This part of the journey started with a 5-hour layover at Kalispell airport on Sunday. The flight to Minneapolis was at 2.30pm but we needed to get the hire car back by 9am so we found a comfy couch and settled in. We started reading but as I always do I lasted about 10 mins before I found myself asleep in an extremely twisted and contorted position alongside Lynda. It must have been an hour later and I awoke to exactly the same scenario albeit my back and neck quite sore. I stood up and noticed that Lynda was still reading, however, there was an empty coffee cup at her feet and an empty packet that once had once housed a large muffin. I quickly challenged her to the fact that at some stage in the past hour she had left me and our precious cargo to our own devices in order for her to satisfy her own personal needs. She briefly looked up from her book and replied that I didn’t need to worry because she had attached string to our bags and myself, then walked 40m to the shop so if there was any unnecessary movement she would react immediately. She then went back to her book. For a few moments there I believed her.

We arrived in Minneapolis and took a cab to our new home in an area called Tangletown approximately 15mins from the CBD by bus. Another beautiful old home done up with all the mod cons. We are starting to realise that our days might be numbered in terms of owning our own home back in Melbourne so staying in these lovely AirBnB’s is the next best thing.

We took a bus into town early yesterday morning without much of a clue as to what we were doing. Lynda’s head was still in the clouds thinking of West Glacier but I was already in curiosity mode over a city that has produced so many great musicians over the years. Within the first 10 mins of the bus trip, our eyes were wide open as the disenfranchised of Minneapolis continued to enter the bus. By the time the bus ended its route to the CBD it looked like one of those penitentiary buses I’ve seen in movies minus the hand and leg irons! Me included in that cast of course.

Not much happens anywhere on Mondays so we grabbed a coffee and waited for the information centre to open. The guy in there was very helpful and suggested a long circular walk along the Mississippi River. I always associated this river with the deep south but amazingly it comes this far north. Lynda was still in pristine wilderness mode while I was doing my best to talk up this tough working-class city. I explained that Minneapolis has been a leading manufacturing city and has used the river for hydro-electricity as well as driving machinery and turbines to crush raw materials to produce everything from flour to blankets. At this point, Lynda was asleep on her feet.

The walk was actually quite nice and the river and parks are not dissimilar to Melbourne. I loved the old bridges and signage and despite the searing heat we finished the walk and hopped on a bus to the famous sculpture park. This was terrific and we wandered around that area for an hour or so before melting. It was seriously hot and humid. We then walked over a bridge into another park and found a big fountain which we drenched ourselves under. Then it was time to grab some lunch so after drying off a bit we kept walking and found the Target Centre. We grabbed a sandwich and then wandered through this huge labyrinth of “skyways” connecting the blocks of buildings from east to west. The idea came about because of the extreme weather. Yesterday was killer hot and in winter it can hit -20 degrees Fahrenheit with high wind chill. These people are tough. The skyway took us all the way to the Target Field where the Minnesota Twins were to be playing The NY Yankees that evening. We bought a couple of cheap tickets and headed back indoors where we filled some waiting time before the game by getting a haircut. What a relief. The hairs from my ears had joined the hairs from my nose and the hairs from my eyebrows. An absolute disgrace.

Our seats at the baseball couldn’t have been any higher in the nosebleed section however we did have one advantage. There was a breeze blowing through a wire fence at the very top of the stadium which gave some relief, so much so a large group of people sitting below us at the start of the game came up and sat beside us. It was about 32 degrees and 80% humidity at 7pm and then slowly things changed. The sky in the distance went apocalyptic black and about 40 mins before completion of the game the wind instantly did a 180-degree swing and was suddenly at gale force in our faces! Hats and rubbish went everywhere and lots of the crowd just vacated expecting the worst. Now any Melbournian will know what a summer storm can do to the temperature but I’ve never experienced a sudden drop like it. After a day of extreme heat the wind change dropped the temperature by half in an instant. 20 mins later came the rain and the last 5 mins of the game was played in heavy rain. Mercifully it finished in regulation and a Twins win. Then it seriously rained. No wind just thick North Qld-like power rain and continuous lightning for over an hour.

Anyway, the ball game was fantastic. Before the game, the Yankees were having batting practice and they let all us cheap seat punters down into the good seats so we could get up close to the action. There is a young Yankee Aaron Judge who they say is the next big thing. 6ft 8inches tall, he won the home run competition at the All Stars game last week, hitting a ball some 460ft! He reminds me a lot of Buddy Franklin. Very gifted and highly marketable. We saw him clunk one in practice up into the highest tier of seating at Target Field. Everyone else was about 50ft short of that. It’s one thing to be able to do that with no pressure but it the heat of last night he couldn’t make a base hit. Still a lot of work to do, but as I yelled out to him from the fence, “Call me”.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the organ player at the stadium. It’s cheesy but we love it and it’s such a great tradition to have the organ player play at specific stages of the game, however, our bloke last night came in at inappropriate times and his boss kept cutting him off just as he was getting into the rhythm of it. Let’s call him Tommy who is a Vietnam veteran and failed rock musician and his boss is Chuck who was his next in command in Vietnam and got Tommy the job to keep him out of trouble.

Tommy (playing) – Da da da da da da

Chuck – Cut!..Jesus Tommy that was 2 x da da’s too many

Tommy – Why can’t I play something else Chuck? I know the Adam’s Family…what about Phantom of the Opera?

Chuck – Just stick to the script Tommy! I got you through Da Nang Province in one piece, didn’t I? Just do as I say ok? Now there’s a change of inning coming. Get the “Hava Nagila” ready.

10 mins later and Chuck returns from a bathroom break to a closed door in the organ room.

Chuck – Tommy open up please. I’m serious, open up

Tommy – I can’t Chuck. I need to be free. I have the music inside me and you don’t understand.

Chuck – Now listen Tommy we can talk through this ok? The audience isn’t ready for free expression and improvisation at a baseball game. Now open this door right ……holy shit what’s that??!!

Tommy – It’s Procol Harum’s “Whiter Shade of Pale Chuck!” How good is it!

Chuck – It’s the middle of the 6th inning Tommy! My God man what are you doing?….Oh no…what the f….

Tommy – That’s right Chuck. Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me Baby”. See Chuck, I can even cater for the young ‘uns!

Chuck – Security

A fascinating day in Minneapolis. Here are some photos.