Minneapolis, Minnesota - Westward Ho!

Geography Lesson #1:
I know my Geography pretty well.  Props to St. Monica's, Miss Stott and Sister Mary Griffen. I'm also a nerd that loves to read maps and memorize everything on them, ugh!  So, driving from Wisconsin to Minnesota, I knew that the Mississippi River was on or near the border between the states, and that to get to Minneapolis, I would be crossing the Big Easy.  (If its possible to silently smirk to accompany thoughts, I did just then, in my head)  The term Big Easy in reference to the Mississippi, in my mind, relates to that stretch of the river in Louisiana, and Mississippi, not Minnesota...

Well, as is often the case, assumptions "in my mind" are often based on something other than facts, or reality!  I was shocked at its great width so far north.  And, I had the strangest sense of deja'vu as I looked down at the expanse of it.  (too much herb in Michigan, at the Reincarnation Village I think) The river was easily half a mile wide where I crossed.  It was smooth, dark and glassy. The sky's fading glow, together with the lights on its banks, revealed nothing of the great waterway.  I looked at the shiny blackness, Hobbit like, with a mixture of fear and awe, waiting for Galadriel's Mirror to give up its secrets.

Assumptions "in my mind" not based on facts, usually stem from some personal experience, similar in nature, that I have applied to the situation at hand.  I remember when living in Las Cruces, New Mexico, I went horseback riding with some friends. Our guide followed a trail that brought us to the Rio Grande.  However, it was not very impressive.  Only memorable for the disappointment I felt upon seeing it, the Rio "not so" Grande, as we dubbed it, looked entirely ordinary.  I expected more from that legend of story and song, than she delivered that day.  Not so, with this Miss.  She is indeed a grand lady, worthy of top billing. She is a star.  Like Jessica Lange in American Horror Story, The Mississippi towers above the competition, its place in the pantheon of legendary waterways, is secure.

Geography Lesson #2:
With such an immense flow of water moving across the land, over time that water cuts through the earth, moving it, and reshaping the landscape.  Sometimes this is to dramatic effect, IE the Grand Canyon.  But whether dramatic or not, it still occurs.  After crossing the river, and passing the obligatory "Welcome to Minnesota" sign, the highway was steeply graded as it climbed up, & up, & up and finally, over the western "riverbank".  I guess that makes sense.  The powerful river cut deeply into the Midwestern prairie.

When I think about the Midwest, like most people from New England, I think flat, corn fields, and friendly farmers.  But it's not all corn fields, and not even all farms.  And, although there are some very flat areas, it's not all flat.  The road's long steep climb into Minnesota was prelude to an exhilarating drive down through St. Paul, and into Minneapolis.  The highway plunged, and curved, switching back and forth, continuing down, in a challenging course, imagine the offspring of Boston's Storrow Drive and the Mass Pike, or the Merritt Parkway and I-95!  
FUN  :-)