ONE DAY: MINNEAPOLIS + MOA - SECTION ONE

SECTION ONE:

THE CITY OF LAKES

RECOMMENDED TIME WINDOW: 7:45am - 9:50am Disregard Time Window if doing A La Carte or going at own pace

WALKING DISTANCE: 2.75 miles

START POINT: LAKE HARRIET BANDSHELL

4135 W Lake Harriet Pkwy,

Minneapolis, MN 55409

Personal car users: I recommend parking along Lake Harriet Pkwy on the west side of Lake Harriet. Unless you really want to use the paid parking lots, parking on the street is free. You might have to walk a bit further than the one revolution around the lake, since you’ll have to walk back to your car after breakfast, but the paid lots can be a bit of a hassle.

LAKE HARRIET

Once your Uber/Lyft drops you off at the Lake Harriet Bandshell, head to the lake side of the Bandshell complex. Stop when you come to the lakeside. Read the following:

Minneapolis’ tagline is “The City of Lakes”, largest city in the state of “10,000 Lakes”. 13 lakes of at least five acres reside within the city (some sources list up to 22 named lakes). The largest and deepest lake is Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun), which covers 421 acres and gets as deep as 89.9 feet (List of lakes in Minneapolis Wikipedia). This lake is the lake just north of where we’re currently standing.

The Chain of Lakes comprises 5 lakes: Lake Harriet, Bde Maka Ska, Lake of the Isles, Cedar Lake, and Brownie Lake, which comprise the most popular part of the Minneapolis Park System. These five lakes are connected by artificial channels. The Chain of Lakes is the best representation of Minneapolis’ claim to fame in terms of lake life. A lot of the iconography and tourism propaganda of the city revolve around nautical symbolism: ship wheels, sails, setting suns over quaint waves.

Not only does Minneapolis have the most lakes out of any city in the US, but the city has opted to forego private land ownership along a great portion of the shorelines, choosing instead to donate the lakes to public recreation. They are hubs for “swimming, sailing, yachting, canoeing, biking, jogging and ice skating” (List of lakes in Minneapolis Wikipedia).

The Chain of Lakes are jam-packed with visitors. It really is our true siren call. Any trip to the Twin Cities needs to have a lake experience included.

Each of the lakes in the Chain are definitely on a spectrum:

Brownie Lake is the northernmost, and almost feels like a retention pond. Personal opinion!

Cedar Lake is one half private, one half public, and feels a bit isolated. It also has the best beach out of all the lakes.

Lake of the Isles is the neighborhood lake, but it is absolutely stunning. Mansions surround the perimeter, willow trees and lily pads and all kinds of flora and fauna make for a Victorian garden vibe. In my opinion, the most beautiful and diverse lake of the Chain.

Bde Maka Ska is the most frequented. As stated before, it is the biggest and deepest. It’s also the most touristy feeling. The entirety of the lake is public. Yet, it’s also kind of simple. What you see is what you get. It’s beautiful, but compared to the others in the Chain, it gets points docked simply for being . . . simple. I might be ostracized by the community on this one!

Lake Harriet is the second largest lake in Minneapolis and my personal favorite lake of the Chain. I find this one to be super special, as it feels like it combines all of the vibes from all of the Chain of Lakes into one lake experience. It feels like it could be a lake up north, like we’re not in the middle of a major metro! It has the turn-of-the-century feeling bandshell complete with a great restaurant. There is also a rose garden, great houses to look at, opportunities for water fowl sightings.

Speaking of the bandshell, this is the fifth iteration of a pubic pavilion on this setting. The first was built in 1888. The current one was built in 1986. Events are held frequently during the warmer months, including live music and Movies in the Park. This park might take the cake for the most “take the family out to the park by trolley, the ladies wear hoop skirts and the men their Sunday tails, oh, there goes Gladys’ umbrella blowing in the gale, she never did have amazing finger strength, lazing on a Sunday afternoon” feel in Minneapolis.

Lake Harriet was named for Harriet Lovejoy, who lived with her husband Colonel Henry Leavenworth at Fort Snelling and Fort St. Anthony after they came to the area in 1819. It is 335 acres, and has 2.75 miles’ worth of walking paths.

I suggest walking a full revolution clockwise from our position at the bandshell all the way around back to the bandshell. We will first come to the North Beach, with the Thomas Sadler Roberts Bird Sanctuary across the street to the north. Eventually, we’ll pass the Lyndale Park Rose Garden, which has a Peace Garden across the street, if we’re feeling a detour (there will be so much walking today, so detour at your own risk!). We’ll pass the South Beach and some beautiful mansions along the south shore (keep a lookout for the Elf Tree, which harbors a magical elf "what answers notes from the community granted it ails ‘em!"). We’ll finally swing back into the marina side and back to the bandshell. We’ll stop for breakfast at this point.

Enjoy the revolution around Lake Harriet!!! I’ll meet back up with you at this bandshell at 9:00am.

BREAD AND PICKLE

9:00am - 9:50am Time for a super refreshing breakfast!

This quick service restaurant features a great selection of breakfast sandwiches, pancakes and breakfast tacos! They also have healthier fare such as a parfait, granola, a berry bowl. Plus, scones and muffins. And COFFEE if you haven’t gotten any yet!

Order at the window, take your receipt with your order number, take a seat somewhere and listen for your number to be called.

Restrooms are also available here if need be.

Enjoy your meal! I love sitting in the pavilion area right along the lake, the hustle and bustle of families coming in hot on their biking jaunts, friends meeting up for coffee. It’s a happy, positive place.

Around 9:50am, it would be good to start the Uber/Lyft ordering process. We’re going to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden next.

CLICK HERE TO START SECTION TWO: WALKER WALK!