WI + MN - Devil's Lake and Twin Cities (June 19 - 23, 2026)
Since moving to Chicago, one of my goals has been to explore the Midwest. On this trip, I discovered the beauty of Wisconsin in Devil's Lake State Park and of Minnesota in the Twin Cities.
Paige and I at Minnehaha Falls!
DAY 1 (WI)
As we drove into Wisconsin on I-90, the landscape began to shift. The straight and flat road morphed into a few rolling hills, complete with some twists and turns - reminding me of family road trips through upstate New York or Pennsylvania. Lesson #1: not all of the Midwest is completely flat!
We made a quick dinner stop at Culver's which is my new favorite fast food chain. Previously, I had tried their flavorful, fresh never frozen burgers. This time, I tried one of their ice creams courtesy of a free ice cream coupon that my roommate left in the kitchen drawer. I had their flavor of the day - caramel pecan - topped with complementary banana slices! The ice cream was rich and creamy, unlike your typical nostalgic but watered-down fast food shake, made with famous Wisconsin dairy. Plus, the staff were really kind and generous, letting us take our time deciding ice cream toppings and bringing the food to our table. The true Midwest experience - good meat, dairy, and hospitality!
The largest Culver's - also had Culver's themed basketballs and toys
Yummmm
Although we arrived at the campsite around sunset, we were lucky to have gracious friends who had dinner and s'mores ready for us! Lesson #2: you can roast bell peppers on a stick over the fire! and they are juicy and delicious!
Because the skies were so clear, I could experience another camping favorite - stargazing! After picking up some stargazing at Glacier National Park, I was able to identify the Big Dipper! A big accomplishment for a city girl who grew up seeing more satellites than stars... My astrophysics friends were amused by my delight over something that has become ordinary to them.
With the fall of darkness, our sleep deficits hit us pretty soon. The huge 8-person tent and bathrooms / showers felt like such camping luxuries! (Lesson #3: eye masks when camping are great for sleeping in)
DAY 2 (WI)
I've wanted to visit Devil's Lake for the past two years, so I was excited for a nice hike (East Bluff). The main trail is paved (as in they laid pavement on top of the trail), but there were many little offshoots as well. I accidentally got off the main trail, but it was hard to tell since there were other people on this path (in both directions). I had to climb over / under some fallen trees from the recent storm and balance myself on some rocks; those little obstacles tapped into my adventurous spirits and were my favorite parts of the hike.
One of many scenic viewpoints
Cool rock formations, including...
the iconic Devil's doorway
Turkey vulture (not a hawk) soaring above
Kayakers on the lake!
After the hike, I went for a swim (lots of waving grass in the water) and some frisbee in the water. I was also tempted to play some volleyball for the ultimate summer vibes, and thankfully a family let me join in on their game.
Then, we all went on a hike on the west side of the lake. This path went along the lake, so there was not much elevation gain and thus more like a walk. The rocks were really pretty; they had a purple hue reminiscent of the glacial lakes I saw in Montana.
We wrapped up the day by playing board games at the campsite, roasting sweet potatoes over the campfire, and some two truths and a lie / campfire stories.
DAY 3 (MN)
As we continued our journey up I-90, it was cool to see more rock formations (bluffs) from the highway.
Rocks!
In search of coffee, we followed some highway signs and stumboled upon Norske Nook in the cute town of Osseo, WI. Turns out, this shop has won awards for its pies! The crust was super flaky and flavorful, worthy of some awards. Interestingly, the town hall had both Norwegian and American flags. Fun fact: the largest Norwegian settlements in America were in Wisconsin.
A precious find!
Many awards!!
Caramel fudge pie!!
We made it to the Twin Cities just before the farmers markets closed. The produce was so cheap at the Minneapolis Farmer's Market - $1 for a bunch of kale and $3 for a bucket of snow peas! Affordable fresh produce is definitely a way to my heart :)
One of many aisles at the farmers market
I also noticed the large Southeast Asian population, many of them selling produce from their gardens / small farms.
On the way back to Paige's apartment, we walked through downtown which had charming buildings (both historic and modern) that were surprisingly empty. Some of the emptiness stems from increased remote work, while some of it comes from my perception in comparison to Chicago.
Gold Medal Flour is one of my favorites!
Along the Historic Stone Arch bridge, there were also remnants of flour mills - an echo of Minneapolis's past as the largest "Mill City" in the country. On this day, though, the area was bustling with energy from a street festival full of food trucks, art vendors, and young professionals - much like the festivals in Chicago. Except the professionals skew more medtech / biotech than finance here.
After some hydration, I went on the obligatory run with Paige. The path along the Mississippi River felt more nature-y and secluded than Chicago's lakefront trail, plus more elevation for my unacclimated legs.
The Weisman Art Museum was designed by Frank Gehry,
the same architect who designed MIT's Stata.
A shower and snack later, we biked to dinner on Nicollet Ave, aka Eat Street. While it wasn't as densely packed as I imagined, there is a huge variety of cuisines, including Greek, Jamaican, and Vietnamese all within one mile.
We stopped at a Mexican grocery store, where we found decorated clay pots, huge metal cooking vats, sacks of beans (reminiscent of sacks of rice that I grew up with), generic-branded Takis, and MSG (! cultural exchange?!)
For dinner, we enjoyed Bun Bo Hue from the House of Hue! The broth was light and flavorful, and I enjoyed the variety of toppings - especially what I think was lemon basil (or at least lemony basil)
Perhaps the richness of culture is also what drew ICE agents to this area. We passed by a memorial for Alex Pretti, a moving reminder to preserve our democracy.
rest in power, Alex Pretti
DAY 4 (MN)
Biking is an optimal form of transport in the Twin Cities: the city is too spread out for walking and the public transit is too unreliable for laid back exploring. Plus, there are countless greenways and bike highways. On the 5-mile ride back from dinner last night, we simply went from one bike path to another. I was impressed that we weren't sharing the road with cars for a single stretch!
On this day, we embarked on a long bike ride around the Twin Cities. The famed Chain of Lakes path takes you from one lake to the next!
(ended up going through Lilydale park too!)
The ride encompassed both of the Twin Cities.
Minneapolis skyline
St. Paul skyline
State Capitol building
There was spectacular weather and nature...
Lake Harriet! Free sailing classes! (I miss sailing...)
Deer in Roberts Bird Sanctuary
Peace Garden
Rose Garden
... and fun sights! Near Lake of the Isles, there were many large, luxurious homes. We saw a dog dressed up in a hat and suit, as well as this tree turned pencil sculpture.
Minnesota also tried to confuse me to believe that I was in Chicago / Brooklyn
After a pit stop at Pumphouse Creamery and Turtle Bread Co, we continued our expedition to Minnehaha Falls and the Mississippi River.
It's astounding that the last time I was by the Mississippi River, I was in New Orleans at other end! (Part of the reason why Minnie was so successful as the Mill City.)
Paige is an avid birder, so I had the chance to catch an indigo bunting (but not get a photo).
Crosby Farm
Electricity (?) lines floating on the water
In addition to the nature, I experienced some of the local culture as well. The Twin Cities is home to one of the largest Hmong populations in the US. The Hmong are an ethnic group originally from China that has sought refuge throughout Southeast Asia. During the Vietnam War, many of them helped the US Army and were relocated to the US after the war to avoid retaliation. One of the most well-known people with Hmong roots is the Olympic gymnast Suni Lee, who is a St. Paul native!
When I walked into Hmongtown Marketplace, I immediately felt like I was transported to another country. The rows of stalls selling clothes, houseware, herbal medicine, and food were very similar to the markets in Taiwan.
Innocent warehouse on the outside, wormhole to Asia on the inside
Fresh lemongrass
Colorful steamed rice cakes
There was both an indoor and outdoor section. The outdoor section featured many plants, including a plethora of peppers and tropical plants. (Can passion fruit plants survive in Minnesota??)
The traditional clothing struck me because the patterning felt Nepalese while the style / cuts reminded me of loose Japanese garments (forgive my non-scholarly approximations). After delving deeper, I began to recognize the wide-sweeping influences of Indian culture. Not only are spices like turmeric common throughout the "Greater India" region, but clothing patterns, architectural ornaments, and elements of art are also shared.
Colorful patterns
One of the back-of-the-house workers seemed to be picking ingredients from a tree in their parking lot! Also, I noticed that some of the artwork resembled Indian images. Turns out that the Khmer empire in Cambodia adopted many aspects of the Indian empire (including religion and culture) as a way to govern their empire.
Backyard ingredients + Indian-ish artwork
I devoted my last day to enjoying the Minneapolis arts scene. First, culinary arts at Diane's place - this rhubarb danish really highlights Minnesota's produce and made me more of a rhubarb lover.
rhubarb vanilla danish
I wanted to observe artists' studios in the Casket Arts building, but those are only open the second Saturday of every month (not the Google Maps hours).
Part of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District
Spoonbridge and Cherry
There was also a giant compass-like swing and a black cylinder for meditation that reminded me of MIT's cylindrical chapel.
Giant swing
Then I visited the Minneapolis Institute of Art which is free to all visitors. I was surprised by the strong presence of East Asian and indigenous art. (I'm used to walking into the Greek and Roman artifacts as my first stop.)
Quilt telling the story of the Hmong and Laotian people in neighboring villages
Painting made to resemble a quilt
A statement about tensions between the US government and indigenous people
Turning the presence of the homeless into art
(didn't realize this was the subject upon first glance)
Turning city scenes into art by duplicating patterns
Work by Kenji Nakahashi
Kenji Nakahashi's work makes me stop and look more closely
plus I love New York too...
Chile manzano ("apple peppers")
I was attracted to Phillips for the cultural diversity, but later found out that it has, let's just say, an unsavory reputation. (Reddit: "There used to be one Phillips, Now there is an East Phillips, a Phillips West, a Midtown Phillips and Ventura Village. When the city divides an existing neighborhood into 2 or more neighborhoods to lower crime stats...") If I were to live in Minneapolis, I would probably return to the area for some Somali food.
As a visitor, though, I decided to head to a cluster of Ethiopian restaurants in Cedar-Riverside. The Alichi and Siga Wot stews I tried at Dilla Ethiopian were very flavorful! (Too hungry to get a photo oops)
In search of a hiding spot from the rain, I hung out in the Open Book center after lunch. Open Book was one of my favorite places in Minneapolis. It's home to book binding classes (MN Center for Book Arts) and office space for book publishers (Milkweed and others), writers, weavers, and other artists. There was also a coffee shop and community library (Loft Literary Center) that felt welcoming to everyone. It was the perfect place to be on a rainy day - I admired the exhibits, browsed books, and just enjoyed the free WiFi and cozy vibe.
Area for book-making and printmaking classes
Center for weaving
Poems / clipboard art about epilepsy
I flipped through a Minnesota photo book, which attributes its success to its variety of resources and the absence of coal. After milling declined, Minnesota turned to dairy, lumber, and high-tech manufacturing, "avoiding the malaise that set in when the Steel Belt became the Rust Belt."
The author's Minnesota pride
I also noticed that Open Books serves as an incubator for new ideas and movements. There were many resources for how to bring about social change and space for fringe ideas to gain exposure. Finding this in Minneapolis seems fitting with the protests against George Floyd's death in 2020 and the resistance to ICE agents in 2026. (I'll leave it to sociologists to say more.)
"Resources for Emerging Movement Builders"
Gift shop sells zines!
In line with the generally welcoming environment, the bookstore inside Milkweed Books had a little reading nook. In this specially designated area for reading, I enjoyed bites of the novel The Double Life of Benson Yu without feeling ashamed of reading in a bookstore. This took me back to the days my mom and I would hang out in Barnes and Nobles for an afternoon.
After waiting out the rain, I grabbed dinner from Afro Deli and Grill - a local chain for fast casual Somali food - a taste of the Twin Cities, since this is probably the only place in the US where you can find a Somali restaurant chain.
Overall, I appreciated the diversity and rich cultural scene in the Twin Cities. It feels just as cosmopolitan as Chicago, just more quiet. Storefronts are more spaced out, but it is also easier to enjoy some seclusive nature. Together with the nature on my Wisconsin visit, I am feeling refreshed!
Approaching all my favorite spots in Chciago
from the Point to downtown!
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