Afterwards, the day was nice so we ran around in the bowl in the park across the street from the MIA.
September 2026: How to Read a Book by Monica Wood.
3 months ago
Showing posts with label MInneapolis parks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MInneapolis parks. Show all posts
28 February 2017
FIELD TRIP: Cinderella and a park
Pagentry and sparkles steal the show for Cinderella at the Children's Theater. This was our second time seeing this particular show at CTC. It was mostly the same, with a few jokes updated. The kids love the glamour and glitz. The Boy talked for a long time about poor Cinderalla - I hope the show taught them compassion for those who are in rough circumstances.
Afterwards, the day was nice so we ran around in the bowl in the park across the street from the MIA.
Afterwards, the day was nice so we ran around in the bowl in the park across the street from the MIA.
27 February 2017
FIELD TRIP: Ice Skating at Loring Park
Loring Park was a lovely place to celebrate our winter weather during the Holidazzle festivities. We were there at the tail end, but the ice was still good and the crisp air made us feel alive. We brought our own skates, but they had free rentals, courtesy of Wells Fargo, and a nice warming house -- important if you have kiddos!
06 October 2014
Visit Lock & Dam #1 in Minneapolis and learn lots about how rivers are used to transport goods
Head down to the Mississippi River and check out Lock and Dam #1. It's just down the hill from Wabun play area and the VA Home, and just downstream from the Ford Parkway Bridge. If you're lucky, you'll get to see some barges coming through.
The web site advertises a 30-minute tour called the Visitor Promenade offering a bird's-eye view of the locking procedure and other topics ranging from barge traffic in the transportation network to the Corps 9-foot channel project. What that means is you have free rein to wander around, and are able to climb over the locks to get a great bird's eye view of everything that's going on. The kiddos (and I!) loved it!
ABOUT THE LOCK & DAM
Ford Dam, officially known as Lock and Dam No. 1 is on the Upper Mississippi River and is located between Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota just north of the confluence of the Mississippi with the Minnesota River at Mississippi River mile 847.9, in Minneapolis. The dam portion was previously owned by the Ford Motor Company, which operated a hydroelectric power station to feed electricity to its Twin Cities Assembly Plant on the east side of the river. It was sold to Brookfield Power Co. in 2007. The dual-lock facility is operated by the St. Paul district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Mississippi Valley Division.
Each lock is 56 feet (17 m) wide by 400 feet (120 m) long (17 × 122 meters), half the width of the next lock downstream, though this is the only dual-lock facility in the district. Major rehabilitation efforts were carried out between 1978 and 1983, including the replacement of many manual and hydraulic components with computer controls.
Commercial barges carried over 15 million tons of commodities through the Lock. Among the commodities are: coal, burner oils, grain, and aggregate products.
The official web site for the Lock and Dam is here: http://www.nps.gov/miss/planyourvisit/lockdam1.htm
The address is 5000 West River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55417
Contact Information: Call the Lock and Dam No. 1 office at 612-724-2971.
AFTER YOUR VISIT, HEAD TO PLAYGROUND
We paired our visit to the Lock & Dam #1 with a picnic at Wabun play area in Minnehaha Park. There's a new Universally Accessible playground there, and it is tons of fun!
The web site advertises a 30-minute tour called the Visitor Promenade offering a bird's-eye view of the locking procedure and other topics ranging from barge traffic in the transportation network to the Corps 9-foot channel project. What that means is you have free rein to wander around, and are able to climb over the locks to get a great bird's eye view of everything that's going on. The kiddos (and I!) loved it!
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| There were a bunch of things the kiddos could climb on! |
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| Signs placed around the lock and dam tell the story of construction, and also about how the river. |
ABOUT THE LOCK & DAM
Ford Dam, officially known as Lock and Dam No. 1 is on the Upper Mississippi River and is located between Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota just north of the confluence of the Mississippi with the Minnesota River at Mississippi River mile 847.9, in Minneapolis. The dam portion was previously owned by the Ford Motor Company, which operated a hydroelectric power station to feed electricity to its Twin Cities Assembly Plant on the east side of the river. It was sold to Brookfield Power Co. in 2007. The dual-lock facility is operated by the St. Paul district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Mississippi Valley Division.
Each lock is 56 feet (17 m) wide by 400 feet (120 m) long (17 × 122 meters), half the width of the next lock downstream, though this is the only dual-lock facility in the district. Major rehabilitation efforts were carried out between 1978 and 1983, including the replacement of many manual and hydraulic components with computer controls.
Commercial barges carried over 15 million tons of commodities through the Lock. Among the commodities are: coal, burner oils, grain, and aggregate products.
The official web site for the Lock and Dam is here: http://www.nps.gov/miss/planyourvisit/lockdam1.htm
The address is 5000 West River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55417
Contact Information: Call the Lock and Dam No. 1 office at 612-724-2971.
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| A group of vets came down to go fishing while we were there. |
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| One of the operators handed the kids some brochures as we walked past. |
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| Enjoying the view from high up |
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| Looking down on the lock doors as they begin to open |
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| This is one of the old controllers used before everything was computerized. |
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| It's a great place to see birds! |
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| A barge going through the lock |
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| Looking east |
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| By the dam |
AFTER YOUR VISIT, HEAD TO PLAYGROUND
We paired our visit to the Lock & Dam #1 with a picnic at Wabun play area in Minnehaha Park. There's a new Universally Accessible playground there, and it is tons of fun!
25 August 2014
New playgrounds at Minnehaha Park
The first news story I wrote for the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger was about a playground at Wabun, a playground that would be the first Universally Accessible playground in the metro area. It was a big dream. Falls 4 All first had to raise $700,000, but they made it happen.
In late July 2014, the playground opened.
It's fantastic!
The theme of the playground is a traveler's rest area. Travelers used to stop and camp at Wabun back in the day. So there's an old-fashioned car that I can't hardly tear my 2-year-old boy away from. And a camper trailer that wobbles back and forth.
Instead of sand or mulch, the entire playground area is composed of a rubber substance (that's a bit smelly yet). It's so that those in wheelchairs or on crutches can maneuver easily. It's a deck structure that feels like a treehouse. There are two "tents" that the kids spent one whole afternoon hidden in, building "fires" and hanging out. There are a bunch of musical components.
One area is a water play area with buckets and water. And then there's the quiet area that has a wooden "hive" and is surrounded by wildflowers. Plus, there's a bank of swings.
The new playground replaces an old deck structure that was, quite frankly, pretty boring. We never went to play on it, and when we were there, we were the only ones. But now the new playground is packed. Everyone is out there.
I'd say this park is a winner!
PLUS
The playground over by the falls, pavilion and Sea Salt was also redone (North Plateau Family Play Area). I have to confess I wasn't too impressed when we walked up after having just been to the Universally Accessible playground over in the Wabun area. But it grew on me quickly.
It's not like today's playgrounds. That means there isn't a large, central, multi-story play structure. Instead, the playground area is full of single free-standing items, such as teeter totter and those animals you sit on that have springs.
The long row of swings remains, as does that tall metal climber.
I just love the rows of concrete animals where the Longfellow Zoo was once. It's a great place to visit when you head over for the free Music in the Park, held each Wednesday, Thursday and Friday throughout the summer months.
In late July 2014, the playground opened.
It's fantastic!
The theme of the playground is a traveler's rest area. Travelers used to stop and camp at Wabun back in the day. So there's an old-fashioned car that I can't hardly tear my 2-year-old boy away from. And a camper trailer that wobbles back and forth.
Instead of sand or mulch, the entire playground area is composed of a rubber substance (that's a bit smelly yet). It's so that those in wheelchairs or on crutches can maneuver easily. It's a deck structure that feels like a treehouse. There are two "tents" that the kids spent one whole afternoon hidden in, building "fires" and hanging out. There are a bunch of musical components.
One area is a water play area with buckets and water. And then there's the quiet area that has a wooden "hive" and is surrounded by wildflowers. Plus, there's a bank of swings.
The new playground replaces an old deck structure that was, quite frankly, pretty boring. We never went to play on it, and when we were there, we were the only ones. But now the new playground is packed. Everyone is out there.
I'd say this park is a winner!
PLUS
The playground over by the falls, pavilion and Sea Salt was also redone (North Plateau Family Play Area). I have to confess I wasn't too impressed when we walked up after having just been to the Universally Accessible playground over in the Wabun area. But it grew on me quickly.
The long row of swings remains, as does that tall metal climber.
I just love the rows of concrete animals where the Longfellow Zoo was once. It's a great place to visit when you head over for the free Music in the Park, held each Wednesday, Thursday and Friday throughout the summer months.
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