So my last diary was a little depressing; this one is a smidge more cheerful.
I am fortunate to live in an area with so many beautiful trails dedicated to get you walking or riding your bicycle and not even noticing the workout you are getting. Part of the Grand Rounds takes you along West Riverparkway in Minneapolis, parallel to the Mississippi River. While the main biking/walking trails are lovely they are along residential streets--with cars and houses.
But just a few feet away, walkers can branch off onto the Winchell Trail ... which follows an ancient Native American path along the mighty Mississippi (ok, it's not so mighty in Minnesota, but you know what I mean). This trail has been an integral part of the Minneapolis park system since the 1880s -- however, there were periods when it was abused or neglected.
During the 1930s, the WPA did some extensive work with access stairs and retaining walls, and more recently there has been work to restore an oak savannah. Parts of the trail are paved, other parts are natural, and there are side trails for the adventurous that can give you a real cardio workout. This past weekend I parked my bike and hiked the trail for a couple of miles, and a small part of what I saw is below.