The CityGirls Go Hiking

While visiting Minneapolis, we took a little driving adventure around Lake Pepin, sampling chocolate and small town charm as we went.

Now, Lake Pepin isn’t really a lake. Actually, it’s just a section of the Mississippi River. The “lake” was formed by the delta of the Chippewa River as it enters the Mississippi. The Chippewa flows faster than the Mississippi, which is unable to carry away the sediment that the Chippewa deposits as it joins the larger river. The sediment builds up and forms a sort of natural dam, causing the Mississippi to widen above it.

Through this stretch, the Mississippi forms the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin.

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The hiking book: None needed. This is a pretty highly-trafficked urban walking path.
The distance: 6 miles
The CityGirls rating: 6

We were back in our old stomping grounds this weekend with a walk around Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis.

We used to live not too far from these lakes, and they were our go-to destination for getting some fresh air and a bit of nature. Our favorite running route was to circumnavigate Lake of the Isles, and Lake Calhoun was always a good choice for a lunchtime walk.

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The hiking book: Excellently detailed blog post by a local named Bill Choisser
The distance: 3 miles + a bit to get ice cream
The CityGirls rating: 4

It was an exploring San Francisco sort of weekend for T-Bell. Went to check out the views from Twin Peaks, the highest viewpoint in the city.

Now, the typical way to do Twin Peaks is to drive up to very nearly the top, then meander a bit around the figure eight that encircles each of the Peaks. But I found a blog post from a long-time San Franciscan with directions to walk all the way up to the top from the Muni station at Castro and Market.

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