Final Destination: New London, MN
So here’s the deal with this trip… we did all of this in one day… but you could really make this into an overnight trip or just several day trips. Our final destination was Goat Ridge Brewing in New London, MN because we had a Groupon. On our way there, we made many stops… Ted said, “We won't be able to go to all of these places,” but I was determined to visit as many as possible… and we really wanted to visit several of the parks… so we made sure to visit a few of those. What would an adventure for city folk be without a little nature?
Anyway, purchasing a Groupon for an establishment in another city is an excellent way to start an adventure! So, try it!
St. Bonifacius, MN:
If you are into coffee shops… check out Mocha Monkey in St. Bonifacius. Don't miss it, because this neat little coffee shop is in a strip mall. The people are friendly, the grilled cheese stuffed pretzel is worth the stop and the mocha drinks are amazing. An entire wall of the coffee shop is dedicated to the menu (a charming chalkboard menu!) and the surrounding wall space is covered with old window frames, making for an interesting view. As you would imagine, the decorating theme is monkeys, but the art is charming. They even have cute little monkey stickers to cover the hole in the lid of the coffee cup!
Just driving through town we found the library and a massive missile! St. Bonifacius Library is worth a quick stop as the staff will tell you a little about the history of not only the library, but also the town. For instance, the library used to be a bank!
St. Bonifacius used to be a missile artillery base. Just in case you didn't know… St. Bonifacius was set to protect the Twin Cities with a missile base during the cold war. A Nike Hercules Missile stands tall at one of the village parks (photo op!).
Cathy Mackenthun’s Meats & Deli is a great place to not only pick up your jerky, sausage, meat, etc.; it is also a sit down deli. The staff are friendly and eager to help. The summer sausage samples make it easier (or harder because they are all so tasty) to choose which ones to take home!
Hutchinson, MN:
Crow Wing Winery-a bonus stop (it wasn’t even on our planned route!). If you are looking for an outside spot to play yard games and have a glass of wine, this is the place for you. Toss some bags or play a giant game of Jenga. Sit on the patio and listen to live music on Sunday afternoons, or sit at the bar inside.
Sample flights of wine and and relax with a bite to eat as they serve food at their Bistro. This is a “Farm Winery” so they are able to sell wine on Sunday. One thing that really stood out was that they use ingredients grown on the farm in their food and wine as much as possible. They grow hardneck garlic, grapes, and keep bees (yay!).
We purchased a bottle of Cherry Creek (which tastes like a cherry Tootsie Roll, yum!) and a cooking wine called HOT SPOT Smoked Pepper Wine. It was a toss up between the garlic and the smoked pepper cooking wine… but the bartender served the smoked pepper in the Bloody Mary, so we had to try that first! Next time we will probably get the garlic cooking wine as it was tasty too!
Hutchinson has an extensive park and trail system. Take a walk through Veterans Memorial Park to visit the memorials and continue along the South Fork Crow River to the Fireman’s Park, then cross the street to the lovely little Girl Scout Park. You can also cross the bridge to get on the Luce Line Trail.
Willmar, MN:
If you prefer beer, stop downtown Willmar at Foxhole Brewhouse for a pint (or tasting flight). High top (and some low-top) tables, view of the brewing equipment, and L-shaped bar, what more could you want? Oh, yeah, the beer… with at least eleven beers on tap (right now), you will find several to like. I happened to like the Belgian Triple. The General Manager, Lyn Fuchs was bartending, which was great, because we felt like we received special treatment even though it was just our first time. The staff and patrons were so friendly that we stayed longer than planned to visit with our new friends! 
New London, MN:
Make a stop at Goat Ridge Brewing Co. to enjoy yourself by the creek. Yummy beer… many offerings. Friendly brewer. If you are looking for non-alcoholic drinks, they offer root beer, ginger beer, and cold press coffee as well. I really enjoyed the spring seasonal, Maibock :)
Before (or after) visiting Goat Ridge Brewing, take a peek at a few of the shops in town by walking up the short trail by the dam and learn about the history of New London. The current site of the dam used to be a waterfall turned flour mill, turned fish hatchery.
Sibley State Park was lovely in the evening. The way the sun hit the trees and lake (all greens and golds) was magical... so beautiful! Take a hike up to Mt. Tom or walk around Lake Andrew and bird watch. Visitors can also swim, boat, or fish on the lake.
Deep Freeze Ice Cream is a unique little ice cream shop located on County Road 9, just off of County Road 23. Grab a picnic table or sit on the retaining wall to enjoy your ice cream. If you like Dairy Queen Blizzards, then you will probably like the Crunch Cream cones. The toppings are blended right into the soft serve ice cream! It's super tasty!
