Walking This Week

On Sunday, September 30 I went to Princeton, MN to do the walk there. It takes a bit more than one hour to drive there from my apartment in Saint Paul. It is a small town, population around 4700 people.

European and American explorers came into this area in the mid-19th century, attracted by the white pine forests. The town is name for James Prince, who built a saw mill in Saint Paul to manufacture lumber from the timber in the Princeton area. By the early 20th century the timber was gone, and the area turned agricultural with some small manufacturing.

The day was a lovely fall day -- actually perfect temperature and sunny skies. I got the "walk box" at a Holiday gas station. While getting organized I realized that I had left my record books at home. I decided to do the 5K anyway and set off.

Almost immediately I went by a little house all decked out for Halloween. I never did figure out what this building is or what is its purpose.

Here's a close up of one of the hanky ghosts.

Soon the walk route took me through neighborhoods. I saw a couple of splendid old houses.

The fall colors were splendid that day, too.

The route took me to the city park and along the Rum River.

Coming out of the park I walked along the Veterans Monument. The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines were represented by plaque on a wall. The bricks in the street were in memory or honor of veterans.

A nice walk in Princeton -- enjoyed it.

In an earlier post I wrote about walking at sunrise, coming home after taking my car for a repair. About 11 AM on Wednesday I got a call the car was ready to be picked up, so I headed back. By Wednesday the winds had moved into Minnesota and the leaves were rapidly falling.

Above is the Ramsay House, being glimpsed through the fall colors.


Yesterday I went back to Princeton again and walked the 3 K route. Oh, the weather was different -- about 20 degrees cooler than Sunday with a stiff north wind. At times it was a strain to walk against it, but as long as I made the trip to take care of my record books, I was determined to do the little 3 K route and make the trip worthwhile.

Now I'm watching the weather and trying to decide what I might be able to do next.