Jim's Itinerary

Weekends in Hopkins are hard to beat! I’d start with a bike ride down to munkabeans for a quad espresso and a slice of quiche, then on to the Hopkins Farmers Market to grab some fresh local produce and check out the various other delights and offerings.  

While in the neighborhood, I’d swing over for a trip up the Artery (8^th Avenue S from Excelsior to Mainstreet) to enjoy the permanent and temporary public art on display, including work by Hopkins’ own Fawzia Khan, Heather Renaux and C.J. Renner!

Next stop - Bongo’s & Bud’s Music Center to grab a gross of .10’s (high ‘e’ guitar strings), scope out the new axes and amplifiers on the floor, and chat with Bongo John Haga. Did you know Chrissie Hynde was photographed wearing a Bongo’s & Bud’s tee?  More than cool.

As I leave, I’ll give a nod to the former home of the Hopkins Best Steak House where I washed dishes in junior high. Each shift meant a steak dinner. Great times.

Lunch is lamb biryani at Tibet Corner, enjoyed on the patio if it's warm out. Yum.

Now, I need to make a stop to Hance Hardware to pick up some supplies for the honey-do list. Like Oscar’s trashcan or the Doctor’s Tardis, I swear the place is bigger on the inside. If they don’t have what you need here, the project probably isn’t worth doing.

Then I’ll hit Driskill’s Downtown Market for some raspberries, sparkling water and their great smoked salmon.

I’m there every day Monday through Friday, but I can’t get enough, so I’m in for a stop at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. I’ll make sure no one is touching the art inside, then go outside to make sure everyone is touching the ArtStreet public art installed around the city. Have you played a tune on Isaac Kidder’s Variations on a Circle of Fifths yet?

Next is a run down to Cream & Amber for my second (or third) coffee of the day, a slice of whatever sweet bread they have baked for the day and to peruse the books. I’ll eyeball the HCA Member Artist work on display too, of course.  

Then a pop into Zeller Studio to see the exhibition on display there. Deb presents regular art shows of regional talent, always something good to see.  

It’s been a long day of fun and good times, to wrap it up we’ll head to Thirty Bales for a North Coast Hipster and some Seared Ahi Nicoise. So good.

Tomorrow, I’ll be going for a bike ride on the Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Trail from here to Excelsior, then to downtown Minneapolis and back to work off at least some of today’s excellent indulgences.