Diamond Jubilee: Mississippi River, St Paul

After passing through Irving Park, I came to the river's edge and found a completely renovated walkway filled with parks, benches, and amenities. There I happened to chat with a long-time resident who explained in the not-so-distant past the area had been an absolute no-go zone, riddled with crime. What I saw was a beautiful park right under the bluff that the city was laid out on. The place was lovely and peaceful. The views of the river traffic, the old bridges, and the city above were amazing. Most importantly, I saw many people out enjoying the place. After all, we were still in COVID and people's second best refuge after home was the great outdoors.

I was surprised to see tourist riverboats on the opposite bank. I associated those with lower down the river (in "the South"), while in reality St Paul was an important port for them during their golden era. In fact, St Paul is the last navigable point on the river before a series of rapids that blocks boats from access farther north.

The park was filled with interesting sculptures and water features.

And, I loved seeing all the old bridges crossing the Mississippi. St Paul seemed to be a living museum of "bridge evolution".

July 2021

I returned to the hotel as I had made a complete circuit through the city. I had one more destination left in St Paul, supposedly the best viewpoint over the city (from a hill on the opposite bank).

In the late afternoon sun, I set off again to find it. Although tired, it was my only chance to see it because my train was departing early the next morning.