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| [The two modern watertowers in St. Paul's Highland neighborhood.] |
Good news. I'm mustering the energy to do another local tour this summer! This is one I've been thinking about for a while, and the time is now. On Sunday July 19th, join me for a sixteen-mile bike ride around St. Paul and Minneapolis to visit at least four water towers.
Water towers are a great example of infrastructure, the hidden technology all around us that we take for granted. Along with sewers and electricity, the water that comes out of your tap is a classic example of the invisibility of everyday infrastructure. I'll do my best to explain how they work.
The ride will begin at the Highland WaterTower in St. Paul, which was also part of my Cap Wigington bike tour back in 2017. (Forever ago!) We’ll be ending at the Lake Monster Brewery.
Be warned: water towers are built on purpose on high points, the highest points around in any direction in fact, and so the bike ride will inherently not be a flat one. Still, we will be proceeding at a leisurely pace and the ride will be mostly on off-street, comfortable trails such as Minnehaha Parkway and the Midtown Greenway. It’s a “no-drop” ride and not a race. At each stop, we’ll pause and I’ll blab a bit about the history of the water towers. It's sixteen (16) miles long in total, spread out over 2 hours or so.
Also, the 19th is one of the bi-annual “water tower” days in St. Paul where anyone who wants to can climb the Highland Water Tower and look out at the city around them. Come early if you want to do this. It’s free and unforgettable.
- What: Bike tour of noteworthy water towers (16 miles)
- When: July 19th, 2pm
- Why: Because it's there
- Where: Meet at Ford Parkway and Snelling Avenue
- Who: Anyone with a bike
Hope to see you there.
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| [Many times on this blog, I have likened this water tower to the eye of Mordor.] |
