We needed to start our day with another long training run. We are not on any set schedule but we all knew that we had to get in a few longer runs before our Philadelphia Rock N Roll Half in September.
Rob had found us a trail around a lake and it was only 10 minutes or so from the RV. We got the girls fed and exercised and headed out. Penny Lane was certain she was going but ten miles is just too far for her. It was also going to warm up as the day progressed and I did not want her to get too hot.
We got to the lake and as soon as we got out of the car, we were swarmed by mosquitoes. They were giant, bloodsucking Minnesquitoes. We did not spend any time stretching. It seemed that as long as we were moving, the little rascals left us alone.
Our trail was both paved and wooded. The scenery was nice and there were a couple of water fountains along the way.
LOOKING GOOD
LOOKED VERY SOUTHERN SWAMPY. I WOULD HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT ALLIGATORS IF WE WERE NOT IN MN. MY GUESS IS THAT THE ALLIGATORS WOULD HAVE BEEN SCARED OF THE MINNESQUITOES
GOOD SOFT TRAIL
We got our 10 miles knocked out and we were all happy to be finished. Longer training runs kinda suck. It can be hard to find the motivation but it did help that we had each other.
We left the trail and made a stop at WalMart on the way home. We needed to stock up on a few groceries.
We got back to Lewis, put the groceries away, showered and ate. We were all hungry. Rob was actually a bit Hangry. He gets really cranky when he has not had enough to eat. It is more obvious after exercise.
After a bit of food and rest, we decided to take a drive to St Paul and Minneapolis.
Our first stop was St Paul Cathedral.
The Cathedral of Saint Paul is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of St. Paul, Minnesota. It is the Co-Cathedral of theArchdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, along with the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. One of the most distinctive cathedrals in the United States, it sits on Cathedral Hill overlooking downtown St. Paul and features a distinctive copper-claddome. It is the third largest completed church in the United States, and the fourth tallest. It is dedicated to Paul the Apostle, who is also the namesake of the City of St. Paul. The current building opened in 1915 as the fourth cathedral of thearchdiocese to bear this name. On March 25, 2009, it was designated as the National Shrine of the Apostle Paul by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Vatican.
VIEW LOOKING UP AT THE CENTER DOMED CEILING. THE LIGHTING CAUSED THIS INTERESTING EFFECT
GOTTA HAVE IT
The cathedral is beautiful with amazing stained glass. It sits atop a hill and offers a lovely view of the city.
As we were driving in, we noticed a street with some amazing homes. We decided to do a self guided walking tour before getting back in the car.
Summit Avenue is a street in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, known for having a number of historic houses, churches, synagogues, and schools. The street starts just west of downtown Saint Paul and continues four and a half miles west to theMississippi River where Saint Paul meets Minneapolis. Other cities have similar streets, such as Prairie Avenue in Chicago,Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, and Fifth Avenue in New York City. Summit Avenue is notable for having preserved its historic character and mix of buildings, as compared to these other examples, and it remains a well-preserved example of a Victorianresidential boulevard.[2]
A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE ECCENTRICITY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. A FULL SIZE, GOLDEN HARP ON A FRONT PORCH
GORGEOUS VINE COVERED HOME.
CHATTING
I WOULD GO FOR THE NO VINES LOOK. SPIDERS LOVE VINES.
Our walk along Summit Avenue was worth the time. The homes are amazing and the character they possess is charming.
We were all feeling the heat and our morning run so we got into the car and drove to Minneapolis. We took a round about route and did a bit of sight seeing. As we entered the city, we decided to stop for a beer and a snack.
The Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery had really nice outdoor seating. The Minnesota Vikings had just finished hosting and winning a preseason game against the San Diego Chargers. The game venue was just a few block away so there were a few happy fans at the brewery. We sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful summer day sans mosquitoes.
We knew the girls were in need of company so we left the city and went back to the RV. They were their normal "where have you been?" selves and we were inundated with jumps, barks and licks.
Rob cranked the grill and I got the picnic table prepped for an outdoor dinner. We cooked hotdogs and had good camp food. Hot Dogs, beans and corn on the cob.
For my side note. Our Saturday afternoon arrival had us looking for a place to eat dinner. Megan and Rob scoured Trip Advisor and found a place called Bay Leaf Indian Restaurant. It got amazing reviews so we decided to check it out. We drove to the Bay Leaf and it was located in a small shopping center. We got out, had a look and noticed that it was full of Indian people. That told us that it was probably an excellent place to get Indian food so we went in and found a table. The place was not big and only had about 10 tables. It quickly became apparent that we were the only Caucasians there. We ordered and as we waited, the place filled up, and people kept arriving. The food was the best Indian Food I had ever eaten. As Rob was paying, the owner asked Rob "how did you find us?" Rob explained that we had used Trip Advisor and that one look in the window told us that the food was probably excellent. The guy laughed and said he did not expect us to come in once we looked in because there were no white people in the restaurant. He followed that with the statement that he was so glad we did and that he hoped we would return. Aren't perceptions amazingly different? Anyway, great food and good lesson.
Another great day in this thing we call life.
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