Minneapolis, Mississippi River

Rolling into Minneapolis, I’m reminded that even on a motorboat, the river has its limits. The Upper St. Anthony Falls is closed to traffic to keep invasive Asian carp out, so it’s time for my last boat swap. I’ll be leaving this trusty craft behind and hopping onto a new one, a ritual I’ve come to appreciate, as if the river itself is passing the baton. As the only waterfall along the Mississippi and boasting the river’s largest drop at 725 ft (220 m), it powered sawmills from the early 1820s, sparking a boom that made Minneapolis a global leader in flour production by the late 19th century. Much of this story unfolds at the Mill City Museum, built atop the ruins of a former mill.

The highlight of the museum is the eight-storey ride up a freight elevator through recreated mill floors, narrated by the voices of former mill workers. The roar of milling in the background made me feel like I was right in the middle of the action. But the real beauty comes at the rooftop observation deck, where I took in the Mighty Mississippi, St. Anthony Falls, and the Stone Arch Bridge, a former railroad bridge from the 1880s and the only stone-arched bridge along the entire river. 

As the largest city in Minnesota, Minneapolis is a mix of grit and charm, and twin to St. Paul, across the river. Nicknamed the “Mill City” for its industrial history, it is also revered as the “City of Lakes” for its numerous inland waters. Art and culture are woven through its streets: the Walker Art Center and the adjacent Sculpture Garden are easy highlights, where the playful Spoonbridge and Cherry fountain gleam in the sun.

I also stopped by the Weisman Art Museum, though I’m more captivated by its quirky exterior than by the contemporary works inside. Made of stainless steel, it has a deconstructive design that intentionally rejects symmetry and harmony. It features many non-rectilinear shapes. This is the work of renowned architect Frank Gehry, best known for the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. He is widely celebrated for blurring the line between architecture and sculpture. Built in the early 1990s, Gehry deliberately chose unusual shapes and an unconventional layout. His intent was to break from the “sterile white cube” model of traditional art museums, aiming to have the structure surprise and disorient visitors as they moved through it. With this in mind, I move more consciously through the space, becoming much more aware of how the art sits within it.

Nordic roots run deep here. Minneapolis has the largest population of Norwegians, Swedes, and Finns outside Europe, and it shows in everything from cycling culture to community-minded habits. More than two-thirds of the residents commute by bike, echoing those Scandinavian instincts. The city’s long winters, paired with hot summers, do little to dim the cheerful, resilient streak that helped it earn a Gold ranking on the 2025 Happy Cities Index. 

Routes like the Minneapolis Grand Rounds Scenic Byway illustrate this lifestyle. The 51 mi (82 km) loop connects downtown and the Chain of Lakes Region, a string of lakes linked by trails, parks, and boating spots. Many of the bike paths follow converted railway lines, showing how the city has integrated recreation into everyday life.

With my new motorboat ready, I pause to watch the Mississippi ripple past, taking a breath before continuing downstream. As the city stretches around me, full of history, culture, and a hint of Nordic-style happiness, it feels like a place worth returning to for further exploration.