Day 6, September 26. Touring the Twin Cities and lunch cruise

At 8:50, we were waiting in the chilly morning for the bus to take us on a tour of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis & Saint Paul). It was cloudy and 9.7C (49F)

At 9:40, we went by he Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis, followed by the U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings. The indoor stadium cost $1.4 billion to construct and opened in 2016.
From there we drove back to Saint Paul and arrived at Padelford Riverboats at 10:15 for a lunch cruise upstream.

Dipping my fingers in the Mississippi River 😊

Approaching the confluence of the Minnesota (L) and Mississippi (R) Rivers

Ready to board the riverboat.

We travelled through the River National Park and went through one of the locks as we enjoyed a delicious lunch. The return trip downstream was much faster! We had entertainment on the cruise, two banjo players! The Ford Parkwaybridge is in the background.

T he day has turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day when we returned to the marina at 3:00.

Our next stop was St. Paul’s historic Landmark Center, completed in 1902, which originally served as the United States Post Office, Courthouse, and Custom House for the state of Minnesota. It now serves as a cultural center for music, dance, theater, exhibitions, public forums, and hosts countless special events. 

The Chief Justice Room is the most ornate room in the building and was originally the law library. The intricate wood carvings contain many details, including the symbol for Saint Paul and the United States 

Fascinating place which ended our tour for today.