The Japanese Garden at Normandale Community College

The Japanese Garden has graced the grounds of Normandale Community College for over 45 years. This two-acre plot has been meticulously created and maintained to allow the students and community to have a place for quiet contemplation as well as to enjoy the beauty of the space.

There are several areas for parking and we inadvertently parked in the furthest lot away from the garden entrance. However, out mistake gave us a chance to walk across the campus and I encourage you to do a little exploration as well. We discovered that they also have a pollinator garden. Not only is it a beautiful little area, but is clearly an inviting habitat for buzzy little friends.

For those who have a budding interest in Geology, various types of rocks are on display with notations about the rocks nearby.

A few sculptures are displayed in memoriam.

If you grab a few quarters before leaving your car, now is the time to pull them out. Just outside the Entrance Gate is a Koi feed machine. Grab yourself a handful before coming in. Even if you don’t have quarters (like us!) The flashy Koi are still willing to swirl about in a slow methodical dance for visitors.

After entering the gate, to the left is the Square Shelter where you can enjoy a little shade, as well as grab a brochure about the gardens itself. While the gardens aren’t huge it would be easy enough to spend an hour or more here exploring its features as well as relaxing. While the traditional Japanese flora could not survive Minnesota winter, care has been taken to find over 300 plants, shrubs and trees that could survive as well as be shaped into similar styles as their Japanese counterparts. Artful pruning and careful training create a wonderful reflection of the gardens they emulate. As you view the gardens, it's amazing to realize you are viewing 45 years worth of collective work and that tending to the gardens gets more difficult the older the garden gets.

Both the Bentendo or the “goddess of fortune” “building” (a hexagon-shaped accent building) and the Taikobshi bridge are a memorial donated with funds collected by Nisea military Veterans that were here in Minnesota during World War II. As you follow the path through the gardens you will find several places to sit, relax and enjoy silence or the peaceful gurgle of water as it cascades down into the pools. Small pedestrian bridges cross over the waterways connecting the small islands. Rocks give backbone to the garden, giving it structure and strength. You can find places to sit among all of this; or venture up to the Round Shelter soaking in the entire garden, the reflection upon the water, and the peacefulness from a slightly higher vantage point.

The Japanese Garden is free to enter, but donations are accepted, and volunteers welcomed. The garden is definitely a place to escape the hustle and bustle of life as well as get a glimpse into the Japanese culture. According to their website, they also offer tours as well as classroom and scouting activities. Thanks for stopping in today and remember to get out there and explore, because it's all an adventure! Amy N https://www.normandale.edu/community/japanese-garden 9700 France Avenue South Bloomington, MN 55431-

“Paisley Park Is In Your Heart”

 

The Infamous Prince Love Symbol

When I learned we were moving to Minnesota, I immediately googled to find out where exactly Prince’s Paisley Park was located. Chanhassen, for the (like me) uninformed. And in case you aren’t sure who is Prince Rogers Nelson aka The Prince of Funk, The High Priest of Pop, His Royal Badness or the Artist Formerly Known as Prince, you need to reevaluate your life choices. 

 

Just kidding.

 

Sort of.

 

Widely considered one of the greatest musicians of his generations; that seems to me like an over simplification of his vast talents. Yes, he is the greatest musician, but also so much more.  Prince was an artist, a visionary, a singer, a songwriter, a multi-faceted musician, a story-teller, a fashion icon, a dancer and an inspiration to so many others.

 

Prince opened Paisley Park in September 1987 as a recording-studio, performance venue and his personal sanctuary. He envisioned a place for artists to come together without rules to create in a welcoming space filled with love and peace. After his death, his estate fulfilled his plans of it also becoming a living museum open to the public. It is important to note that his personal apartment is not a part of any of the tour options.

Capturing the in-concert feeling 

 

Now, six days a week the general public can choose from three different tour experiences. The Paisley Tour Experience, The VIP Experience and The Ultimate Experience. In addition to the tour options, special events featuring live music, special guest panels, cinematic specials, and guest DJs are also scheduled. Buy your tickets in advance, especially for weekends, or special events. The first weekend we planned to go; tickets were sold out mid-week.  And the weekend we did go, also sold out.

 

My husband and I picked the Paisley Experience Tour and we were not disappointed. This 90-minute tour guided us through his early years, as well as taking us into Studio A where Prince created (day and night) some of his most iconic works. This tour does have an age limit of five years old and above. Other tour options permit ten years and older.

 

From the moment we arrived we felt welcome and embraced by the love that created Paisley Park. Each staff member we came in contact with was friendly, helpful and truly fit the vision Prince had for Paisley Park. One thing to note is that pictures are not allowed during the tour. Similar to when Prince was in residence, photos are not permitted.  Cell phones and smart watches are locked in bags that you carry. The only pictures I’m sharing were taken during permitted times. 

 

Our knowledgeable guide Jessica, grew up in Minnesota, shared that that she has been a Prince fan from a young age and had been fortunate to attend his impromptu small shows at NPG Music club located inside Paisley Park. Throughout the tour, Jessica was a plethora of information, but also left time for our questions as well as exploration of each area we visited. 

 

Jessica first brought us into the atrium where every inch of it from the love symbol on the marble floor, to sky lights and the painted doves felt like a work of art. We watched a short video about a young Prince Roger and then had the freedom to explore this area, including Prince’s personal office, to the small diner that homed a personalized Purple Rain snack machine that toured with Prince. 

 

We lingered in Studio A, the sound studio where music could be found day or night, imagining the things the sound-dampened cherry walls might say if they could speak. Viewed where Prince recorded some of his greatest hits. 

Studio C was currently housing a special display of Randee St. Nicholas photographs of Prince from her time as his personal photographer. Beautiful photographs that captured various moments of Prince on tour giving us a glimpse his works throughout the years.

Inspiration Hallway contained the mural from Prince’s Vegas Residency. Centered on him and to his left the artist that inspired him and to his right the artist he inspired. I may be biased, but I feel like that mural could continue on endlessly with those that he has inspired.

 

And his shoes. Oh, his shoes! 300 shoes on display. Battered from dancing and performing, but also beautiful and meticulously designed. This room includes a 3d printed piano, fabric samples, as well as handwritten notes and requests pertaining to the designs, and video interviews with Prince's shoe designers.

 

Throughout the tour we are shown; Concert clothes, instruments (he could play 27 different instruments!) show memorabilia, personal pictures, notes and the 65,000 sqft venue itself is simply a magnificent piece of art. 

 

As we entered the concert hall, our bags containing our phones are opened, and we are now permitted to photograph.  Our tours ends with a larger-than-life concert feeling as we watch enormous videos onstage of Prince performing onstage.

Again we are surrounded by more iconic Prince memorabilia; his Robin- Blue Bentley, yellow BMW (was gold in the Gangster Glam video), two custom Honda motorcycles, more iconic clothes, of course more instruments he performed with during his lifetime. 

 

We ended in the NPG club where Prince held countless, late night, performances for anyone able to show up. 

 

NPG Night Club

It's important to note that all items do not always remain on display. Clothes that are left out all the time deteriorate quicker; some shoes and clothes rotate through temperature and humidity-controlled environments to extend their life span. Some exhibits are only temporary. Your unique experience may not be exactly like mine, but recognize that it is to ensure the longevity of the displays for future generations of fans.

"Purple Rain"

 

I encourage any Prince fan, music fan, fashion fan, any fan of the arts to visit. Interested in building design? Visit. Interested in how music is produced? Visit. 

We both enjoyed the Paisley Experience Tour and I look forward to attending the Ultimate Experience or the VIP Experience in the future! 

 

Thanks for stopping in today and remember to get out there and explore, because it's all an adventure!

Amy N

 

 

7801 Audubon Road
Chanhassen, Minnesota 55317

https://www.paisleypark.com/

 

A Step into History at The Landing, Shakopee, MN

First, a step back in time, where we land at The Landing a part of the Three Rivers Park District in Shakopee, MN.  

 

                                             

                                                                  Minnesota River 

I stumbled upon The Landing as I was riding my bike and exploring my new neighborhood. I was originally heading to Memorial Park, but right next door a group of well-maintained century homes and businesses caught my eye.

I was lucky enough to find The Landing, a Minnesota River Heritage Park. An idyllic, historical village bordering the Minnesota River?! This is my type of place! Perfect for biking through and stopping to explore the sites, but I wanted even more information.  Most buildings have a sign outside that tells a short history of the building, and how it would have been used during the 1890s, but if you want to visit inside the buildings definitely sign up for a tour.  

My husband and I signed up online for a Saturday morning tour and arrived a few minutes early to meet with Katie, our guide. Dressed in late 19th century garb, and an absolute treasure trove of information for the era, Katie kept our entire group engaged for the next hour.  

 

Costumed Guide                                                          Works in Progress at the Seamstress 

Eagle Creek is a fictional village created and located along the MN River created to show future generations what life would have been like in the 1890s. Each building has been saved from demolition at various locations around MN, relocated to the Landing, then loving restored with a great attention to detail. 

This tour focused on the homes within the village, and the economic status of each home's occupants with a special focus on sustainability. After the tour Katie took over the seamstress's shop and offered instructions as she worked on another period dress.  

Weavers Workspace  

 

One Room Cabin for a family  

From simple one room log-cabin to two story homes overlooking the MN river, we are brought on a journey into the past. Meticulous details surround and fill each home, leaving one to believe the occupants just stepped out for a moment to gather eggs for breakfast or to place laundry on the line.    

  

Churches, schools, businesses and homes line the streets. 

 

 

Toward the edge of town, these sites are replaced with bee hives, summer gardens, barns, farm animals and farm steads. As we tour the homes, we are shown the importance and need to recycle and reuse all that they own.  Clothes are passed down from child to child; when too tattered to be worn they become a rag rug. As a homeowner prospers, he doesn’t tear down the one room log cabin; he adds on to it; then he used brick or board and batten cover the basic, more modest hand-hewn beams. Leather shoes are repaired by the local cobbler, not tossed aside. From the weaver to the homemaker, seeing the tools that are worked with to the items that are created we can recognize that while it wasn’t easy these pioneers took pride in their craft and in their homes.  

 

Cozy and decorative start to find a place alongside simple, practical homes 

 

A few of my family members actually still have similar dog and child art work from this era hanging in their homes.

 

While this one may be a piece we still see today, how about "hair art?" Keep an eye out for that one and let me know if you would keep that in your home today!  

Even as income levels rose, sustainability or reusing what these settlers already had was still an important part of their everyday life. Thankfully the preservation and relocation of these homes and buildings have allowed us to catch a glimpse of the past.

Regular tours, and events occur at The Landing for a variety of ages. Within our group tour, we had young children through adults, and some events are even geared toward toddlers. You can also register to bring a group to the landing for specialty group programming.  

Park hours are 5am-10pm, but may be open additional hours for specific events. Even if you don’t join a tour, it's definitely worth a stroll through the ground, a hike along the river and stopping to enjoy a picnic lunch. 

https://www.threeriversparks.org/location/landing  

Thanks for stopping in today and remember to get out there and explore, because it's all an adventure!

Amy N  

Hiking and Biking Trails, Dog Friendly, Picnicking, and Historical Exploration  

Birthday parties, field trips, scouting, homeschooling, family-friendly, adults