minneapolis pictures

Rolling through the gradual hills of Wisconsin, we started our trip to Minneapolis. Our route took us right through one of our beloved towns, Madison. The green is very beautiful and one would not expect to find the things we did amongst this beauty.
The House on the Rock was an entry in a book of eccentric American destinations. "The post WWII house is the work of Alex Jordan, an eccentric wanna-be architect who wanted most of all to be left alone to pursue his creative quirks. When he saw the rock in 1946, he knew he found the place of his dreams." The house was left unchanged since his death. Here are some bells he had installed.
"As his fantasy grew in size, so did the curiosity surrounding it. Irritated by nosy neighbors, he thought he'd discourage gawkers by charging admission. Not only didn't this ploy work, it attracted even more attention." Central to his fantasies was the Infinity Room. Here is an artist's rendition of the room stretching out over a canyon.
Here is the actual roof with green Wisconsin setting the backdrop.
Cindy pauses for some scenic footage inside the Infinity Room. It's height (from the ground, not vertical clearance) kept me at bay. It was much like being on a diving board, every time someone else came into the room, the floor bounced.
Cindy finally met me half way for a portrait shot.
Outside, there was a deck which overlooked the canyon. Our traditional self portrait. Digital cameras are amazing in making these shots possible. We are starting to get these down and are usually able to get a decent shot after 3 or 4 attempts.
Back inside the house, Cindy lounges on one of many couch-like benches. Shagadelic baby, yeah!
Scattered throughout the house were mechanical instruments which played various tunes from across the ages. Here, in the same room as the world's largest indoor sculpted sea-creature, you can see an example of one of these musical wonders. The guy in the background who looks like the Gordon's fisherman is being tossed about in his dingy as the sea-creatures do battle.
Other ecclectic items are on display at the house, such as doll houses, a million piece minitature circus and other "memorabilia." There is a collection of old oil advertisements, and I thought this one was particularly appropriate for our journey.
My precious....Smeagol want the ring, Smeagol trade you one lamp for the ring. Trade is fair, no? Smeagol play flute for you while you decide. Smeagol thow in hat too...
Some musical presentations were larger than others. Cindy is standing in front of a Mikado inspired display that was atleast 30 feet wide and equally tall. The figures seated behind her, reminded me of a ghetto version of Disney animatronics, as they danced and moved to the music. Their rhythm left something to be desired, but the effect was still incredible.
The grounds also housed a carolsel that did not contain any horses. Here you can see a tiger, a zebra, and half of a half-man-half-dragon. Of course there was a huge mechanical music machine piping out our favorite hits (like Greensleeves) as we watched the menagerie turn.
Cindy was particularly excited when the map said there was an organ room. Unfortunately, they were talking about the kind with pipes, not differentiated cellular functions. Nonetheless, Cindy enjoyed this display of different pipe organs. One even had a TV in it, presumably so church organ players in the west could watch football during Sunday mass?
Cindy standing infront of a life sized pyramid of elephants. I think that sentence alone is funny.
After a much needed night's rest, we woke and went to the Science Museum of Minnesota. In all seriousness, this museum was one of the better science museums I've visited. Lots of good exhibits which are interactive and there was even an unwrapped mummy on display. Cindy in front of a douglas fir "tree cookie."
When someone told me that Minneapolis had the best strippers, they weren't kidding. This lady had taken it all off. Except, I didn't think I would see this type of entertainment at such a family oriented place as the museum. I guess they really are progressive here in Minnesota?
Oh baby! What a picture. This one is definitely destine for the cover of Time or something like that. In the Big Back Yard of the science museum, they had a small exhibit where you could pan for gems in a purchased bag of sand. Semi-precious stones were to be found via panning like a miner. I don't think this guy is panning. As for the look on my face...well...I was in the big back yard, looking at a big back yard! alternate captions for this picture will be accepted - ed
Self portrait outside the museum with the Mississippi River in the background.
Cindy and a late 90s Lincoln Continental with the City of St. Paul and a Honda Accord in the background.
St. Paul is also the state capitol for Minnesota. This is the capitol building.
The previous pictures were taken as we walked from the musuem to St. Paul's Cathedral. This Catholic cathedral sits on a hill overlooking the city. I felt a bit like a crusader about to storm the ramparts as we trekked up this hill.
On the front steps of the cathedral, you get a nice view of the ornate stonework which makes up the face of this building.
Upon entering, there was total silence. It was a welcome relief after walking through the city and hearing lots of kids chatter at the museum. We paused and reflected for a few minutes in this beautiful place.
Another shot inside the cathedral, this time of the dome which towered above the main seating area.
On 3 of the 4 walls, there were these great stained glass windows. I also enjoyed walking the Stations of the Cross. Behind the alter, there were statues of different nations' patron saints. These statues were full, if not super sized and were equally amazing.
From the sacred to the profane (perhaps?). From a spiritual temple to a commercial temple (i like that better), after a quick break at a lundromat, we headed to the Mall of America. Besides just being a huge 4 story mall, it contains Camp Snoopy, a Bowcraft-like (Dutch Wonderland for the PA natives) attraction boasting 2 rollercoasters, a log flume, ferris wheel, Spongebob simulator and other rides. Here I am with Snoopy asking for advice on where to eat.
Would the Mall of America be complete without a cowboy store? I tried on several hats and a couple of pairs of boots, but to quote Cindy, "There is something about a boy from NJ in cowboy gear that just doesn't work."
All aboard for Souix Falls, SD!! :: << prev trip :: blog :: next trip >>