The651.com

As someone who has lived in a lot of different states and cities, I’m continually impressed by the sheer number of active and outdoor options in St. Paul. Whenever I’m stuck for something to do or somewhere to go, I pull out a list of local parks or the city’s bike-hike trail map and always find a new place to go, or am reminded of an old favorite.

Today was one of those days. My 1-year-old just didn’t want to nap, so rather than fight it or do the same old thing in our backyard, I packed up my baby, my baby carrier and set off for a good, long walk.

I drove down Summit Avenue until it dead-ended at a parking lot on Mississippi River Road. From here, choose your direction. You can walk, run, bike, or rollerblade on the flat, smoothly-paved trail that runs both north and south along the bluff.

I prefer heading south toward the Ford plant. The right side of the trail is packed full of trees, and if you stop to peer through the densely-packed leaves, you’ll see the steep drop leading down to the Mississippi River. (Come back in late fall and you’ll have an expansive river view.) Benches perched along the trail make great spots to take a water break with your SIGG. High-end dream homes with perfectly manicured and landscaped lawns line the left side of the trail, on the other side of the street. Sure, there’s some traffic on the road next to the trail, but one of the things I like about urban trails and parks is the juxtaposition of gorgeous nature scenery and the “alive” feeling of people going about their business.

Today we walked 1.8 miles to the Ford Dam Scenic Overlook, which comes up shortly after passing under Ford Parkway. By the time you turn around and walk back, you’ve completed a nearly 4-mile walk! If you keep heading south/southeast, the trail meets all the way up with Hidden Falls Regional Park, and beyond that, with Crosby Farm.

After working up a sweat, I couldn’t pass up my craving for Izzy’s ice cream on the way home. What I love best about Izzy’s (aside from the ice cream obviously) is that it caters to one of my worst traits: my indecisiveness—especially when it comes to choosing just one flavor out of 20-something really amazing flavors. For the un-Izzied, here’s how it works: when you order a single or double scoop, you get an Izzy on top. An Izzy is a mini scoop just right for sampling a second flavor. My all-time favorite flavor is salted caramel, but their sorbets are tantalizing, too, so an Izzy of the coconut sorbet was just right. So much for all those calories I just walked off!