Saint Cloud to Minneapolis, and the Westminster Presbyterian Church;

Monday, July 14:

After feeling so smug about being able to find the original route of U.S. 52 from Moorehead to St. Cloud, I was not able to repeat the feat to Minneapolis. I had my suspicions, but was relegated to go on I-94, to downtown Minneapolis. However, on a “tip” from a fellow wifier at a McDonalds, I went to see the Westminster Presbyterian Church in downtown Minneapolis. This church, which will play a part in the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, in 2010, was open for a tour. The church has a membership of about 2,900 and a building to match. I learned that one of the rose windows had been taken apart, piece by piece, and restored. Also, the chapel just received a brand new organ. Suffice it to say, I hope I get to come back and worship at this church, at least within a couple of years.

After my church visit, I decided to go research in the map collection of the Minneapolis Public Library within their new building as of 2006. I missed one detail. The new library WAS CLOSED ON A MONDAY!! Apparently, the money was given to build the new building, but not enough to staff it. Uuuggghhh. What was sooo weird was the coffee shop was open, people were going in and out of its lobby (a city-block long) as a cut-thru, and all of the lights were on.

Moving on out of Minneapolis, on U.S. 52, picked up on the southeast side of town; I headed toward Rochester, MN. Arriving there (after a stop at a Dairy Queen for a “Thin Mint” Blizzard—mint ice cream and Girl Scout Cookies). Going to the downtown library at Rochester, open until 9 p.m. yielded some info about how U.S. 52 was routed in Minneapolis at one point before all the Interstates were completed.

Leaving Rochester, I headed west on I-90 for a new Flying J Travel Center, listed as being opened in June, 2008. Trouble was, it wasn’t. No problem in terms of having somewhere to spend the night, as there was both a Love’s and a TA Travel Center at that same exit. But, I don’t have a wifi account with those folks.