One Minute Tours

One of the amazing things about the Minnesota Historical Society's Forest History Center is the way it's in communication with the land around it.

The majority of Minneapolis's skyways are closed on the evenings and weekends. Wouldn't you like to be able to use them outside of business hours?

Do you tell people to come visit you in Minnesota in winter?

LaTrisha Vetaw, Minneapolis city council member, on getting recognized at a Timberwolves game.

Stop by Meet Minneapolis downtown to shop from local vendors, find out about upcoming events, and more!

The Virginia Piper kidnapping remains an unsolved Minnesota mystery. The kidnappers were never convicted. We have a full Hidden Middle episode covering the story of this kidnapping up on YouTube.

This was part of my conversation with Mayor Jacob Frey back in September 2025. The full One Hour Detours podcast interview is on YouTube.

The Midtown Global Market on Lake Street in Minneapolis has a welcoming community feel, with diverse restaurants and vendors from around the world. If you haven't been, put it on your list to check it out!

In this interview for our Hidden Middle episode on meat, I tried to ask Jack Links about their lobbying efforts and it turned uncomfortable.

I was so happy to have Joe Mailander of the Okee Dokee Brothers on the podcast! More clips to come--or you can check out the full video on my YouTube channel now.

The "stupid dumb rock" is the Kensington Runestone. In this episode of Hidden Middle, we dive into whether or not this rock proves the Vikings made it to Minnesota in 1362, or if it was all a hoax.

Liz Collin discusses why she left corporate media for new media on my podcast, One Hour Detours. This wasn’t a softball interview. We challenge each other on how the media frames crime, politics, and public safety in Minnesota. Watch the full interview on my YouTube channel.

Over 1,000 years ago, Vikings from Scandinavia came to Dublin, Ireland. Last year I visited Dublinia, the Viking and Medieval history museum of Dublin, to learn more about this history.

Local Minnesota comedian MJ Matheson breaks down how he creates jokes within a full comedy set for the ultimate reward: making people laugh.

Dallas Goldtooth, Minnesota actor and activist, has been on some pretty big budget productions.

I loved my visit to the Minnesota Historical Society's Forest History Center in Grand Rapids, Minnesota last summer. It's a fully immersive experience. Watch the full video on my YouTube channel!

I got to chat with Steve Grove, CEO and Publisher of the Minnesota Star Tribune on my podcast, One Hour Detours.

Have you tried the Ghost Blasters ride/game at Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America?

Have you tried the Ghost Blasters ride/game at Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America?

Melvin Carter: We don't really know what poverty is. A few months ago, the former Mayor of St. Paul joined me on my podcast, One Hour Detours.

Ever wondered the story behind the iconic Kris Lindahl billboards? I got to chat with him on my podcast, One Hour Detours.

I have taken an expansive view on Minnesotanness. I think of it as a name we assign to a geography and appreciate together. That's how I get to the place where I'm speaking of a people that were here long before MN was a political body. Is that misguided? See comments for more.

Minnesota became a state in 1858, so the first time Minnesotans voted for a president they picked Abe Lincoln.

I found the conversation with Mayor Rybak fascinating. Since he's a former mayor, he was able to speak in a more ungaurded way than I think I'm used to hearing from people who are in office. I so appreciated his honesty.

The face-down porcelin nursing dolls: Practical for an archivist, a bit unsettling for me.

"People just want people to be people" - Mayor Rybak. (Also Barbara Streisand, a little bit.) My full chat with R.T. is live in the podcast feed for "One Hour Detours."

"Seeing the world one minute at a time" has long been an aspirational vision for what I do. Now you can see thousands of videos I've made in hundreds of places around the world. This is still a work-in-progress but it needs some feedback, so please let me know your thoughts!

St. Paul is an incredible place, and the home of our second One City One Take. The concept is simple: One very long unbroken take exploring the city. You can either watch it all at once, or skip around using chapter markers. I hope you enjoy.

(2/2) - 100 days ago

It's been 100 days since I made my last post. Some thoughts before I continue.

Melbourne, Australia's laneways had the same untapped potential I see in Minneapolis's skyways.

Mayor Jacob Frey believes cities should be able to create gun reform at the local level when it isn't being done at the state and federal level.

The last time the state did any audit for the Agricultural Society at the Minnesota State Fair was in 2011.

In this episode of One Hour Detours, Jason DeRusha discusses what it's like to craft a news talk show.

Have you ever taken a peek at these photos at the Minnesota Star Tribune building in Minneapolis?

I learned about Kathleen Hennessey's start at the New York Times before becoming managing editor at the Minnesota Star Tribune during my conversation with her on One Hour Detours.

FOSS Swim School instructors personalize learning for each student based on their level of comfort, learning style, and personality.

Minneapolis City Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw discusses what city council meetings can be like and how to get things on the record during our conversation on One Hour Detours.

We retrace the steps of Virginia Piper's kidnapping, which included the largest ransom in US history, in this episode of Hidden Middle.

Who's your favorite local comedian? Comrade Tripp shared his favorites on my podcast, One Hour Detours.

Hope Walz discussed threats, harassment, and stepping back from social media on my podcoast this week. The full One Hour Detours conversation is on YouTube.

It feels like Minnesota is on the frontlines right now.

Midtown Global Market isn't a food hall—it's a public market! There are so many different cultures to explore under one roof. Go visit and experience it for yourself.

R.T. Rybak, former Mayor of Minneapolis, was recently a guest on my podcast, One Hour Detours.

Meat is political. From campaign donations to nutritional value, we dive into this topic in this episode of my TV show Hidden Middle.

In this episode of One Hour Detours, I sit down with Liz Collin — Alpha News reporter and creator of "The Fall of Minneapolis" — for an unfiltered conversation about our city.

When I talked to Hope Walz, she discussed why her dad believed removing himself from the Governor's race might get the target off of Minnesota. Find the full podcast interview on YouTube by searching "One Hour Detours."

Local comedian MJ Matheson joined me on the podcast to talk about everything from break ups to guilty pleasures to Catholic mass.

Dallas Goldtooth is a Minnesota-born actor, comedian, writer, and activist, known for his role in the TV show Reservation Dogs. I sat down to chat with him for my podcast, One Hour Detours.

There is a difference between reading a physical newspaper, book, etc compared to its digital counterpart. I chatted about this with Steve Grove, CEO and Publisher of the Minnesota Star Tribune, on my podcast One Hour Detours.

This episode of Hidden Middle explores the story of the Kensington Runestone. Was this runestone the world's first deepfake?

Have you ever explored Dublin, Ireland? I went back to visit in 2025 after living there decades ago, and uncovered fascinating Viking history and Irish culture. Stay tuned for more!

This is why the Vikings and Twins are not named after either of the Twin Cities.

I was excited to chat with Kris Lindahl, the well-known Minnesota real estate CEO, about his business on my podcast One Hour Detours.

On this Forest History Center pontoon tour of the Mississippi River, I learned the local history of dams near Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

The Bell Museum is a natural history museum with a planetarium located on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities St. Paul campus. With diorama exhibits, events like Star Parties, the Touch and See Lab, and more, it should be on your 2026 bucket list to visit.

On this episode of One Hour Detours, I chat with Jason DeRusha, local journalist and radio host.

Is this the kind of contribution I want to be making to the media ecosystem?

Kathleen Hennessey left the New York Times to become the managing editor of the Minnesota Star Tribune. I chatted with her on my podcast, One Hour Detours.

Which Nickelodeon Universe ride at the Mall of America is your favorite?

Why isn't anyone doing investigative pieces on the Minnesota State Fair? A company of this scale deserves to have serious questions asked of it. So I decided to do some investigating. Stay tuned for more.

There's no private waterfront property along the chain of lakes in Minneapolis, which means the public can enjoy them up close and personal with walking and biking paths, beaches, and even events on the frozen lakes in winter.

Minnesota women's professional sports teams have been carrying us to the championships in recent years. Men's professional teams cannot say as much.

I talked to John Foss of Foss Swim School about why swimming education is important for kids of all ages.

The details of Virginia Piper's kidnapping are devastating. I reflect on this in this episode of Hidden Middle.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on thoughts and prayers after something tragic happens.

I got to hang out with Trung Pham, owner of Pham's Rice Bowl in the Midtown Global Market. They are one of the original vendors at the market!

I learned about the origins of Jack Link's Sasquatch in this episode of Hidden Middle.

The last time a Minnesota men's professional sports team took home a trophy was the Twins in 1991.

At the Forest History Center in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, you can take a Mississippi River pontoon tour and learn how to identify wild rice.

The skyways need to make a comeback. Have other cities done something similar and how did they find success?

The Tripp family tradition of not talking, according to Comrade. I enjoyed my conversation with the Minnesota comedian on my podcast, One Hour Detours.

R.T. Rybak, former mayor of Minneapolis, discusses the start of his tenure as mayor on my podcast, One Hour Detours.

LaTrisha Vetaw has experienced her own jumbotron moment... with Usher?! She tells this story in our One Hour Detours podcast conversation.

What's your favorite venue in Minneapolis for live music?

From 12 students to 2,000! FOSS Swim School has grown to 34 locations over the last 30+ years.

The kidnapping of Virginia Piper was not only the most successful kidnapping in America, but it also had the largest ransom in US history. I dive deep into this fascinating story in an episode of my TV show, Hidden Middle.

Momo Dosa, a restaurant in the Midtown Global Market on Lake St. in Minneapolis, serves street food from Nepal and India. Momos are a type of dumpling, and dosas are like crepes!

Is email spam related to canned meat Spam?

The old Metropolitan Stadium site in Bloomington was the ideal site for Mall of America because of its proximity to the airport and both downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul. I learned a lot about MOA in this episode of Hidden Middle.

Have you ever climbed to the top of a fire tower? I got to check out the one at the Forest History Center in Grand Rapids, MN and learn how trigonometry was once used to figure out the location of a fire.

The Ameriprise Financial Center building in downtown Minneapolis sold earlier this year for a lower price tag than some homes on Lake Minnetonka.

The best clubs are the ones that book Comrade Tripp! I chatted with the local comedian on my podcast, One Hour Detours.

A rumba line in pajamas at the airport to advocate for a new airports commission is just one thing I chat with R.T. Rybak about on One Hour Detours.

LaTrisha Vetaw's facial expressions will tell you exactly what she's feeling. I enjoyed my conversation with the Minneapolis City Council Member on my podcast, One Hour Detours.

We have a vibrant theater scene here in Minneapolis, something I love about this city.

I learned a lot about the lumberjacks who called the northwoods home at the Minnesota Historical Society's Forest History Center in Grand Rapids. Have you ever been?

Who remembers shopping at department stores in downtown Minneapolis?

Swim school today looks a little different than the swimming lessons I took as a kid!

In this episode of One Hour Detours, Mayor Jacob Frey discusses how the city of Minneapolis has invested in emergency management.

The Manny's Special at Manny's Tortas in the Midtown Global Market on Lake Street in Minneapolis might be the greatest sandwich I've ever had.

When I visited the Spam Museum as part of filming for my TV show Hidden Middle, I tried to ask them about the histortic meatpackers union strike in Austin, Minnesota in 1984.

Oh ya, Fargo is a good one, you betcha. Comedian Comrade Tripp discusses Minnesota on TV on my podcast, One Hour Detours.

In this episode of One Hour Detours, former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak discusses his career transition from journalist to mayor, and how he thought he’d lose the race.

North Loop, a fast-growing neighborhood on the edge of downtown Minneapolis, is full of some of my favorite restaurants and shops. What's your favorite place to go or thing to do in North Loop?

"Shrimp is the fruit of the sea."

During my visit to the Forest History Center in Grand Rapids, I learned about the history of white pine logging in northern Minnesota.

The skyway system is a unique part of downtown Minneapolis. Do you use the skyways?

Minneapolis City Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw has always had a love for Minneapolis parks.

This was an interesting statistic I learned from Foss Swim School about the difference between Australians and Americans learning to swim.