ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA

St. Paul, Minnesota, tended to be the "quieter" city than was Minneapolis. It did not lack for ways to occupy myself, taking in many attractions and dining spots.

It was in the morning that I landed at the St. Paul/Minneapolis airport, too early to check into my hotel. Tour time! One area, not totally in the downtown area, are the main streets of Summit Avenue and Grand Avenue. Summit Avenue is said to be the country's longest span of preserved residential Victorian architecture. Lined with Victorian homes converted into boutique shops, Grand Avenue is considered to be both an historic residential and "hip" commercial neighborhood.

Since I was unable to do more than look at homes on Summit Avenue, I stopped in some of the stores on Grand. Always thinking of food. Penseys Spices and Seasonings. What a fabulous array to cook with!

Not far away, on 7th Street West, Cosetta's Italian Market caught my attention. Cheeses, meats, deli and a cafe. I heard that they are noted for their pizza. I was saving my appetite for lunch at Saji-Ya at 695 Grand Avenue. Need I say what type of cuisine? I read, "Long-time sushi lovers know that Saji-Ya serves only the freshest fish and has an experienced team of chefs lead by our executive sushi chef 'Manny' Ortega. Yet this destination hot spot, located on St. Paul's Grand Avenue, serves more than sensational sushi,fabulous lunches, excellent Teppanyaki (grilled Japanese cuisine) and Japanese entrees grace Saji-Ya's exotic menu." I naturally engaged in some sushi and maki rolls.

Passed on dessert as Grand Ole Creamery was just down the block. This old fashioned ice cream parlor serves up super-premium ice cream and lots of flavors.

Back on Summit Avenue to tour the James J. Hill House. "Rugged stone, massive scale, fine detail, and ingenious mechanical systems recall the powerful presence of James J. Hill, builder of the Great Northern Railway. Guides lead tours that help you imagine family and servant life in the Gilded Age mansion. Completed in 1891, the red sandstone residence was the setting of the public and private lives of the Hill family."

Heading in to the downtown area, there was an exhibit at the Minnesota History Center about the year 1968. "The social forces that swirled through the turbulent 1960s crested in 1968. It was a turning point for a generation coming of age and a nation at war. The year saw the peak of the Vietnam War, the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy, riots at the Democratic National Convention, assertions of Black Power at the Olympic Games and feminist demonstrations at the Miss America pageant. Hair opened on Broadway, Laugh-In debuted and became the number-one show on TV, Bonnie and Clyde and The Graduate picked up Oscars and Johnny Cash gave a legendary performance at Folsom Prison. President Lyndon Johnson spoke of a country “challenged, at home and abroad” in his State of the Union address; his successor, Richard Nixon, promised in his nomination acceptance speech that 'the long, dark night for America is about to end.' In the closing days of the year, we saw Earth in its entirety for the first time from the window of the Apollo 8 space capsule." The exhibit goes until February 20th, then tours other cities.