18 Hours in Minneapolis

Sunday morning began as usual – toast and coffee and a decision to go to a concert in Minneapolis that night.   We’ve known that one of our favorite performers, Toshi Reagon, was doing a midwest tour and we’d been whining about not being able to get to Chicago or Milwaukee or Madison.  When Allison Miller was added to the show, that did it – we were on our way to Minneapolis.  We got on the computer and bought tickets and made hotel reservations.  We threw some clothes and stuff in the car and were on our way – road trip!

We got to Minneapolis around 5 and found our hotel with the help of our trusty Garmin.  So far so good – a great room with a decent view  (a decent view is other than the back of another building or an alley).  We quickly changed clothes and were back into the car to find my favorite Thai restaurant – Sawatdee.    So yummy – spring rolls and chicken sate and shrimp pad thai.  After dinner we were off to find the Cedar Cultural Center.

The concert was wonderful – a young local singer,  Chastity Brown, opened for Toshi.   What a pleasure to listen to such great talent.  She was genuinely humbled by opening for Toshi but I imagine she’ll soon have others opening for her.    Toshi and Allison took the stage and rocked the crowd.  They’re so amazing together…great synchronicity.   Worth a 12 hour round trip car ride?  You bet!

Monday morning we looked for a place for breakfast and decided on Hell’s Kitchen – had good reviews and wasn’t far. Breakfast was amazing and gave us a great start for our long ride home.  Hell’s Kitchen makes their own peanut butter that is unlike any other – we bought a jar to bring home.  Oh, and their potatoes…the most delicious hash browns you’ve ever had with bits of smoky bacon and onions and sizzled in butter.  We walked downtown in the chilly late morning air and were struck by how much cleaner downtown Minneapolis is than downtown Omaha.  

We took a different route home – rather than down I-35 and across I-80, we went down I-35 to I-90 to Minn 60 to I-29.  It was a great change of scenery until we got to I-29 – 5 major construction zones in 100 miles…..pretty awful.  But we arrived home to a happy kitty and warm house.

We’ve often talked about dropping everything and running to an out-of-town concert  but our senses of order have somehow not allowed us to do that.  We finally gave ourselves permission and had a great time – it’s a good thing to get out of your rut and do something out of character.

-sc