Lake of the Isles Park — Attraction in Minneapolis

Lake of the Isles is one of my favorite places to go for a walk in the cities. We usually are there in the evenings and it never seems to be very crowded. There is a light mix of people walking, running, biking, and roller blading but since there is a separate bike path, there is no need to be looking over your shoulder for bicyclists. It takes about 45 minutes to walk around the lake at a leisurely place, and street parking is typically easy to find in the evening. It's always very clean, others enjoying the park are friendly, and it's fun to look at some of the houses by the lake which among the most expensive in Minneapolis. Worth the trip for gorgeous views of downtown...

I have been going for close to a year now and it's really a pretty park, but it does have some issues. For starters the city desperately needs to re lay wood chips. Second, the people. This is true at any dog park, but some people just don't understand good dog park etiquette or follow the rules (or even have the permit). Dogs sometimes get wound up and owners don't do enough to prevent the agression or take the dog out of the area when they have behaved badly. Too often I pull someone elses dog off mine for mounting. This is true at all dog parks yes, but I do wish the city patrolled it...

The Luminaries on Lake of The Isles. Eh, disappointing. The lights along the path were not lit and there wasn't a walking path. It was far easier to walk on the groomed ski path which wasn't fair for those folks. The stops along the way (too few?) were 50% good, as again, they were lacking the lighting. Perhaps skiers had more fun as they could cover ground faster. Walkers had to bust thru several inches of snow. Would I go again? No. There's a high cost to enter and the value is certainly not there. Done well: the sign-up process,...