Friday, October 13, 2017

Another Birthday Adventure… Stockholm and the St. Croix River Valley: Part II


Attending an art fair is another great reason to explore a new town. There are pros and cons to visiting a new town during an event, so just be prepared for anything. You may have to wait in line to visit a long awaited establishment, and depending on how far you’ve traveled, if you will be visiting in the future (or will make future visits/plan to visit again), and your mood; you will have to decide if it is worth the wait.


The purpose of this trip was to celebrate a friend's birthday… and explore some of the towns along the St. Croix River (WI HWY 35 and MN HWY 61). Ted and I had traveled to Maiden Rock, WI and Stockholm, WI in the spring and had been dying to go back to visit again. Even after this trip, we would still like to go back again.




Prescott, WI


First stop, The Twisted Oak Coffee Shop in downtown Prescott. It is hard to see the sign if you park across the street as the complete logo – Twisted Oak Coffee Shop – is on the window pane and not the wood awning. It is worth finding this coffee shop, though. The cozy shop has only a handful of small tables inside, but has overflow tables out on the sidewalk. Inside, the lighting and furniture are dark like a cabin. The drinks are delicious and the scone (from Emily’s Bakery & Deli in Hastings) was a little lighter and fluffier than expected, but still rather tasty. I would have preferred it without the icing (even though the icing had a nice flavor).









If it is nice out, take your coffee across the street by the river.  Prescott is the confluence of the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. You might have flashbacks to childhood and feel like you are in a Disney movie as the railroad bridge towers over the river look like Mickey Mouse ears!




Maiden Rock, WI


Since we were thirsty, we stopped at Ole’s Bar & Grill. The new bar owner and her good friend the bartender settled us in right away with crisp, slightly spicy bloody mary’s.



We stopped at the Green Queen artists’ shop, a lovely little shop specializing in all things pollination, across the street. In addition to jewelry, art, and wind chimes; they also carry…





Stockholm, WI


After pulling off the road at a few scenic lookouts, we arrived outside of Stockholm… cars lined HWY 35 and the neighborhood for about a quarter of a mile in either direction of downtown. Anxiety was high while we navigated the streets, dodging cars and people; however, we were persistent and ended up finding a perfect spot just outside of town. As we walked into town, we stopped at several of the small artist shops.



Our spirits sank when we saw the line at the Stockholm Pie Shop as it was out the door.  So, rather than wait in line (as we were already quite hungry), we went to Lena’s Lucky Star restaurant to grab lunch. Again, our spirits sank as we opened the door and saw the crowd of people waiting for tables. We took a chance and put our name in anyway and ended up waiting less than five minutes! Whew! AC and good food on a 90 degree day. As it was a busy day, a limited menu was served, but all we needed was something light and a cold beer… so the Nacho’s Grande (with ground beef, beans, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes) and Mango Blonde (from Lift Bridge) were a perfect combination. The nachos were nice and light and the perfect size for sharing (for two).  




The main event: the Stockholm Art Fair! The fair is held past the railroad tracks by the river at the Stockholm Village Park. The giant trees (and artists’ tents) were a blessing in the heat of the day.


The art was fabulous, of course… going to an art fair is like going to an art gallery, only in a more casual atmosphere. Browsing with a friend is a great way to spend the day!


Pepin, WI


After Stockholm, we stopped at the Pickle Factory Pub… fancy restaurant upstairs… casual bar downstairs… great place for people to stop when they are boating…


Wabasha, MN




We crossed back over the river through the beautiful Nelson-Trevino Bottoms State Natural Area (so beautiful in the slanting rays of the afternoon sun!) to the home of the Grumpy Old Men Festival… stopped at Slippery’s Tavern Restaurantthe clam chowder is as good as they claim!!




After taking pictures with the Grumpy Old Men benches we headed home along HWY 61 as we were sleeeeepy… again, a lovely drive along the river!


The “D” Trip on HWY 12



So, here’s the deal with this trip… it took place several months ago… in the spring...


Over the past several years our good friends have led us on many urban explorations in Minneapolis and now we are returning the favor by taking them on road trips in suburban and rural areas.
  
Our fellow explorers are always up for traveling off the beaten path, so they make excellent traveling companions. I make mention of that as there were at least three unplanned stops on this road trip… and these guys were up for the adventure!


Darwin, MN


First stop, Darwin, MN for the “World’s Largest Ball of Twine Rolled by One Man.”


 


Mr. Johnson began rolling a ball of twine back in 1950 and continued until 1979. Soon he had to move the ball outside on support beams… read more here at Atlas Obscura.

 


If you want to touch the ball of twine and visit the museum, make sure to call ahead to schedule a tour. As it happened we had other places to visit, so we contented ourselves with looking at the ball of twine through the glass structure and reading about Mr. Johnson and the process of creating this large work of art.




Dassel, MN




You never know what you’ll find driving down the road. You just might find one of the most interesting museums you’ll ever visit (as least in my opinion). This was one of those “bonus stops,” not on our itinerary. We were driving along and what in the world did we see? A mushroom shaped, vintage gas station (not in service). Photo op! And what did our wondrous eyes see… but a sign for The Dassel History Center & Ergot Museum! Only one of four had any idea what ergot is; a fungus that grows on the stalk of grains such as rye, oats, or wheat. When ingested...




Cokato, MN


On our way out to Darwin, we noticed this ginormous log on the back of a pickup truck.  So of course we said to ourselves… “we need to stop and get our picture taken with that truck.”  The things you see while on a road trip!  




Delano, MN




Beer stop at Lupine Brewing.  One card, eight growlers, $35.00… good deal. So, since we were heading out this way anyway, we thought we would pick up a growler.  And how do you decide which beer to choose? Sample a flight! After tasting, we settled on the Barleywine (so tasty!).


 


 
 
 
 
 
 
This town had two breweries… South Fork was the other brewery… which is now closed. Unfortunately, we know some of the reasons why: the beer was not our favorite and the old couches and broken pallet table left something to be desired. The staff were friendly and (the company was amazing as our friends are excellent conversationalists), so the experience was not an entire loss. All of that said, there may be others out there who have different opinions about this former brewery. Everyone has his or her own preferences.


Howard Lake, MN


A nice surprise was driving by Grandpa Ittel’s Meats, the local meat market. We were looking for a place to eat, when we found this place. Tasty beef jerky. They have even won awards for their meats.  


 


If you are hungry stop at Frontera Cafe & Bistro, a charming, little Mexican bistro.  The enchilada’s were delicious!  


Waverly, MN
 
At the Moon Antiques store, I found a reed organ!  I love the sound of accordion and I am lucky enough to have a husband who humors me…




Long Lake, MN


Birches on the Lake… mmm… another tasty Barleywine.  The atmosphere is casual elegance.  Fine dining upstairs and bar downstairs.  We went in the spring, so it was still a little chilly so we wouldn’t have enjoyed the patio.  In the summer it would be lovely to sit by a fire pit or in the Adirondack chairs.




The Red Rooster is a tasty, family friendly restaurant that was hoppin on a Saturday night.  The burger and grilled cheese were delicious.  The portions are large, so we took half home (next time we might share).

 





What a great day!


 

Fargo-Moorhead #1

What to do in Fargo-Moorhead? Hjemkomst Center Check out one of the many festivals!  Frostival is the Fargo-Moorhead way to cele...