The Mississippi River should definitely be on your list when in Minneapolis. The chief river of the largest drainage system on the North American continent, the Mississippi River is the fourth longest and ninth largest river in the world by discharge. Over 50 cities depend on the Mississippi River for their daily water supply. The Mill Ruins Park offers quite a view.Situated southeast of the Stone Arch Bridge on the west bank and adjacent to St. Anthony Falls, Mill Ruins Park was opened to the public on October 1, 2001. This was in celebration of the history of the 19th-century ruins of the historic mills. The mills were powered by St. Anthony Falls, the only waterfall on the entire Mississippi. It was around this time when Minneapolis was put on the map because of its export of flour both nationally and internationally.The Milling District at the Minneapolis Riverfront took full advantage of the Mississippi River in increasing flour production. The numerous mills and canals along this river are what comprised the biggest direct-drive, water-powered facilities in the entire world.You can enjoy a pleasant walk or a bike ride past the ruins of the flour mills and underneath the Stone Arch Bridge, which was turned into a pedestrian and bike trails in 1994. You can find interpretative panels along the paved trails. The Stone Arch Bridge also offers a great view of the Mississippi River.From the Mill Ruins Park, you can extend your stroll across the Stone Arch Bridge and end up on Father Bluffs Park on the east bank.You may also want to stop by at Mill City Museum and try the small café there. Go to the top of the museum and you will enjoy a good view of Mill Ruins Park.For our next stop, we will be taking a longer walk. There is a shorter route supposedly, but this way has a much better view. We can just stroll the area towards our next destination and be amazed with the panoramic view of the Mississippi River. Can you see that bridge over there? That's the Stone Arch Bridge.Photo Mill Ruins Park by miguel is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0