This stretch of the mighty Mississippi is trapped between towering rock bluffs and is home to the only waterfalls on the entire length of the river, St Anthony Falls.  For centuries the magnificent falls were a sacred place for First Nations peoples and a landmark for fur traders then loggers who followed them.  It wasn’t long before enterprising industrialists recognized the value of this fall.  They grabbed up water rights and began harnessing that power first for sawmills and later huge flour mills. Minneapolis has lots of nick names but one most obvious as we walk through is “Mill City”.  The river banks are littered with mill and canal ruins and riverfront streets are lined with warehouses, many now converted to lofts or condos with a smattering of cafes and taverns with industrial-chic decor.   Huge billboards identifying Pillsbury and Gold Medal still dot the skyline.  Canal ways and turbine channels criss-cross beneath Mill Ruins Park where the historical society has worked to stabilize ruins and tell the story of the industry that built this city.  It is worth a visit.  Take a walk across the Stone Arch Bridge.  It is a nice stroll.