Friday (Day 1)

My flight landed in Minneapolis shortly after 4 o’clock in the afternoon. After collecting my luggage, I boarded the Metro Transit light rail. At Lake Street/Midtown Station, I transferred to route 53. That bus stopped at the intersection of Lake and Lyndale, near my friends’ house.

After the rest of the crew had arrived, we all hopped on bikes and rode down to the Metrodome to watch the Twins play the Brewers. We stopped by the ticket office and picked up tickets for the cheap seats. After eating dinner at a nearby pub, we joined the game during the second inning. The Twins were soundly defeated 11-3, as the Brewers found momentum from a Geoff Jenkin’s grand slam in the fourth inning.

Saturday (Day 2)

On Saturday, I spent time my parents and sister who drove up from eastern South Dakota. While waiting for them to arrive, time was passed attempting to beat Wii Sports records.

They arrived around noon, and we drove to the Mall of America. We spent a few hours catching up, chatting and shopping as we strolled through the mall. After checking into the Sheraton Minneapolis Midtown Hotel, we headed out to P.F. Chang’s for dinner.

After dinner, I was dropped off back at my friends’ place, and parted company with my family. Charlie and Dave arrived from the velodrome a bit later, having not yet eaten. We went for sushi at Fuji Ya, the original Japanese restaurant in the Twin Cities. Charlie, who frequents the place and has an in with one of the chefs, was able to order an original creation not found on the menu. The sushi was amazing.

On the walk back home, we passed Bryant Lake Bowl, where we bowled a set of frames before calling it a night.

Sunday (Day 3)

On Sunday, Charlie and I rented kayaks at Lake Calhoun. With access to other lakes, we paddled across Lake of the Isles and Cedar Lake. After that, we decided to brave the wind and white caps of Lake Calhoun itself. We had been warned of tip-overs earlier in the day, but we were up for the challenge.

Upon paddling into shore and returning our kayaks, we were informed that they were no longer allowing people on the lake on account of the windy conditions. On top of that, those people who had made it out were not being charged, so we got a free day on the lake.

Toward the end of the day, Matt arrived from a golfing trip in Iowa. Everyone then ventured out to Brave New Workshop for Improv a Go Go. There was a range of talent in the comedians, and at times most seemed to be performing a routine rather than improvising. But the admission only cost $1, so its hard to complain.

Matt and I stayed up late, talking about a whole range of geeky topics. Just like old times.

Monday (Day 4)

When Monday rolled around, my friends were off to their day jobs, leaving me to my own devices. For transportation, Charlie had left me his Motobecane to ride, and Matt and I had plans to meet for lunch.

I intended to take the scenic route to Matt’s workplace. Unfortunately, sheets of rain started falling, leaving me soaking wet. I turned around and took the shorter path through downtown Minneapolis. After lunch, the skies had cleared and the day was beautiful, perfect for a leisurely ride along the Mississipi riverfront.

Monday night was the culmination of my vacation, as Ryan Adams played at The Cedar Cultural Center. The show was absolutely incredible, deserving of its own post, which will follow shortly.

The photographs I took on Monday, from both the bicycle ride and concert, are available on Flickr.

Tuesday (The End)

My vacation came to a close on Tuesday morning, as I boarded my returning flight to SFO. It was great spending time with friends and family. Thanks to everyone for a wonderful time. I’ll see you all again later.

In times like this, the USGS’s recent earthquakes page for the San Francisco Bay area can be a handy resource. The past two days’ quakes have occurred on the Hayward Fault, which is currently considered the most dangerous fault in the region. Wikipedia has a fascinating article full of information about the fault. It is well worth the read.

In related news, I’ve scheduled a new flight back to South Dakota for the holidays, this time on Northwest Airlines with a connecting flight at Minneapolis-St. Paul International. I’m looking forward to being back home for a few days, resting and relaxing with the family. Hopefully things are still standing when I get back.

Of course, my father is always on top of these things, and he had left a message on my answering machine informing me of these events, which greeted me when I arrived home from work. I immediately called my parents to discuss the change in holiday travel plans. While on the phone, a 3.7 magnitude earthquake struck near Berkeley. So, my parents got to experience their first earthquake from over 1,700 miles away. An early Christmas present.

I’ve spent the remainder of the night trying to reach a representative at United Airlines. Each call has informed me that all circuits are busy. I guess I’ll show up at Oakland International tomorrow morning and see what the situation is. Stay tuned.