renovations, the garden now boasts
40-plus permanent installations and
temporary exhibits amid the 4.5-hect-
are park, making it one of the largest
sculpture gardens in the country. The
rooster’s feather in the city’s cap just
may be Hahn/Cock, a goofy giant blue
rooster by Katharina Fristch. I also
marvel at the size of Spoonbridge and
Cherry by Claes Oldenburg and his
wife, Coosje van Bruggen. Tipping the
scale at 3,175 kilograms, the iconic
sculpture/fountain of a large spoon
with suspended cherry has become
the unofficial emblem of the city.
I’m quickly discovering that the
Walker Art Center can easily fill a day.
It’s also home to a more traditional
indoor art museum, one of the most
visited in the U.S. But it’s the delicious
edible art at Esker Grove that stops
me in my tracks. Led by executive
chef Doug Flicker, the restaurant’s
casual system of counter orders and
table numbers strikes a delightful
contrast with the first-class food and
chic, artistic setting.
After an art-filled day, culture is up
next. Midtown Global Market immedi-
ately reminds me of the Forks Market,
with its quaint stalls and friendly
vendors. Like Manitoba, Minneapolis
has become a melting pot of cultures.
Midtown embraces this as a self-
proclaimed “small-business incubator”
with a focus on boosting entrepre-
neurial immigrants. As one of the first
A side of fries with your golf at Walker Art Center
cities on the Mississippi River, it’s
fitting that the local market represents
22 cultures and their food and wares.
From halal meat and Mexican sodas
to Swedish sweaters and African art,
I could spend hours hunting for items
that can’t be found in any mall (even
the largest one around).
From the market, I check out other
sites that top many a Minneapolis
must-do list: Mill City Museum, Stone
Arch Bridge and Hell’s Kitchen (the
original restaurant, which has nothing
to do with Gordon Ramsay). With such
eclectic experiences, this metropolis
has earned a spot on my personal
“hippest U.S. cities” list, easily rivalling
The
Essentials
getting there
From Winnipeg: Direct
flights to Minneapolis
take about 1.5 hours.
or try the scenic route:
a 7-hour drive from
Winnipeg, via Highway
75, i-29 s and i-94 e
thingS tO DO
on the site of what
was once the world’s
largest flour mill, Mill
City Museum show-
cases Minneapolis
history, industry, art
and culture
pop by sea liFe
Minnesota aquarium
to ogle octopi, sharks,
stingrays and other
underwater creatures
eAt & DrinK
Shop, sleep and
save in Minnesota:
caamanitoba.com/
minnesota
Walker Art Centre
60
spring 2018
CAA ManitoBa
refuel with a Walleye
Blt or Juicy lucifer
burger at Hell’s Kitchen.
the subterranean
eatery serves made-
from-scratch meals and
usually features free
live music on weekends