First round of the draft

TCWUTH told me some time before the onset of the most recent horrendous winter that there was some new pavement over at the University, a new path.  She told me approximately where it was and today I had a chance to search it out.

As I was riding up and down streets between the new medical research buildings over there behind the stadium I came across this piece of public art that I had never seen before.

It's the Cancer and Cardiovascular Research Building.  I rode around it a few times looking for information about the art but found nothing.  In addition to all the twisty pipe there are giant blocks of granite over there with nice circular holes drilled through them.  I kinda like it.

The new kids like their stuff big.

Eventually I got onto the path and it is indeed excellent.  This puzzled me however.  It looks to me that the only way to get to this spot is on the path and yet there are cars parked there.

This is pretty much along the route of the former railroad tracks underneath 15th between 4th and University, pretty much Dinkytown.  I am not certain but I think that overpass is 15th Avenue SE.

The path leads down to the river to the University pedestrian bridge.  I think I've been across this before but I am not 100 percent certain.  It used to be really hard to access for a bicyclist.  I believe I had to carry the bicycle down a stairway.  But not anymore and as promised, new pavement.

The pedestrian bridge provides some pretty much not seen before vistas.  This is the look downstream to the Washington Avenue bridge and the river flats.

That area on the right side bank there is where the wreckage of the freeway bridge was stored until they were through with the investigation.  Tall buildings on the right  behind the bridge are University West Bank classroom/office towers.  Buildings on the left are East Bank, buildings center are Minneapolis.

The look upstream features the Tenth Avenue bridge, followed by the new 35W bridge and through the Tenth Avenue bridge in screen center you might be able to make out the Stone Arch Bridge.

All in all it makes for a pretty painless entry to Minneapolis, much better than, for example, the Stone Arch or the Franklin, or the Marshall, or the Ford bridges, my usual paths across the river.

I wanted to explore a bit further but just barely across the bridge I came across this on the downhill exit from the bridge.

Loose gravel?

Access interdite.

I'll have to explore there at some later date.

As long as I was in the neighborhood I swung over through Main Street and rode part way out on the Stone Arch.  This is NOT recommended on weekends, particularly one of the first really nice weekends of the year.  Too many people with even the ones who are paying attention not being a good mix with bicyclists, many of whom are also not paying attention.

But I got a video.

I rode down Main Street a ways to this spot.  I have a few hundred photos on my hard drive (and on a flash drive) taken at this place.

I had to wait to take my photo until that gaggle of young women off to the right of my shot finished having several group shots taken in the doorway.  They peered through the window and one of them proclaimed excitedly to one of the others that it was really cute and would be an ideal place for a small wedding.

Irascible old fart rant:  They rent Segways next door.  They are riding them around on the sidewalk there, training people to take the "Magical History Tour".

My issue with this is that they refer to these things as human powered and then ride them any old place they want to.  When in fact they are not anything human powered at all, they are battery powered.  A electric motor vehicle unmistakably, sorta like a Prius.  Segway jerks is how I think of them.  They act all green and ride on THE SIDEWALK and on EVERY bicycle path within range of their battery power.  End of rant.

The first round of the draft for the Indianapolis 500 is declared open.

I take Marco.  Look, some Andretti is going to win this thing some year, maybe this is the one.  I am jumping the gun on this but I know I want Marco and this opens up the dialogue.  I believe TOPWLH is now on the clock but I expect that she will not be actually making a choice until she has a chance to review the Sunday morning newspaper.  Santini goes 3rd, after that Jimi, then TCWUTH, then if anyone else wants in they better let me know because otherwise the second round is likely to kick off pretty rapidly thereafter.

Note:  I don't think the NASCAR guy is going to win but wouldn't that be a kick?  Seeing as he drives for Andretti Autosports.  I also don't think he will win the NASCAR race.  Too many miles in one day, 1,100 if he finishes both races.  The most miles I have ever driven in one day is in the 750 or so range and I was tired.  Of course, I was also not driving over 200mph.

Danny Sullivan is NOT entered this year.