Late Autumn Stroll

The weather here yesterday, Tuesday October 30, was gorgeous, and at this time of year we know it will probably not last much longer. After attending a library meeting at my university and then having my manicure, I came home to a bowl of soup. Then I headed off to do a short Volksmarch in Saint Paul. This one is placed in my old neighborhood, but in an area where I've never walked much since it was quite a bit north of my house. There were always things to do that were closer to home.

I parked my car, I hoped safely. Much of the area is permit parking to control parking associated with the University of St. Thomas. I found my way to a Super America station and asked for the walk box. Often this request is met with a blank stare, but there is always someone around who knows what I want.

I picked up the directions for the 5K walk and was out the door. The first part of the walk was along the very western end of Summit Avenue. Summit Avenue was named as one of the 10 great streets in the United States by the American Planning Association and is also a National Historic District.

First I walked along the campus of the University of St. Thomas. All the buildings are done in limestone block.

The building above is a classroom building. It forms part of the south side of a quadrangle area.

Soon the views turned to homes. Summit was developed from east to west, so the homes on the west end are some the "newest."

Here are a couple.

I've never before noticed the house just above. It is set back from the street, and when driving by, one doesn't notice it if paying attention to driving!

At one residence I found some unique Halloween decorations.

The "guy" on the swing was moving so fast with the wind that I thought for a moment that the only way I'd capture the view would be with video, but a fast shutter did the deed!

Summit soon joins Mississippi River Boulevard and there is a small park area here. This walk gave me a good view, now in particular since the leaves are off the trees, of a ravine that Mississippi River Boulevard curves around. I've driven around countless times, but never before looked down into this deep ravine.

The view of the upper Mississippi River from here is quite nice.
The bridge in the distance is the Lake Street - Marshall bridge.

In this area there is a monument, again something so close to home I've never before really looked at it!

From the distance it appears to be a religious monument, but it in fact a veterans' monument.

I know readers can make out what is in the photo above. The plaque says the monument is honor of those from Ramsey County and Saint Paul who served in the Great War. It was erected in 1922, and little did those responsible know this was not in fact the war to end all wars. The monument has logically four sides and I find it curious nothing was done to place a memorial for other wars such as WWII.

As I continued down Mississippi River Road I continued to enjoy seeing the houses from a walking rather than driving perspective. These are grand homes, too, but tend to be just a bit "newer."

I had been anticipating photos of the above home as a "newer" home as I walking towards it, but when I got there I found something even better.

Take a close look and see if you can find the spiders on the volleyball net. One is rather camouflaged again the window. The other is just at the boundary between the house wall and the front door.

I continued on Mississippi River Boulevard until I reached Hartford Street. On the corner is Temple Aaron, one of the three synogogues in St. Paul.

From here the route doubled back on less scenic residential streets. I found my car where I parked it, and without any parking tickets for being in the wrong place at the wrong time!

In the evening I went to a very informative presentation about the Hungarian-Transylvania Unitarian church. I got to use just a few words of Hungarian to the guest speaker, and few words is just about all I remember. If one doesn't use a language, it surely disappears quickly.

So that's what I did on one of my "retirement" days!