Riding the Length of the Mississippi

A group of bikers

Riding the Mississippi

Two thousand miles!

Arctic Vortex

The arctic vortex moved south and brought extreme cold to much of the United States earlier this week.

Pictured above is a chunk of ice on a stretch of open water in the Mississippi River.  It was about 18 degrees below zero at the time of the shooting of this photograph.

Pillsbury mill ruins

While exploring the Mississippi River, at 18 below zero, I found remnants of the old Pillsbury ruins to be of interest.

Lowry Avenue Bridge

Lowry Avenue Bridge

Lowry Avene Bridge

Early yesterday morning I took a trip with a fellow photographer to the newly rebuilt Lowry Avenue Bridge.  This bridge spans the Mississippi River, connecting North Minneapolis to Northeast Minneapolis.  The new bridge with its beautiful arch and decorative lighting is a dramatic contrast to the old metal bridge which it replaced.

Cement and block factory

While along the river bank it was interesting to watch coal being loaded onto a barge.  The area around the bridge is highly industrial.  It is only fairly recently that luxury apartments and townhouses have been built by the Mississippi as it flows through 

Transporting coal

Lowry Avenue Bridge at sunrise

downtown Minneapolis. 

Bike ride across Minneapolis

A beautiful start to the day!

I stopped to snap a few pictures yesterday on a bike ride I took to and from a breakfast meeting in St. Paul.  What a dramatically different feeling it was riding a bike through picturesque parts of town, versus driving in traffic on the freeway.  It was also a nice bonus to get in a workout over the course of 32 miles!

Downtown Minneapolis

Old Linden  Hills train depot
along Cedar Lake bike trail

Scenic overlook of Mississippi River
and Minneapolis from St. Paul

Park sculpture

Martin Olav Sabo bike bridge 

over Hiawatha Avenue 

The mighty COLD Mississippi!



Steam from Mississippi below St. Anthony Falls (Third Avenue Bridge in backgroud)



Ice particle swirl in Mississippi's current




Steam coming off river, from above St. Anthony Falls

 

Reminder, no swimming!

Biker at 17 below F windchill

Mill ruins

Frozen lock and dam