Day 535 – US – Minnesota [Rest Day in Minneapolis]

21/09/21

 Rest day in Minneapolis (Minnesota, North America)

Walking around skyscrapers and city parks – and the Guns N’Roses concert

The Campbell Mithun Tower

One day was never gonna be enough to see Minneapolis. The parks, city trails, business centre, skyscrapers and so many areas… as well as its twin city, Minnesota Capitole: St Paul. I decided to go about the city whilst attending my traditional rest-day chores and get to see as much as I could this way. Simply doing my laundry took me on a 5km walk across the business district. I got to walk past the city hall and all the skyscrapers. It’s a bit daunting to walk across such a big city when you’ve been out in the countryside for months. Lots of noise and agitation to say the least!

City Hall, Minneapolis MN

When I realised Minneapolis would be the first major city of my US crossing, I looked at possible entertainment. I had wanted to attend a baseball or American football game, as well as a few concerts along the way. Needless to say with Covid, entertainment sort of disappeared altogether for a long while. As I looked for events during my stay, I found out Guns N’Roses were playing the Excel Energy Center in St Paul, the twin city of Minneapolis. I booked a ticket and here I went! They have aged a bit since their heydays, their raw energy from the 90’s has changed… but I still enjoyed the energy and the good oldies.

At the Excel Energy Center, St Paul MN

It’s hard not to mention that Minneapolis was also unfamously the site of the riots following the George Floyd murder. I saw many signs as I walked across the city – Black Lives Matter of course, as well as many “Police Violence Hotline number”… There is a sense that tensions are still very much under the surface, in this otherwise very beautiful city… An ambiguous feel.

I’m on for a short night tonight and tomorrow’s a long day – that’s me signing off… Zzzz