Nicollet Island

Location coordinates:
44°59'12"N, 93°15'49" W
Nicollet Island, Minneapolis, MN


The Grand Rounds Scenic Byway is a roughly fifty-mile system of pedestrian and bicycle trails around the Minneapolis metro area. I am a huge fan and an avid user of the Grand Rounds trails. I have covered most of the trails this past year, but one segment of the system has troubled me for some time. I've previously made three attempts to ride downtown all the way to the Mississippi River approaching from the southwest. To do so, however, requires riding a strip of heavily traveled road through a, shall we say, less-than-perfect industrial part of town. My earlier efforts always ended the same: I chickened out! I set my sights on a fourth attempt yesterday with a solid goal and high determination. The result was successful and the reward was my discovery of interesting bits of Minneapolis history.

I forged through the aforementioned segment, cautiously sharing the roadway with massive trucks while safely passing through what I previously thought was a creepy section of downtown (it wasn't bad after all). I then found myself in the popular residential warehouse loft district before arriving at the riverfront trail. I'll be honest - I've seen more scenic urban rivers. But the Minneapolis riverfront area has much to offer. Sites such as Mill Ruins Park (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mill_Ruins_Park), Mill City Museum (http://www.millcitymuseum.org/), and the famous Guthrie Theatre (http://www.guthrietheater.org/) are all there for my future exploration. On this excursion I focused on Nicollet Island, situated in the middle of the Mississippi River between downtown on the west bank and the St. Anthony Main area on the east bank.

After crossing an iron bridge built in 1887 I was in front of the Nicollet Island Inn (http://www.nicolletislandinn.com/), a very romantic-looking historical building housing a hotel and restaurant . I didn't go inside, but I made note to check it out for future date nights and special occasions. On the south side of the island is a park along with a pavilion which looks like a great place for dances, wedding receptions and the like. As I continued riding to the north side of the island I found several impressive Victorian-era homes. I certainly didn't expect to find a setting reminiscent of a small village of the 1890s on an island practically a stone's throw away from downtown. What an interesting place this must be for the lucky few who can call Nicollet Island home. They are right in the heart of everything urban, yet they can sequester themselves on their island for a feel of living in the past.

Inconsistent with the island's Victorian feel is the Grain Belt Beer sign (pictured), prominently standing near the Hennepin Avenue bridge. Out of place? Perhaps. But you can't help but love the uniqueness and simplicity of the sign which has been an area landmark since the early 1940s.

Eventually I retraced my path and headed for home. I had a great ride and have now conquered my least favorite part of the Grand Rounds trails. More rides downtown are ahead. I'll be busy - there's a lot to see and do.