Enjoy the red wing

The breathtaking views of the Mississippi and the bustling city that surrounds it couldn’t be more picturesque. And autumn is the icing on the cake. Whether you’re here for a day or more, Red Wing has plenty to offer the adventurous and those who prefer to meander like the river.

There are a few non-negotiable ones for beginners. A visit to the Red Wing Shoes flagship store on Main Street and a picture of his giant 638 ½ boot is a must. Don’t skip the free museum or shoe shop. The city’s other icon, Red Wing Pottery, is equally important and impressive. the Red Wing Pottery Museum The city’s West End District is home to more than 6,000 pieces of vintage stoneware, from pots to 1920s samples, making for a fun (and free) stroll back in time.

Across the car park you’ll find the historic Pottery Place with a world-class antique shop (which of course includes Red Wing ceramics and an impressive collection of glassware) and an outpost of Stockholm Pie and General Store.

The city’s dining options have never been better. Make reservations if you want to eat at the popular Staghead. It’s worth it. Other restaurants that get high marks: Bev’s Cafe, Red Wing Brewery, Let Me Cheese U, Scarlet Kitchen and Bar (in the historic St. James Hotel), Liberty’s, and the adorable Wisteria Twig Tea Room, which serves breakfast and lunch daily, as well a 4-course high tea six days a week. End (or start) your day with something sweet – the legendary Hanisch bakery and the Red Wing confectionery are just a few minutes’ walk from each other in the city center.

After all that great food, take a hike (or bike) down one of the area’s scenic trails. He Mni Can-Barn Bluff is the most popular with trails of varying degrees of difficulty. Before beginning your ascent, take the time to study the history at the grassroots level. Memorial Park has vistas, hiking trails, and a disc golf course, but you can drive to the top if your faster. Finally, Red Wing is at the end of the Cannon Valley Trail, a paved trail that eventually leads to Cannon Falls.

You don’t have to limit yourself to hiking. You’ll also find golf courses, a rugged mountain bike scene, boat rentals, and fishing trips here.

If you are more of a shopper than an adventurer, don’t worry. Both downtown and the West End District have plenty of shops to suit all tastes and budgets. Stopovers at the Uffda Shop, Whimsys and Phileo are always worthwhile, as are Fair Trade Books and Red Wing Olive Oils and Vinegars. Bargain hunters and antique lovers will also get their money’s worth with their treasures galore – ceramics! – being found. Allow enough time; The number of stores might surprise you, and you don’t want to leave Red Wing empty-handed. It is probably best to stay overnight.

– Nicole Hvidsten

Find Fargo

Lively, Crammed with Attractions Fargo is a role model for small towns everywhere and is an ideal weekend getaway.

Architecturally, the city center offers an energetic mix of vintage and brand new. The Plains Art Museum is housed in a three-story brick and wood warehouse dating from 1904 with a collection that highlights regional and indigenous artists, as well as works by Helen Frankenthaler, Sol LeWitt, Ellsworth Kelly, and other modernists.

The Fargo Theater – an Art Deco beauty with a jazzy marquee – dates back to 1926 and has an engaging mix of movies and concerts.

Then there’s the newly opened Block 9, a sleek and sophisticated mixed-use complex that houses offices and residences, as well as the stylish Jasper Hotel – operated by the group behind the Hewing Hotel in Minneapolis’ North Loop – and its equally chic grounds -Etage restaurant, the Nordic-inspired Rosewild. The adjacent Broadway Square is a meeting place for concerts, films and yoga classes.

Eating well is easy. In funky, casual BernBaum’s, one of the best restaurants in the Midwest, the couple Brett Bernath and Andrea Baumgardner explore the delicious similarities between Jewish delicacies and Icelandic culinary traditions. The bagels? Fantastic.

Mezzaluna pays tribute to the classic supper club format. Carefully composed pizzas are conjured up in the Blackbird Woodfire from a wood-fired oven. Beer & Fish Co. has an oyster bar. There is even a first class ice cream parlor, Silver Lining Creamery.

Find food trucks parked outside the Great Northern Bicycle Co. which is housed in a historic, beautifully restored train depot. Cyclists will appreciate the shop’s group timetable, while hikers should explore the extensive network of trails that run along the banks of the meandering Red River.

There’s a lively taproom scene thanks to Fargo Brewing Co., DCR Brewing Co., and Wild Terra Cider, and the third wave coffee movement is represented by several engaging outposts, including chic Youngblood Coffee Roasters and a Twin Cities import, Black Coffee, and Waffle bar.

Unique shops abound. Browsers can get lost among books, stationery, toys and gifts at Zandbroz Variety. At Mint + Basil, the co-owners Hope and Donny Goldammer have a flair for presenting distinctive women’s clothing and accessories, kitchenware and candles. Well-stocked vinyl Giant Records is every LP lover’s dream, and its companion Game Giant offers an impressive selection of board games, puzzles, and toys.

Another tie? Downtown’s compact, walkable layout – anchored on tree-lined and flowery Broadway, the neighborhood’s main thoroughfare – means no car is required. At least after the four-hour drive from the Twin Cities.

– Rick Nelson

Grants Galena

US history buffs most likely took the five-hour road trip to West Branch, Iowa to visit the Herbert Hoover Library. But maybe they missed another opportunity to pay tribute to a former president almost equidistant.

Shortly after Ulysses S. Grant led the Union to victory in the Civil War, the citizens of Galena, a quaint northwest Illinois town, built the general a furnished house far more appealing than the humble cabin Hoover grew up in .

Grant did not spend much time in the residence. After eight years in the White House, he and his wife developed the travel bug. They dined with Queen Victoria rather than shoveling snow from their Midwestern property.

but the home, which will be open for tours Wednesday through Sunday as of press time, offers indications of Grant’s personal taste, with much of the original furniture still intact. When I visited, the second floor was closed due to pandemic restrictions, which meant that tourists could not see the bedrooms. But there was still plenty to enjoy on the first floor, including the gifts Grant had received from the leaders of the world.

Just a few blocks away is the 22 room Belvedere Palace it’s more elegant – and crazier – than the former president’s quarters. Half-hour tours, held every 15 minutes throughout the week, include the chance to see the original green drapes from the Gone With the Wind movie, numerous items from the Liberace estate, and a grandfather clock for an officer on the Titanic . It’s less of a history lesson than a visit to an extravagant antique shop.

Be sure to spend the evening in downtown Galena. The planners have managed to recreate the appearance of 19th century America without making visitors feel like they are strolling through a tourist trap. I had a great dinner at Log cabin restaurant, a Greek-style steak house where the waiter boomed the specials like he was auditioning for a remake of “Zorba the Greek”.

The quickest way to get to Galena is by driving through part of Iowa, which can put off drivers who have already seen their fair share of corn fields. But the state gets hilly around Decorah, home of Luther College and about halfway through your adventure.

Hop off at nearby Spillville and stretch your legs Bily clock museum, where you can admire a large collection of elaborate, hand-carved timepieces from two eccentric brothers. The tribute to Jesus, Charles Lindbergh, and American pioneers may be cheesy, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be amazed by the craftsmanship. As an added bonus, you can check out a tutorial above on composer Antonin Dvorak, who spent the summer of 1893 in this house to get away from the limelight.

If northeast Iowa was good enough for Dvorak, it’s good enough for you.

– Neal Justin

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