Minneapolis, Minnesota

It is claimed that the three figures in this stained glass window represent Justice, Peace and Freedom.

The detailing on the stairwells is quite remarkable. The oak banisters are adorned with ornate black cast ironwork. The original stained glass windows cast a warm hue over the French white marble stairs.

Outside the new government building are some of the most whimsical sculptures we have seen. Say "cheese"!

Terra cotta ears of corn and stalks of grain cover the exquisite façade of the Minneapolis Grain Exchange building. Built in 1881, it is home to one of the largest cash grain markets in the world. We were disappointed that we missed the tour of the rowdy trading floor.

The turn-of-the-century design of the Grain Exchange interior includes marble and ornate wood. Danny loved the opulent elevators.

The Orpheum Theater was a magnificent vaudeville house and Movie Theater for many years. Once owned by singer Bob Dylan and his brother, it has been restored to its former art deco grandeur.

Adjacent to downtown are the falls of St Anthony. As the only major waterfall on the Mississippi, the thunderous falls were harnessed in the late 1800’s to create power for what was to become the most important milling area in the nation. Although the falls are now obscured by a dam and hydroelectric facility, the city’s milling history has been preserved as the Falls of St. Anthony Historic District.

The Pillsbury A Mill is a splendid remnant from the late 1800’s when Minneapolis was the nation’s leading producer of flour. This six-story limestone structure was the largest mill in the world at the time of its completion in 1881, a title it held for the next 40 years.

Constructed in the late 1890’s, the Great Northern Railroad Bridge spans the Mississippi River in a series of massive stone arches. It was dedicated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1975.

Just to the east of this picturesque river parkway lies the scene of the 35-W bridge disaster ... a tragedy that took place during our visit to the Twin Cities. Although we could see parts of the collapsed bridge from the Stone Arch Bridge, we didn't feel any need or desire to venture closer to "rubberneck" or take souvenir photos. Rest in Peace.

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Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.

— Maya Angelou —