Eastern Wanderings 2009 - Day 3: #1 IPA in the World

Vital Statistics:

Miles: 526.3 Dickinson, ND to Minneapolis, Minnesota

States traversed: North Dakota, Minnesota

Pro-life billboards I’ve seen: 5

Pro-choice billboards I’ve seen: 0

Hours I spent walking around Minneapolis lost: 2

I slept in a bit (if you call 7:30 sleeping in and hit the road again. The target was Minneapolis where Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery and their #1 I.P.A. in the world awaited me. The drive was quite uneventful (which I have learned is a blessing, not an assumption) aside from the billboards. I guess the life side is more into propaganda but I have to say some of it wasn’t very subtle (“Abortion? You’re parents had you didn’t they?” – the logic there astounds me. Maybe my parents abused me too [they didn’t for the record] should I do that as well?) I arrived to my hotel which overlooked the city and the Metrodome (where the Twins play). And just to the right of that was my patio with my beer. I had dinner and the IPA and it was quite fantastic, brilliant, refreshing, and quest worthy.

After dinner I decided to take a walk and seek out a beer store that I had seen online carried a beer I was looking for. I had the general location, the address and the name of the place and I started off. Google maps said 35 min walk but thought I saw a shortcut. Lesson of this story – listen to Google maps. I ended up wandering through a neat historic park call Mill Ruins Park right on the Mississippi River, the University of Minnesota, Dinkytown, etc... that area has a cool vibe. After getting directions from a couple of people I made it – only to realize it was not a beer store but a beer bar and I had looked it up wrong. Phooey. So I walked back. 2hrs later I has blisters on my feet, was sweating like a pig, and had some crazy swelling/water retention thing going on in my hands.

At least I got some exercise.