Last month Emily and I were in Minneapolis for our best friend Dan’s wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony starring a beautiful couple, with a lot of dancing and a good mix of Jewish and Egyptian traditions. Dan and Lindzy are both awesome people and I’m excited about all the happy adventures they have coming.
This was a “no kids allowed” wedding, so Astrid stayed in Vancouver and got 4 days with the grandparents while we were gone – split between my dad and Emily’s mom. She was disappointed to stay at home, and even more disappointed that we couldn’t convince Dan to make her a flower girl, but she made the most of her grandparent time and no tears were shed. We’re lucky to have such a flexible child.
Emily and I got to hang out with our Vancouver and Toronto friends and explore Minneapolis. Even though I grew up a nearby in Winnipeg, I never spent much time in Minneapolis as a kid, other than one trip to Valleyfair to ride roller coasters and two high school track and field meets.
This time I got a much better sense of the city. Minneapolis is beautiful, at least in May. The lakes and rivers in the city were a real gem. The Mississippi River was impressive as it made it’s way through downtown. The Minnehaha Falls are a pretty cool waterfall right in the city (easily accessible by metro light rail. And just southwest of downtown is the Chain of Lakes, all connected by walking and bike paths with boat rentals and beaches along the shores.
I was happy our friends were also keen to explore the city by bike and public transit, and no one ever suggested renting a car. There weren’t any bike rental shops downtown, but we took out Lime scooters and bikes for a day of exploring. Minneapolis is consistently ranked as one of the most bike-friendly in the USA, and it didn’t disappoint.
The downtown has some cool buildings and a nice feel to it. There were clear signs that many of the retail shops and restaurants are struggling, but not as bad as in Portland.
We booked this trip months ago and weren’t going to miss Dan’s wedding, regardless of the political situation. But it does feel like every day, the United States becomes a more dangerous place to be. This will likely be our last trip to the United States for the next few years. So Dan and Lindzy – we’re looking forward to your next visit to Vancouver. 😀
Canadian Veggie 