There really is no better way of discovering a new city, than on foot.  You can really get a feel for a place by moving slowly through the streets.  It was fun exploring Minneapolis this way today.

I am visiting our daughter in Minneapolis and I had a long run on my schedule.  I knew that it would be fun long run, because I could go run and just find things. 

The first thing I did was pull up a map of downtown Minneapolis, and look for areas that might be fun to explore.  It was obvious that I needed to head to the Mississippi River and the Stone Arch Bridge. After that, I figured I could just run and truly discover my route.

So that is what I did. The Stone Arch Bridge was fun to run over, and had great views of the river and the city.  I ran in that area for a few miles, but knowing I needed some good mileage, I chose to run downriver along the Western River Parkway. There was a combined bike and running path, that went for miles.

After about four miles on this pathway, it was time to turn around. Just as I was thinking about turning around, I came upon a map.  I looked at the map and was pleased to discover, that I could take a bridge over the river, and run back to town on the east side of the river.

This east side route took me into the University of Minnesota.  I got lost here and ended up running extra miles. This is all part of the fun of exploring, getting lost.  Eventually, I pulled out my phone and used Google Maps to get back on track.

I have a few more days in town, and I look forward to exploring Minneapolis some more.