3 Midwest destinations for a fall road trip
You can find quirky and desirable destinations for fall weekend getaways that are sprinkled throughout the upper Midwest. Take a look:
Relishing Red Wing
Sweeping views of the Mississippi River and the bustling city surrounding it don’t get more picturesque than this. And fall is colorful icing on the cake. Whether you’re here for one day or a few, Red Wing, Minnesota, has plenty to offer adventure seekers and those who prefer to meander like the river it hugs.
For first-timers, there are a few nonnegotiables. A visit to Red Wing Shoes’ flagship store on Main Street, and a picture with its massive size 638 ½ boot, are musts. Don’t skip the free museum, or shoe shopping. The city’s other icon, Red Wing Pottery, is equally important and impressive. The Pottery Museum of Red Wing houses more than 6,000 vintage pieces of the stoneware, from crocks to patterns dating back to the 1920s, offering a fun (and free) walk through time.
Across the parking lot you’ll find the historic Pottery Place with a top-notch antiques store (which naturally includes Red Wing pottery as well as a stunning collection of glassware) and an outpost of Stockholm Pie and General Store, among other merchants.
The city’s dining options have never been better. Make reservations if you plan to eat at the popular Staghead; it’s worth it. Other restaurants getting 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 delightful Wisteria
Twig Tea Room, which serves breakfast and lunch daily and a four-course high tea six days a week. Finish (or start) your day with something sweet — the legendary Hanisch Bakery and Red Wing Confectionery are within walking distance of each other downtown.
Walk off all that good food with a hike (or bike) on one of the area’s scenic trails. He Mni Can-Barn Bluff is the most popular, with paths of varying difficulties. Before you start your ascent, take the time to read about its history at the base. Memorial Park offers views, trails and a disc golf course, but you can drive to the top if that’s more your speed. Finally, Red Wing is at the end of
the Cannon Valley Trail, a paved trail that eventually makes its way to Cannon Falls.
There’s no need to limit yourself to hiking. You’ll find golf courses, a robust mountain biking scene, boat rentals and fishing excursions, too.
If you’re more of a shopper than an adventurer, no worries. Plenty of stores dot both downtown and the West End District, catering to a variety of tastes and budgets. Stops at the Uffda Shop, Whimsy’s and Phileo’s are always worthwhile, ditto Fair Trade Books and Red Wing Olive Oils and Vinegars. Thrifters and antiques lovers will be right at home, too, with treasures galore to be found.
— Nicole Hvidsten
Finding Fargo
Fargo, North Dakota, is a role model for small cities everywhere, and makes for an ideal weekend getaway.
Architecturally, downtown boasts an energetic mix of vintage and brand new. The Plains
Art Museum occupies a three-story brick-andtimber warehouse from 1904, with a collection that emphasizes regional and Indigenous artists as well as works by Helen Frankenthaler, Sol LeWitt, Ellsworth Kelly and other modernists.
The Fargo Theatre — an art deco beauty, complete with a jazzy marquee — dates to 1926 and programs an appealing mix of movies and concerts.
Then there’s just-opened
Block 9, a sleek and sophisticated mixed-use complex that’s home to offices and residences as well as the stylish Jasper Hotel and its equally snazzy groundfloor restaurant, the Nordic-inspired Rosewild. The adjacent Broadway Square is a gathering place for concerts, movies and yoga classes.
Eating well is easy. At funky, casual BernBaum’s, one of the Midwest’s top restaurants, spouses Brett Bernath and Andrea Baumgardner explore the delicious commonality between Jewish deli and Icelandic culinary traditions. The bagels? Fantastic.
Find food trucks parked outside Great Northern Bicycle Co., which is housed in a historic, handsomely restored train depot. Bicyclists will appreciate the shop’s group ride schedule, while walkers should explore the extensive network of trails that run along the banks of the meandering Red River.
One-of-a-kind shops abound. Browsers can lose themselves among the books, stationary, toys and gifts at Zandbroz Variety. At Mint + Basil, co-owners Hope and Donny Goldammer have a flair for showcasing distinctive women’s apparel and accessories, kitchenware and candles. Well-stocked Vinyl Giant Records is an LP-lover’s dream.
Another draw? Downtown’s compact, highly walkable layout means that no car is required. Well, at least after completing the drive from your hometown.
— Rick Nelson
Grant’s Galena
U.S. history buffs have most likely made the trip to West Branch, Iowa, to check out the Herbert Hoover Library. But they may have overlooked another opportunity to pay tribute to a former president that’s almost the same distance away.
Shortly after Ulysses S. Grant led the Union to victory in the Civil War, the citizens of Galena, a picturesque town in northwest Illinois, built the general a furnished home much more appealing than the modest cabin where Hoover spent his childhood.
Grant didn’t actually spend much time at the residency. After eight years in the White House, he and his wife got the travel bug. They were more likely to be dining with Queen Victoria than shoveling snow off their Midwest property.
But the home offers hints about Grant’s personal tastes, with much of the original furniture still intact. When I visited, the second floor was closed because of pandemic limitations, which meant tourists couldn’t check out the bedrooms. But there was still plenty to soak up on the ground floor, including seeing gifts Grant had received from world leaders.
Just a few blocks away is the 22-room Belvedere Mansion that’s more elegant — and kookier — than the former president’s quarters. Half-hour tours include a chance to see the original green drapes from the “Gone With the Wind” movie, numerous items acquired from the Liberace estate and a grandfather clock designed for an officer on the Titanic. It’s less of a history lesson and more like a visit to a flamboyant antiques store.
Make sure to spend the evening in downtown Galena. Planners have done a fine job of re-creating the look and feel of 1800s America without making visitors feel like they’re strolling through a tourist trap. I had a terrific dinner at the Log Cabin restaurant, a Greek-style steakhouse.