Hike 41 - Lake of the Isles

Lake of the Isles provides for a beautiful walk. Sure the lake and the trail are nice, but the houses that line this lake are something else. I can’t help but wonder what this area was like 100 years ago. The architecture is amazing along with the size of many of these houses. I can’t remotely afford any of these houses, but it’s fun to dream for a moment.

Besides gawking at people’s houses, we decided to do a dog count on this nice spring day. Jesse guessed there would be about 256 dogs, and Riley played it low with 15 so I suggest we start counting. This is a loop trail so we tried our best not to double count and came up with 100 dogs. I’m all about enjoying the walk for what it is, but sometimes it’s fun to add on little challenges along the way.

Trail: Lake of the Isles

Location:  Minneapolis, MN

Trail surface: paved

Date: 3/21/21

The other bonus of this trail is that there are multiple little libraries to explore. Knowing this, we even brought books with us to place in these little libraries.

Jo: ★★★★

Jesse: ★★★

Riley: ★★★★

Hike 40 - Normandale Lake

It’s spring in Minnesota which means that many trails are muddy. We’ve been itching to get out and are still limited by the places we can go with COVID-19 still being so predominant so we’ve been selecting a number of paved trails to keep us on track.

I’m always impressed with the number of trails close to home. We go to a trail near our house many, many times each year, but it’s nice to know that we can hop in a car and have so many options within 20 minutes from home.

I’ve driven past Lake Normandale more times than I can count, but have never given it a thought until searching for nearby paved trails. It’s a nice 2 mile trail with some points of interest. One being a waterfall, and the other is being able to see the ski jump up the hill. It almost makes me want to come back in the winter when people are actually sking down that particular jump.

Trail: Lake Normandale Loop Trail

Location:  Bloomington, MN

Trail surface: paved

Date: 3/14/21

Jo: ★★★★

Jesse: ★★★

Riley: ★★★★

This trail was well maintained, close to home, interesting and dry - no muddy shoes! Plus, there are so many trails near this one (some of which we’ve explored).

Hike 39 - Stone Arch Bridge - Hennepin Ave Bridge Loop

It’s been a minute. A long minute - I’m not sure when I last documentated a hike, and I know winter hiking is a thing, but I rarely seem to get around to it. Technically, it’s still winter, but it’s nice enough to get back to it as I have 12 hikes to clock in this year. I’ll get in more than that, but the goal has become to document 12 new trails. And while this isn’t technically a new trail to me, it’s one I haven’t documented or perhaps even walked since I started this goal.

I’ve walked the Stone Arch and Hennepin Avenue bridges more times than I can count. I used to live in the neighborhood and loved how I could step out my door and walk the trails along the Mississippi River. I’ve spent many hours along the river realizing that one relationship was over and later embracing a new relationship. I spent time out here to get a dose of nature, to be alone and think, to exercise..

It really is one of my favorite urban trails to walk. There is so much to see and do and different paths to take. If you want to stop to get a bite to eat, you can do that. If you want to get your fill of history you can do that, if you want to sit and take in the river have a seat. I love my home and community where I live, but I miss my old neighborhood mostly because of this trail.

Trail: Stone Arch Bridge/Hennepin Ave Bridge Loop

Location:  Minneapolis, MN

Trail surface: mostly paved (some earth on Nicollet Island)

Date: 3/7/21

Jo: ★★★★

Riley: ★★★★