Hike #5: Some . . . Random . . . Trail . . .

Okay, so I had an official hike all picked out for after class on Saturday, but I had a knee injection on Thursday, and my knee hurt, and I was kind of hungry, and it was hot out, and then Crystal decided I wasn't allowed to go hiking. Or something like that. So we took the dogs to Shish, a yummy café with sidewalk seating in St. Paul.

Maus was not entirely thrilled with this, but he got to eat lots of my gyro meat and didn't bite anyone, so we both got something we wanted.

He puts up with so much.

After lunch, I pointed out to Crystal that the Mississippi River was only a few blocks away, and it'd be a shame not to wander over and take a look. A tragedy, really.

Little did Crystal know that the blocks on Summit Avenue are about twice as long as any sane blocks. As a consolation prize, though, the houses are some of the loveliest bits of architecture in the cities. And, of course, the Mississippi is always worth walking to.

No one fell down this cliff, luckily.

Once we got to the Summit Ave overlook, I pointed to one of the random trails down to the river and said most innocently, "Gee, I've never been down there before." 

I am sneaky, sneaky. And the rest, as they say, is history.

I buried Maus's feet in the sand. He was only mildly horrified.

Then I buried Piper's feet in the sand. She gets me.