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!

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!

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.

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 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.

Minneapolis is a great example of smart urban design. The Skyway System is one aspect of this…read more Considering their winters in that area, it make so much sense to have this interconnected skybridge system that allows for people to traverse that 80 block area in a climate controlled environment all year round. It was so easy to walk to places via the Skyway.

The skyway system in Minneapolis is so very cool. With over 10 miles of connecting walkways, you…read moreare able to traverse all of downtown without ever stepping outside. It's a shame they close it on weekends. You can go from an office to a hotel, a restaurant to a convenience store, a sewing studio to a massage pop-up... I even saw connection to a church. It is very helpful to have a map. There are signs directing you where to go, but it can be kind of confusing if you don't know the streets/building names well. People are friendly and happy to provide directions. Whether you feel like a rat lost in a maze, or a productive ant part of a communal tunnel system, you have to admit this is a very unique method of transportation. Many other cities could benefit, but I can only imagine the cost and time it took to plan and build this. I did notice a number of vacant spaces inside the Skyway system, and I noticed that the streets of the city seem really quiet because so much activity is happening on the second floor. I hope that the city can invest in bringing small businesses to the skyway and keeping it open for locals and tourists alike.

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.

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.

This abstract sculpture is located in the Ecolab Plaza in front of the Obson370 Building. It was…read moredesigned by Ron R.M. Fischer and subsequentially fabricated by American Structural Steel in 2000. It is made of durable stainless steel and acrylic and is in great shape. That was not always the case though. The piece suffered from severe rust until 2004. It was then treated to survive the brutal elements of St Paul. The plaza that it is located in is nice, but there are no benches or other seating available to hang out at. It is a wide open area that is lined with paver bricks. Fisher was inspired by the crystalline forms of Saint Paul's historic ice palaces and garden gateway. It is a massive piece that is the centerpiece of the plaza. The sphere is illuminated at night giving the viewer a different experience during the day versus the night. I will be honest, without any context, all I saw was a tall tower of a sculpture with a ball and some shading. I did however, still find it impressive. Fischer has hidden symbolism in the sculpture. The blue acrylic sphere symbolizes the water and the sky. And the sphere and the stainless-steel rings combination represent the infinity of time and space. Deep huh! Parking to get a closer look is relatively easy. There is metered street parking and commercial parking lots available within a reasonable walking distance. Anyway, as with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

Some tasteful public art at 5th and Wabash. It's a metallic structure that makes you think…read morefuturistic. Worth the stroll if you're nearby.

Saint Paul. I abbreviated it for the longest time until I realized that it's officially spelled out…read morein full. So, I do just that until I get tired of the extra keystrokes. When I lived in Rochester, MN, and travelled to and from Winnipeg, I rarely cut through Saint Paul. The shortest route was highway 52, Interstates 494, 94, and 29, and kept on going until it was highway 75 past the US-Canadian border. Minneapolis got more of my attention back then. Out of curiosity, I took the longer route back to Rochester one time and stopped at a gas station in Saint Paul. It was my first introduction to the city. I knew that I needed to get a better understanding of the city than a gas station. A year after getting laid off and having moved back to Winnipeg, I returned to Saint Paul to see John Mayer at Xcel Energy Center. I got to soak in the riverfront, which is the Mississippi River. The show was fantastic, which introduced me to Guster, a band that I have followed and love to this day. I got to grab some dinner nearby before the show. I loved the casual vibe and how relaxed everyone was around me. I also visited the Minnesota State Capitol, which is in Saint Paul. Parking was crazy, but it was worth seeing for the first time. I'll need to revisit it. Saint Paul has grown on me. I am probably in Saint Paul a lot more these days than Minneapolis. I find the former charming and comfortable. For the last three years or so, I have returned to the Twin Cities to take in Minnesota Wild games. I park at RiverCentre's ramp and make my way over to Xcel Energy Center. I have parked once by the Science Museum of Minnesota, which is next to RiverCentre's parking ramp. I have probably seen more NHL games at Xcel Energy Center than any other arena in my life. There isn't a bad seat in the place. The Wild get better over time. The food is yummy. The staff are friendly. I can also get sucked into getting Wild gear at the Hockey Lodge. Normally, an airport tends to be in a suburb of the city that it's named after. Toronto Pearson International Airport, for instance, isn't in Toronto. It's in Mississauga. Many folks can't spell or know where it is, so they give up. The cool thing about Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport is that it's in Saint Paul. It's convenient to get to. The shopping there is fantastic, especially when you have a layover and have nothing better to do. Every time I return to Saint Paul, I am always discovering something new. I never grow tired of it. On my last trip in late December-early January, I found Shepard Road, which hugs the Mississippi River and, in turn, has a bunch of bridges. My quick photo that I snapped doesn't do justice to how gorgeous the bridges and views are as the sun sets. It's incredibly picturesque and enjoyable to drive along the road. I am thankful to be able to rediscover Saint Paul years after having moved back to the GTA. I enjoy returning as a tourist and honourary Minnesotan. It does feel like my home away from home whenever I visit. (87)

Minneapolis maybe more renowned around the country, but St. Paul holds down the fort. It has plenty…read moreto offer in the way of parks and eateries and should not be overlooked.