On a beautiful sunny Minnesota spring day, we decided to head over to the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota after we had breakfast. Where to have breakfast though … that was the question. We decided to drive towards Wabasha in search of a place and my husband located a restaurant in Prescott, Wisconsin that he thought might be good so we drove there only to find out it was closed. So, we drove onward to Red Wing, Minnesota where we ran into a restaurant called Bev’s Cafe.

Bev’s is like a greasy spoon cafe — small, quaint yet vibrant. There were many locals here — an older crowd mostly. The conversations were lively and we listened in on a large table of retired men as they talked of trucks speeding down the highway. Jocularity, jocularity — that was the mood (so unlike yesterday’s quiet breakfast at The Bad Waitress in Minneapolis).

We were greeted and served immediately. There aren’t too many interesting things on the menu — just the “regular” breakfast items — but it has just enough to make it worthwhile to eat here.

While eating breakfast, I noticed a man walk in and sit down. Peeking around the booth where we were sitting, I did a double take. The man was wearing an old fashioned hat with glasses. His face looked familiar and for a moment, and then another moment, I thought it was my uncle — Padrino. I knew it couldn’t be him because he passed away over a year ago. Still — it was kind’ve spooky. Has that ever happened to you?

Padrino

But, I digress, — onward to the National Eagle Center on Route US 61 heading south. The drive took about 35 minutes or so from Red Wing.

The National Eagle Center looks small on the outside — and it is small on the inside also.

The National Eagle Center

The National Eagle Center

As you enter the front doors, there is a gift shop along with a place to pay your entrance fee. The place was bustling with many people and it appeared a group of children were here from a school (a small school, thankfully).

We arrived just as they were going to have an eagle presentation which is done in a large classroom with seats facing forward. The eagle presentation was done by a young woman and later she would bring an eagle into the classroom. How exciting!

I did not realize that eagles can see very clearly up to 2.5 miles. Nor did I realize that their wingspan is 7 feet wide.  I was definitely learning something here.

The presenter was very vivacious and geared her talk towards children with lots of jokes and questions. Laughs rang out when she told us that eagles can poop up to 7 feet away — so sorry for those who sat in the first few rows she said.  Oh, and please keep your mouth closed, she cautioned.  hahahaha

She showed us a piece of meat that she would be feeding to the eagle that she brought in. Care to guess what kind of meat this is?

National Eagle Center Presenter

If you guessed rabbit, you’d be right! The Center gets their meat, i.e. fish, rabbit, etc. from local area farms.

After some questions and answers, she left and came back with an eagle. This particular eagle had been hit by a car and would not be able to fly again nor will any of the ones who they have held in captivity here.

The presenter offered the rabbit meat to the eagle and he was not interested. Some of the eagles are very picky about what they will or will not eat.

Eagle rejecting rabbit meat

The National Eagle Center

One word of caution — although the eagle can’t fly, he does spread his wings and his feathers fly in the air.  One lady’s asthma started bothering her because of this.

After the 45 minute or so presentation, we headed back to look at the other eagles that were there because of injury. One eagle is 32 years old and has lost most of her sight — her name is Harriet. Most eagles can only survive 20-25 years in the wild but eagles in captivity can live up to 40 years.

Harriet

The eagle below is Columbia who was feeding on dead deer back in 2001 in the state of Wisconsin when a car struck her and broke her wing near the shoulder. She had surgery and physical therapy but was still not able to fly.

Columbia

Columbia, the eagle

Below is a picture of Donald, a golden eagle who was hit by a car in California. His right wing broke in two places and the California Raptor Center was not able to repair it so now he’s a member at this Center.

Donald, the golden eagle

You can get quite close to these eagles although you’re not allowed to touch them. They have quite a firm grip and can squeeze up to 400 pounds.

The center has an observation deck and also sells binoculars (in case you forget to bring your own).

The National Eagle Center

Here’s the view from the observation deck.

View from the observation deck

There are viewing binoculars on the observation deck and across the river you can see an eagle perched.  Can you see him?

View of Eagle across the river

Here’s a closer look at the perched eagle. See him now?

View of Eagle across the river

Another eagle tidbit I learned is that they are territorial and consequently nest about 1 mile apart from each other. If another eagle goes in their space they make quite a ruckus.

After we finished the eagle tour, we headed into town to get some hot chocolate and coffee and happened to go into the Eagles Nest Coffee House.  The place is quite spacious and the woman who took our order had a very strong accent which at first I couldn’t understand because I have difficulty hearing.

I apologized to the woman because I had to ask her several times to repeat herself. She was quite gracious and told me that she and her husband had moved here from Australia because this is where her husband wanted to retire.

This coffee shop has a cozy feel and everyone is friendly. Off in the corner I saw a few women meeting under a sign that said “quilting.”   We’ll have to stop here again if we ever drive back this way.

It was a perfect day for this trip and we decided to head back home along the Mississippi River but on the Wisconsin side along Wisconsin 25/State Road 35.

Mississippi River, Spring 2014

Mississippi River, Spring 2014

Mississippi River near Wabasha, MN

Happy thoughts to you!

So far, for our anniversary venture, we had breakfast at the Bad Waitress Restaurant, went to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts then to the Minnehaha Falls and next we went to the Museum of Russian Art with dinner later at the Chiang Mai restaurant in Minneapolis.

First, I need to let you know that I don’t have very many pictures of the Museum of Russian Art as they don’t allow pictures (with or without a flash). I was disappointed in that “rule” but, it is what it is.

Having said that, this museum is amazing! It has a collection of Russian art from the 20th century, especially Soviet Art.

And – the art is beautiful! I could not believe how much I enjoyed the paintings — even more than I enjoyed the ones at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. They currently have an exhibit by Eva Levina who was exiled to Sibera during Stalin’s regime. Now — those pictures are “dark” in nature but that is to be expected because of the intensity of her feelings.

My favorite paintings were by an artist called Geli Korzhez. He had two paintings that depicted Adam and Eve — one as Adam carried Eve out of the garden of Eden after they were asked to leave and a second one of Adam and Eve in their elder years. Both scenes brought up strong feelings as if I could sense what they were going through. Quite powerful!

The gallery is not large but spacious enough to house quite a few pieces.

From the outside, the museum doesn’t look inviting but I must learn not to judge a museum by its building.

The Museum of Russian Art

The Museum of Russian Art

The Museum of Russian Art

The museum is located at 5500 Stevens Ave S in Minneapolis. The staff is friendly and quite helpful. This is a must-see if you’re in the area.

After our museum tour, we headed over to a restaurant called Chiang Mai Thai in Minneapolis.

We arrived shortly after 4:30 p.m. so there was hardly anyone in the restaurant. Lighting is very low throughout the restaurant.

Chiang Mai Thai, Minneapolis

Chiang Mai Thai, Minneapolis

Chiang Mai Thai, Minneapolis

We were seated quickly enough and our orders were also taken quickly. Then our vegetarian egg rolls were brought to the table and the waitress walked away. Uh, okay — how about some plates? We could not locate a waitperson and finally when a gentleman headed our way I started to ask him something but he said he didn’t work there.  He did offer to get someone for us and they came quickly and apologized for not bringing us the plates.

My husband ordered a salmon entree and I ordered a cashew chicken entree. They were both served on large platters so my husband and I were able to share them. Problem is, there were no cashews in the cashew chicken entree. I didn’t realize this until I had eaten my first serving (I didn’t think to check the platter to make sure there were cashews). So again, I had to flag down our waitress and she took the plate away and brought it back to the table. By then though the food was cold — but it had fresh cashews. Sigh …

Service should have been better as we were practically the only ones there having arrived before 5:00 p.m.  Oh well …

And that was the end of our first day of touring Minneapolis as an anniversary gift to ourselves.

My husband and I continue to “discover” the Minneapolis area and decided to take a friend’s advice and head over to the Minnehaha Falls in Minnehaha Park. It’s hard to believe these falls exist in Minneapolis.

It was a cold, wet spring day — the end of March. We drove through the park a couple of times before finally stopping at a parking lot where there were 5 other cars parked. The signage for the falls is simply not there and the only sign we saw said “Minnehaha Park.”  But — we eventually found it.

Stepping out of the car into the drizzling rain, we headed towards the path where we saw other people returning from “something.” I made the assumption (correctly) that that was the way to go.

The snow was melting as the rain hit the pavement and made large round drops. It was quite pretty.

Minnehaha Park, March 2014

Then my husband said “there it is.” I was a tad too short to see “it” but I did stop and listen and heard the sound of water crashing on rocks.

The beauty of the falls was not diminished by the dreary day. No, definitely not. Beauty held out over the gloom.

Minnehaha Falls, March 2014

Ice formations still exist as it is too early in the spring for full melting to have occurred.

Minnehaha Falls, March 2014

Minnehaha Falls, March 2014

Minnehaha Falls, March 2014

There are stairs that allow you to get a tad closer to the falls but they were closed due to the ice on them that made it a dangerous venture.

Minnehaha Falls, March 2014

I’m glad we stopped here as it’s sometimes hard to find beauty in the cold early spring of Minnesota.

Minnehaha Falls, March 2014

Next stop?  The Museum of Russian Art and dinner (of course).

After having breakfast at The Bad Waitress restaurant, my husband and I headed over to The Minneapolis Institute of Arts. We had no idea if any special exhibits would be on display but weren’t really worried — we simply wanted to see art (and get out of the rain).

We arrived just as the Institute was opening — 10 a.m. — as did several school buses filled with children. It was Thursday and many schools had field trips. Most of the children’s groups were going to the children’s part of the museum so it wasn’t overly crowded.

Although it’s free to visit the Institute, we paid to see the special Matisse art exhibit.

To start, we headed into an India art exhibit. The first one we saw was the Krishna Fluting.

Krishna Fluting, 1775

The next few images were painted for Lady Mary Impey (1732-1809), an Englishwoman who lived in Calcutta. They are known to be among the world’s finest natural history paintings and have helped ornithologists in identifying the local Indian birds and habitats.

Lady Impey’s Menagerie

Lady Impey’s Menagerie

Lady Impey’s Menagerie

Pretty, no?  I especially like the detail in these pictures. Now, onward to the Matisse exhibit.

Henri Matisse was a French painter who lived from 1869-1954. He was not only a painter though but a sculptor. Around 1906, Matisse met Pablo Picasso and they became lifelong friends.  Some of his paintings are quite beautiful in how he uses color “themes.”

The Pierced Rock, Matisse, 1920

Henri Matisse, Self Portrait, 1923

I loved, loved, loved the colors in this next painting and it’s giving me inspiration on what to use for a quilt I’d like to make.

Interior, Flowers and Parakeets, Matisse, 1924

The Yellow Dress, Matisse, 1929-1931

Two Girls, Red and Green Background, Matisse, 1947

Around 1941, Matisse had a colostomy and afterwards started using a wheelchair. It was shortly after that that he (with the aid of assistants) set about creating cut paper collages, often on a large scale, called gouaches découpés.

Destiny, Matisse

The Knife Thrower, Matisse

Moving along from the Matisse exhibit, I came across a Native American Indian shirt from The Gros Ventre who were also known as A’aninin, an Algonquian speaking people. The sign below the shirt stated that “decorated shirts were worn on the Plains by men who were highly regarded in their community. Created by women, this honor garment was a prestige item that represented the accomplishments of the owner.”

Shirt, Circa 1890, A’aninin

Next, we walked into an exhibit that housed Jewish items. The instrument shown below is a Yad (Torah pointer) and was used to keep track of where you stopped reading as touching the parchment with fingers is considered disrespectful and causes the ink to deteriorate. I thought it quite funny that the end of this pointer looks like a finger.

Yad (Torah pointer)

Here are pictures of a stained glass window in the same exhibit. I also took some close-ups so you can see more of the details. Very pretty!

Stained Glass Window

Stained Glass Window

Stained Glass Window

Stained Glass Window

We then walked through the Contemporary Art exhibit which had a few quirky and very interesting items. I like the colors in the painting below but I’m not sure how I feel about the abstractness of it.

Urban Couch by Savannah

Continuing on in the Contemporary Art exhibit, we saw this “suit.” Do you remember playing with these Whirly Tin toys as a child? I believe they are from the 1950′s. I would never have thought to make “art” from the Whirly Toys.

Soundsuit by Nick Cave, 2010

See the detail of the Soundsuit?

Soundsuit by Nick Cave

The painting below called “Frank” was probably the most interesting to me as it looks like a photograph but is actually a painting. The details are exquisite and you really need to stand close to it to realize it’s a painting. I wonder how long it took Chuck Close (the artist) to make this.

Chuck Close was born in Monroe, Washington in 1940. He had a catastrophic spinal artery collapse in 1988 that left him severely paralyzed but he still continued to paint. Now, that’s determination!

Frank by Chuck Close, 1940

Frank by Chuck Close, 1940 (close up)

Frank by Chuck Close, 1940, close up

This next painting took me by surprise because, quite frankly, I wouldn’t consider it “art.” But then again — what’s art to one person is junk to another. (I’m not saying it’s junk as I find it quite whimsical — just not the kind of art I like.)

Heading into another exhibit room, I didn’t expect to see a Hans Ledwinka Tetra T87 sedan on display, but, well, there it was. It’s a beautiful car with beautiful curves and it looks like it has great functionality, i.e. a large back seating area and no blind spots. It was designed in 1936 and manufactured in 1948. I wonder if there are any still on the road?

Tatra T87 sedan, Hans Ledwinka

Tatra T87 sedan, Hans Ledwinka

Tatra T87 sedan, Hans Ledwinka

Tatra T87 sedan, Hans Ledwinka

Well, there are many more pictures I took but this post is getting quite long.

Later in the day we went to the Minnehaha Falls — I’ll post pictures of that soon.

My husband and I recently celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary. About a month prior to that, I had suggested we head someplace “warm” like Arizona or Florida to celebrate this occasion. My husband, however, doesn’t like to fly so I wasn’t sure if we would be flying anywhere. And, true to form, my husband suggested we head to Iowa for a few days.

Now — I’m no genius but I was able to deduce very quickly that going from Minnesota to Iowa was not going to get us to a place that’s much warmer. So — we compromised. We decided to use our home as our “hotel” and take a couple of days to be tourists in St. Paul and Minneapolis — something we have not really done since we moved here 3.5 years ago.

During our two days “off” there was to be no cooking — woohoo — as we wanted to try out some new restaurants also.

So — on a rainy cold Minnesota morning we headed out to find a breakfast restaurant in Minneapolis called The Bad Waitress Coffee Shop which is located close to where the Minneapolis Institute of Art (our second destination) is situated.

Entering the restaurant, it reminded me of one I had gone to many years ago called Johnny Rocket’s. It had a 50′s feel to it with booths and counter stools. The clientele was young and it was quiet as everyone appeared to have a laptop, iPad or cell phone that they were absorbed in.

The Bad Waitress Restaurant

After seating ourselves, we figured out that we were supposed to take our own orders as menus are on the table as are the order forms.

The Bad Waitress Order Form

Once the order form was filled out, we took it to the front counter and paid for our orders. Drinks came right away and the food also took no time at all. The restaurant uses a lot of organic items so it’s a bit pricey — $27 (without the tip) for the two of us.

We did find it ironic that the restaurant name, The Bad Waitress, really implies that you don’t have a waitress.

The restaurant is located at 2 E 26th St in Minneapolis, Minnesota — in case you want to go.  The food really was good.

With bellies full, we made our way in the pouring rain to our next stop – the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

While sitting in my family room, I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, something large fly by.  It can’t be! I thought to myself.

Jumping from the sofa, I ran to the window to see if I was right — and I was.

The local hawk is back. With wings spread wide, he flew to a nearby tree and perched himself there just long enough for me to give him a 5 second stare. Then he flew away.

A bittersweet sign of spring. Why, you ask?

Well, at a December neighbor gathering, I found out that this beautiful creature has been helping himself to the small birds, i.e. eating them. This explains why we had so few birds last year.

I take comfort in the fact that the hawk also eats the field mice.

Do you suppose everything in life has a silver lining?