Why Wayzata?
We were depending on the kindness of strangers, and had not rented a car. Our hotel was near the airport and far from everything else. And we had a burning need to sign books at the legendary Bookcase bookstore in Wayzata, Minnesota. Located on the placid shores of Lake Minnetonka, we’d been told it was only 11 miles away from Minneapolis as the crow flies.
As native New Yorkers, the solution was obvious: call a cab. And like magic, one appeared, along with its driver, Sam.
Here’s what you need to know about our adventure:
- Never trust Mapquest.
- Never drive that far on a running meter.
- Never imagine that a taxi can fly like a crow.
- Never miss the opportunity to interview your driver. Ours was from Sudan. He was divorced, had a daughter, did not like Boston where people were “not nice,†liked Minneapolis where the people “were nice,†loved snow though he’d grown tired of it, and was non-judgmental about lesbian life. His favorite food was hummos.
- Never underestimate the nauseous feeling you get paying $140 in round-trip cab fare.
- Never miss the opportunity to visit the Bookcase. Really. It’s the oldest independently-owned community bookstore in the area, and it’s clearly survived because of its warmth, charm, individualism, and dedication to all people and things book-related. We signed books, hung out with Charlie, the store’s very nice owner (see? Sam was right), and admired a fabulous Lake Minnetonka sunset. All-in-all, a worthy journey.
Bookcase's window celebrated a long list of distinguished authors who have newly released books...including two familiar faces on the front door!
As we signed books inside the bookstore, the sun set on the lake across the road. We looked out the window and had one of those blissful communing-with-nature moments you rarely get on a tour.