On Saturday, we checked out the Midtown Global Market. It's an internationally themed public market. This is the front (though I can't take credit for THIS picture- I borrowed it from the Internet):
Inside there are tons of vendors, selling all sorts of goodies and yummy restaurants. We had lunch at A La Salsa. It was a Mexican restaurant in the market- we had fajitas, burritos, and SFS even got my mom to try his fish taco! (Ewww, right? Apparently they're really good... I guess I'll never know!)
Then we happened upon a Scandinavian themed booth... check out this viking!
Aww, there's me as St. Lucia! I like this because: a) I'm Swedish, and b) I found a novelty hat that fits over my gigantic head... yay for elastic!
SFS was particularly pleased to find a couple of his favorite things all under one roof: a Mexican chocolate sugar cookie, fresh Tilapia, and fried pork knuckles. OK- he was kidding about the pork knuckles, but he only told me that after he chased me around with the package as I gagged at the thought of him eating something so gross!
On Sunday, we headed to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden at the Walker Art Museum. I'd never had a chance to see Spoonbridge and Cherry up close... it was so cute!
There's my dad!
We had fun playing around.. .we took these through Ordovician Pore. 
I'm pretty sure my Dad got a photo of us taking pictures of each other... we're such dorks!
We had a good time checking out all the pieces of 'art'. There were some really neat installations, including a work of wind chimes. An art website described it better than I can:Pierre Huyghe’s group of 50 wind chimes inspired by a John Cage composition will be installed in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Using the very natural forces that Cage celebrated as a creative tool, the artist’s chimes deconstruct and constantly recompose one of Cage’s best-known works for piano in an endless performance.All of the chimes were hanging from trees- and as you stood beneath them, the sound was just all around... very cool! There was also a memorial arbor at the far end of the park...
And this is Calder's The Spinner 1966. The whole top part moves!
After that, we headed over to the Mill City Museum. Even though I took the tour last year, I was so excited to see it again- especially since SFS had never been. As their website describes:Mill City Museum chronicles the flour milling industry that dominated world flour production for roughly a half-century and fueled the growth of Minneapolis, recognized across the nation and around the world as “Mill City.” Built within the ruins of a National Historic Landmark — the Washburn A Mill — the museum provides a multi-sensory, interactive journey. The story of flour milling — and its impact on Minneapolis, the nation and the world — comes to life through the eight-story Flour Tower and other hands-on exhibits.
If you haven't been, I highly recommend it- plus once you get to the top of the tour, you get the BEST view of the Mississippi River and St. Anthony Falls!
Here's the Museum from the river.
Here are some shots from inside the ruins.
This is the outside wall that runs along the riverwalk.
Here are SFS and I inside the ruins.
Here's my dad next to the Mississippi.
More ruins... can you tell I like this place? Not only can the space be rented out for parties and events, but there are also lofts on the floors not used by the museum... what if you looked out your window every morning and saw this? I would love it!
After the museum, we headed to Mill Ruins Park. I'd never been down there before, but it's basically the remains of the REST of the flour mills that were such a large part of the city at the turn of the century. I thought it was so beautiful- plus, you get to walk under the Stone Arch Bridge... can you believe it was made in 1883?
This is the tailrace canal, which used to supply water power to the turbines that powered a lot of the mills.
Here are some ruins. Isn't it crazy how in the background you can see the Guthrie... old and new, all in one place. I think it's really neat how the city chose to maintain the ruins and make them an accessible attraction.
More ruins...
I think the Stone Arch Bridge is just amazing- it's even a National Historic Engineering Landmark.
The city installed a little boardwalk through the ruins.
And this is a shot of the grain silos from the ruins.
Well folks, that's it for our trip to Minnesota. Thanks for sticking around through all these pictures. I don't know about everyone else, but I had a really fun weekend! I hope SBV has an awesome summer in MN, and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
