Minneapolis begins with a waterfall, and it is a small one. St Anthony Falls, on the Mississippi at the heart of the city, is the only major waterfall on the whole river, and its power was what built the town. In the late nineteenth century the flour mills on its banks made Minneapolis the flour-milling capital of the world, and the ruins of the mills still stand along the river, with one of them turned into the Mill City Museum, where an elevator ride takes you through the story of flour and the families who made fortunes from it. The Stone Arch Bridge, built in 1883 for the railway, now carries walkers and cyclists across the river with a view of the falls.
The Mississippi here is still young, a modest river a few hundred metres wide, running through a wooded gorge in the middle of a big city, and the Great River Road follows its banks south, with parkways and bike paths on both sides. The city is also called the City of Lakes, for the chain of lakes on its west side, ringed by paths and parks, where Minnesotans sail, swim and skate. Minnehaha Falls, a short ride south, is a pretty cascade in a park that inspired Longfellow's Song of Hiawatha, and it is worth a stop.
The riding on the river parkways is gentle, with low speed limits and many cyclists and runners, so the pace is slow. Beyond the city, the road follows the river toward St Paul and then south through bluff country, where the valley deepens and the scenery becomes more dramatic. Roads are generally good, though frost heaves in spring can be severe, and the winters are famously brutal, with deep snow and temperatures well below freezing, so the riding season runs from late April to October.
Fuel and food are no problem. The city has a thriving food scene, with Scandinavian bakeries, Somali restaurants and craft breweries. Minneapolis is also the city of Prince, and the First Avenue club, with its black-and-white stars on the wall, is a pilgrimage for fans. Summer evenings are long and warm, and the mosquitoes are legendary, so take repellent if you plan to linger by the water.