Photo courtesy of minnemom on Flickr
“People will walk a lot more than they say they will”—that’s the final observation in Bill Lindeke’s list from the State Fair.
I was curious how much I do walk at the State Fair, so this year I took my GPS along. How much did I walk? About seven and a half miles.
For most of us, calling a friend to suggest they walk seven miles with us would meet swift rejection. But it’s pretty easy to convince a friend to go to the State Fair with you. I’d say that’s some strong support for Bill’s theory.
Granted, I am probably a more enthusiastic fair-goer than the average visitor, but it’s impossible to see the fair without traveling a significant distance by foot (or other human-scale transportation like scooter, stroller, wagon, wheelchair, piggyback…). Just from one end of the fairgrounds to the other is about two-thirds of a mile.
Since this year’s fair has ended and we must return to the drudgery of everyday life, I thought it might be helpful to translate State Fair distances into ordinary distances to help us through the transition. I’ve mapped out some favorite routes at the fair and paired them with an analogue elsewhere in the cities that is ripe for walking. May this give us a taste of what’s possible, given that people will walk a lot more than they say they will.
1.1 miles
State Fair:
Transit Hub to Judson, then up to the North End
Not State Fair:
Nicollet Mall transit station to the bridge at Loring Park
0.2 miles
State Fair:
Sweet Martha’s Cookies to All-You-Can-Drink Milk Booth
Not State Fair:
Thai Garden to Wonders Rolled Ice Cream
0.5 miles
State Fair:
Circuit of the Mighty Midway and Adventure Park
Not State Fair:
Circuit of Como Zoo
1.2 miles
State Fair:
Loop: Every Pronto Pup stand
Not State Fair:
Loop: A high-density building in the Ford Site development, Fairview Health Clinic, Lifetime Fitness, Walgreens Pharmacy, Weight Watchers, Highland Park rec center, Chipotle, Allina Health Clinic
That’s all, folks!
Photo courtesy of the Minnesota State Fair