A year ago, I spent a week with old friends in a new place. There is something about seeing old friends that reminds you about who you are and who you want to be. I met these old friends in Italy during a study abroad trip seven years ago and we have been best friends ever since. Last August, we rendezvoused in Minnesota, one friend’s home state. Since the Minnesota State Fair is currently in full swing, I thought it an appropriate time to outline our favorite tour stops.
Minneapolis
Gateway Trail – We ran this impressive network of trails in the morning before embarking on our adventures.
LynLake Brewery – We made our beer flight selection and headed to the rooftop. The décor proudly reflects Minnesota’s industrial roots and Minneapolis’ bike friendly attitude.
Betty Danger’s Country Club – A gigantic gorilla in the putt putt golf course and bright green horse head over the fireplace pokes fun at stuffy country clubs. It screams, “stop taking yourself so seriously!”
Psycho Suzi’s – Psycho Suzi’s is reminiscent of Disney Land’s Tiki Room, minus the singing birds and with the addition of adult beverages.
Surly Brewing Co. – This huge warehouse of a brewery offers a wide selection of beers. Big building. Big beer selection. Just big.
Walker Art Center – The Walk Art Center outdoor sculpture garden is home to the famed Cherry Spoon.
Stone Arch Bridge – This three-lane, pedestrian only bridge has walkers, runners, bikers and skaters. I have now seen two ends of the Mississippi river!
Stillwater
Stillwater evokes a sense of peace and this was reflected in the slowly moving river and slow pace of visitors walking in and out of boutiques. My favorite store was Mara-Mi, a crisp stationery store and cafe.
Forest Lake
We were on an unofficial coffee tour, so we grabbed coffees from Kodiak Coffee. And because we are also children, we took our coffees to a swing set and proceeded to swing our adult stresses away.
Duluth
Duluth Lakewalk – Our first destination in Duluth was a beautiful walk along Lake Superior.
Endion Station Public House – During our walk, we spotted this building and bee-lined towards it. Five minutes later, our indecisive group had quickly agreed on two flights – one cider and one beer. We posted up on the patio and with a view of the ocean-like body of water, sipped our way through the flights.
Fitgers – This local brewery serves good food and even better beer. We all ordered its famed Apricot Wheat Ale. I am typically not fan of fruit beers, but the apricot was not overly offensive.
Amazing Grace – Ahh-freaking-mazing! I fell in love as soon as our huge steaming mugs of coffee and eclectic menus were delivered.
NE Minnesota
Split Rock Lighthouse – Opting to not buy the $9 per person fee to get inside the lighthouse, we observed the beacon from a warm rocky beach.
Gooseberry Falls State Park – The upper, middle and lower falls are easily accessible. From the fall, we could see Lake Superior off in the difference. Also, I can now officially say I have stood on top of a waterfall!
Minnesota State Fair
aka “The Great Minnesota Get-Together”
The Minnesota State Fair is a fusion between an amusement park and a fair. In every sense of the word, it is huge! We walked around for almost six hours and still didn’t see everything.
My favorite section, the international region, was packed full of vendors selling products from around the world. We also saw a pig giving birth in the Miracle of Birth Center and a ton of goats and pigs in the Swine Barn.
The MN State Fair has a long-standing tradition of throwing food on stick and sending it through the deep fryer. I needed to engage in this tradition and tried a deep fried, cheese stuffed green olive off of my friend’s “Olives on a Stick.” It was surprisingly delicious!
At first, I loved seeing all the happy people and families. After a full day, I had sensory overload and was ready to not see any more people.
The Minnesota State Fair is certainly a unique experience that draws a diverse crowd.
I loved seeing kids parade around their pride livestock. It is such a stark contrast to the plugged-in kids we usually see.
Goodbye, Good Friends
To commemorate our six-year friendiversary we cooked an Italian inspired meal paired with a bottle of Chianti.
I love how we value and celebrate our friendship. It is so important to openly express appreciation for our friendships and relationships.
It serves as a gratitude check and reminder to continually nourish the special connections we have in our lives.
