking trail through here that gets a decent amount of traffic, and there are three benches lining the hill side so you can also sit and have a good look. One of my favorite memories from here... The night my ex and I first professed our love for one another, I had parked my car at the very far right spot so as to see the entire downtown skyline lit up. We watched as a thunderstorm rolled across South Minneapolis that never quite reached the northern edge. With my moon-roof open we could smell the rain, and hear the thunder, and the lightning show against the buildings was spectacular!!! It is also a great place to come and watch 4th of July fireworks!!! But get here early... as the years have gone by, more and more people seem to be discovering this place!

It might look like a simple house at first, but once you realize what it is, it hits differently…read more Knowing this is the actual house from Purple Rain made it feel so special and almost surreal to be there. I had fun just standing there, taking pictures, and really taking in the moment. It honestly felt like I was stepping into something iconic. If you're a Prince fan, you'll understand. It's not just a house, it's a piece of history. Being there gave me that nostalgic feeling, like I was connected to the music and the movie in a real way. The area is quiet, so it's more of a quick stop, but I'm so glad I went. Sometimes it's the simple places that leave the biggest impression, and this was definitely one of those moments for me. Overall, I loved it. It was fun, meaningful, and something I'll always remember. If you're in Minneapolis, I definitely recommend stopping by especially if you love Prince

This is probably not the house that you are thinking about. This is the house from the movie Purple…read moreRain that Prince lived in. Don't mistake it for Paisley Park, the actually place that prince lived in and recorded. It is just a little old house, that is not very well maintained and looks vacant. It is locate in a event neighborhood, located just outside of downtown. You can easily find street parking available near or in front of the house. As a Prince fan, and a huge lover of the movie, I just had to check it out. I will probably have to review the movie though and compare the house now to when it was in the film. The rumor is that Prince had secretly purchased the house before his death. It do not know if it is true or not. What is true is that there are no special markings placed in front of the house letting you know its significance. It is just plain. For me I would have normally given it two stars, but out of respect for the Purple On, I bumped it up to three. I will be honest, I would not have known this was the house from the movie other than a Google search and would have passed it by many times without even knowing. If you do make it here, this is definitely not a long stop. I would say about 5 minutes tops. Also, remember to be respectfully of. The neighborhood's residents, as the house is not on a movie set, but in an actual neighborhood.

Very popular to see! It was really busy when we went on a Sunday on Mother's Day around 1-2pm. Lots…read moreof pictures being taken so remember to smile :) Went at the end of the season but the flowers were still blooming May 10th! I would recommend seeing it once when in full bloom! You can drive by, park on the other side of the street- there are typically a lot of people walking and looking so give them space. But if you need to get close that's an option Variety of colors! Drive around the neighborhood- the houses are nice and there are a lot of flowers!

This brought pure joy to my soul! Nothing like tulips in the sunshine. We took both of our mom's…read morehere Mother's Day weekend, and it made us all smile. Thank you for sharing your beautiful tulips with the world!

I thought Minne was a mouse, but what do I know. Apparently it's a lakemonster. Oooooh…read more What could be better than a Loch Ness type sea monster right here in Minneapolis, in the FREAKING LAKES? And it's really adorable as well. Of course it's fake - or at least I think it's fake. I'm not going to come out and say it's fake when I can't be sure that it's fake. It may be fake but let's not assume that it's fake because one day you could be swimming in the lake and this so called fake monster could fake eat you and you'd be fake dead or fake in hospital for a long time and HOW FAKE WOULD IT BE THEN. Yet another case where Fake is the best possible outcome.

A legend in American folklore, Minnie is the Loch Ness of America. Keep an eye out for her dopey…read moreface as you enjoy the lakes this summer.

We stopped by yesterday in hopes of checking out the Somali museum downstairs; however it was…read moreclosed for the 4th of July. So we walked around the food court area, most of the stalls were closed. I appreciated the variety of eateries available. We spent time browsing the mini grocery area, where they sell various interesting items such as honey comb and Turkish delight. My friend bought dried chamomile flowers in bulk to make tea. It was only a quarter the price of buying chamomile tea bags! In the building were some interesting art sculptures. I really like mixed use spaces like this.

I love Midtown Global Market with all of my heart. I went…read morelast Friday for the first time in a while and have already been back 2 times already since then (it's now Monday). Midtown Global Market has been such a staple in my life. It does such a good job of having food options from so many cultures and parts of the world. The food is reasonably priced and the workers are all so kind and knowledgable. Beyond just food, there is a huge selection of art, groceries, clothing, and more. MGM has always felt like the ideal of what Minneapolis is and can be. I am sad to see a lot of booths closed right now. My heart aches for my neighbors and community. I hope (and know) that MGM can bounce back and continue to be a place of diverse community. Love MGM always.

I like quirky things. It was like a match made in heaven when I moved to Minnesota years ago…read more There's a lot to discover in this state that I once called home. I remember seeing Spoonridge and Cherry, a sculptural fountain in Minneapolis that featured a gigantic silver spoon with the most cheerful cherry with a full stem. I loved it so much. I ended up getting a set of notecards featuring this fun piece of art and sharing my delight with others. I haven't changed over the years. I still like seeing cool, quirky items. Last month, I found out about the world's largest raspberry in Hopkins. I deliberately paid it a visit after work, before heading to a Minnesota Wild game several Thursdays ago. This massive raspberry wasn't difficult to find. It's on a fairly quiet street. I thought that I'd be parking on a side street, but it's right in front of a small parking lot. I backed into a spot and took my time admiring this sculpture. Hopkins takes its gigantic raspberry sculpture seriously. I crossed the street to get a good photo of this raspberry and noticed that the sewer cover had a raspberry on it. Wow! This raspberry is 22 feet tall. It's on a steel green vine. The whole sculpture weights a thousand pounds. I hope that no one decides to steal it on e dark even because it's awesome and heavy! This sculpture made its grand appearance at the Hopkins Raspberry Festival back in July 2017. There is a plaque in front of it. I love learning about the history behind sculptures. Hopkins is the raspberry capital of the USA. This massive raspberry honours John Feltl Jr, the father of the Hopkins raspberry industry. As an added bonus, there's a peace sign with lettering next to it steps away from the large raspberry. I loved seeing them. It was my first time in Hopkins. I need to return to support the raspberry industry and say hi to this fun raspberry sculpture again. (160)

I was without words when I saw this. It is indeed a large raspberry and I don't know…read more It hangs from a 22-foot-tall stylized steel vine and weighs 1000 pounds. It's 10 feet wide and12 feet tall. It was unveiled as part of the kickoff of the 83rd annual Hopkins Raspberry Festival. The nearby plaque reads, "The World's Largest Raspberry was officially unveiled on July 8th, 2017. It was made possible by the combined efforts of the businesses, community services organizations and citizens of the city of Hopkins, Minnesota. It is a symbol of the rich history of the raspberry industry in Hopkins that made it the Raspberry Capital of the United States of America. The sculpture is also in honor of John Felti Jr, the father of the raspberry industry in Hopkins." There is street parking nearby. [Review 20740 overall - 151 in Minnesota - 1722 of 2023.]

What more can you say about the birthplace of Minnesota...it has the cutest Main Street. And that's…read morenot all! They are all about supporting small independent businesses...lots of wonderful shops, restaurants, coffee shops, breweries, and even a local marketplace and indie bookstore. They always have events going on all year long...the world ice sculpting championship is coming in about a week! Summer is where we shine best of all. Lumberjack days, boating, views of MN/WI border and the iconic lift bridge. Check it out!

Downtown Stillwater is a lot saner now that the major traffic to cheeseland has moved to the St…read moreCroix Crossing. There used to be more antique shops and unique furnishing stores along with quaint restaurants and bars. There is still mostly an old town feel as the newer condos are at the end of the downtown. One zoning problem I have with the aesthetics is the location of Lucky's gas station and convenience store. I wrote a decent review about them once as there is nothing wrong with business, it just sits like an ugly duckling in beautiful downtown Stillwater.

I won't give too many details because I don't want to lose my semi-private lil hiking spot. Yes,…read moreI'm gatekeeping this one! Aside from absolutely stunning views anywhere from mid-to-end of the hike, there are several paths and trails to explore. I'd switch between a 2-hour and 4-hour hike most days. It's most level ground though, so I'd rate it moderate based on solely the length. However, some trails you can make much much shorter, which would be the easy trails. Like the name suggests, there are swamps surrounding the trails, many look very deep. Prepare for water-loving insects in these areas during warmer months. There are no facilities along the trails, so be sure to utilize the facilities at the trailhead/parking lot.

My wife and I were on a road trip to MOntgomery Brewing, but we stopped for a nice 2 mile hike…read morearound Louisville Swamp. It was a prefect fall day and the hike was pretty mild. It isn't paved but it is just the right amount of hillyness, if that is a word. You get to go by the Minnesota River and there are lots of pretty meadows. Good stop!

Constructed between 1881 and 1883 in Minneapolis, MN as a railroad bridge, the stone arch bridge…read morewas converted in 1994 as a pedestrian/cycle bridge crossing the Mississippi River. It provides some great views of the old time milling operations in the area, as well as St Anthony Falls. It consists of 23 stone arches spanning 2,100 feet, and is the only stone arched bridge still on the Mississippi. It is on the National Register of Historic Places (1971) and is considered a National Historic Engineering Landmark. The entry from downtown would be via Mills Ruins Park. On my visit during mid March, there was still a lot of snow on the ground from a large snowfall a couple days before, and there was a path cleared, though to get better views on the river, some waterproof boots would have been handy.

Good walk across the Mississippi River, seeing how the bridge was a historic marker and has been a…read morelarge transport for various goods over the years. I was able to get some fresh air and scenic views.

Such a neat nature preserve! It feels like a hidden gem! I wouldn't have know about this place, but…read moreluckily a friend brought me here a couple of months ago! Then just recently, I brought a friend here. There are trails and plenty of picnic spots! I like getting local takeout or coffee, eating and catching up with a friend, then walking the trails. (While eating we enjoyed seeing plenty of cute dogs)! It's also a cool place to get creative with portrait photography! I'll definitely be back

This is a great place to walk around and enjoy the sights and sounds of Minnesota nature and not…read morehave to go too far from the city. It's also a free park with plenty of amenities so you can't beat that. Trails are very easy to traverse and the loops available you could do a very short or moderately long walk (or run, bike, whatever). There is a small lake you can walk over if water is your thing and lots of birds and deer. The Discovery Center does have events every so often, so check the website for a calendar of what's happening.