Day 22: Staying in Minnesota

Monday, April 27

Monday morning, we had a breakfast (prepared by Aks and Sri, the consummate hosts) of bacon, eggs, quiche, blackberries, croissants, and baguettes. While we ate, we got to talk with them about their jobs at the Carlson School of Management (at the University of Minnesota). Sri is an Associate Dean, while Aks is a tenured professor. The school has alliances with programs overseas in Italy, Poland, India, and China, and between teaching assignments in those countries, and research co-authored by colleagues from overseas, they do a lot of travel.

Photo Safari to Onamia

After breakfast, they headed to work and we went on a little side adventure. Sandy’s friend Michelle owns a home in Onamia, Minnesota, but lives in Georgia and rents it out. She asked us to look in on the property and make sure it was alright, so we set out on the 90-minute drive to Onamia to do so. When we got there, we took photos of the house from several angles, and then headed back. On the way back, we were treated to what has to be one of our favorite bumper stickers of the trip:

Before we got back to the house, we made a stop at a grocery store to buy pickles. That’s right, pickles. Apparently, there’s something special about Gedney’s “Zingers” (dill pickles with red peppers) and “State Fair” pickles that Sandy just can’t find in California. We bought a LOT of pickles (seven jars, to be precise) and then headed back to the house.

Our Evening Out in Minneapolis

Once there, we took a brief nap and then went upstairs for a snack of brownies, pasta salad, and apple cake (Zahid was disallowed from having Cheerios) with Sri. Once Aks got home, we bundled into Sri’s car for a trip to the Dakota Jazz Club, where we saw Ben Sidran play an excellent set (including a great rendition of Subterranean Homesick Blues) —it was really a treat. The meal was also excellent—Sandy had the prix fixe menu of pea soup, halibut, and pineapple upside down cake, while Zahid had a salad, a filet of beef, and a Valhrona chocolate lava cake.

After the show was over, we took a brief tour of Minneapolis, including the Guthrie theater complex and a driving tour of the University of Minnesota (AKA “the U”). The city has changed quite a bit since Sandy was there, mostly by expanding outward. Once we got home, too tired for the sauna, we said goodbye to Aks (who was going to be gone to teach the next morning before we woke up) and went to bed.