on location: midwest ❖
randy mink
MINNE SOTA A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT Scenic viewpoints, historical treasures and great shopping captivate groups traveling along the mighty Mississippi
M
ake a list of Mississippi River cities, and places like New Orleans, Memphis and St. Louis immediately come to mind. Or you might think of Natchez and Vicksburg, Miss., or Mark Twain’s hometown of Hannibal, Mo. But what about Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Red Wing and Winona? While Minnesota may be the Land of 10,000 Lakes, the Mississippi also plays a key role in the state’s geography, history and economy. In fact, the river’s source—a tourist attraction in its own right—is in Northern Minnesota. Tour groups, especially those from overseas and outside the heartland, want to see America’s most famous river, and they have many chances on the Great River Road National Scenic Byway, which winds its way from the Bemidji area to Southeastern Minnesota. Minneapolis grew up on the river as a lumber and grain milling center. Though downtown’s riverfront factories 46 April 2010
have closed, the flavor of yesteryear lives on at the Mill City Museum. Housed in the ruins of a limestone building where General Mills made Gold Medal Flour until 1965, the museum offers nostalgic exhibits and vintage TV commercials that spotlight products like Bisquick, Wheaties and other staples of the American diet. The Baking Lab whips up bread and other goodies to sample, and the Flower Tower elevator ride sheds light on the milling process. Minneapolis’ once-blighted downtown riverfront is now a trendy place to hang out. Industrial buildings along the cobblestone streets in the St. Anthony Main district, easily reached from the Mill City Museum by the Stone Arch Bridge, have been converted into loft apartments, restaurants and clubs. A platform at Water Power Park makes a good perch for viewing the river and St. Anthony Falls, which settlers harnessed to turn the wheels that ground the wheat
into all that flour. Also on the downtown riverfront is the nationally acclaimed Guthrie Theater, which opened its new three-theater complex in 2006. Minnehaha Park, on limestone bluffs above the Mississippi, has many hiking trails including one that leads to Minnehaha Falls, made famous in Longfellow’s The Song of Hiawatha. Above the falls is a statue of Hiawatha and Minnehaha. (meetminneapolis.com) Saint Paul, the other half of the Twin Cities, also lies on the Mississippi. In fact, it boasts more miles of riverfront—26—than any other city along the entire stretch of Ol’ Man River. At Harriet Island, across from downtown Saint Paul, visitors can go back in time on a paddlewheeler cruise or at a melodrama staged at the Minnesota Centennial Showboat. On bluffs above the juncture of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers, costumed soldiers and settlers make frontier days come to life LeisureGroupTravel.com
Padelford Packet Boat Company/Pat Laurel, Saint Paul CVA
Tour groups in the Twin Cities find plenty to do along the Mississippi River. Options include a Padelford Packet Co. cruise, the Guthrie Theatre and Historic Fort Snelling, where costumed interpreters portray life at an 1820s Army post.
Minnehaha Falls, made famous in Longfellow’s The Song of Hiawatha, and Stone Arch Bridge are Minneapolis landmarks. Winona is renowned for its stained-glass studios. The Cathedral of Saint Paul graces the Summit Avenue historic district.
at Historic Fort Snelling, a reconstruction of an 1820s U.S. Army post. While its friendly rival, Minneapolis, is viewed as more cosmopolitan and has more skyscrapers, Saint Paul prizes tradition and lures the history-minded traveler with pockets of Old World charm. Many of its heritage sites are conveniently clustered in a small geographical area close to downtown. On Summit Avenue (the country’s longest street of Victorian architecture at 4.5 miles), the cavernous, domed Cathedral of Saint Paul is a block from the 1891 James J. Hill House, the brooding, Romanesque Revival mansion of the builder of the Great Northern Railway. Down the street are the Governor’s Mansion and home of novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald. (visitsaintpaul.com) Many groups come to the Twin Cities with one destination in mind— Bloomington’s Mall of America. The nation’s largest retail and entertainment LeisureGroupTravel.com
complex under one roof continues to thrive and is building a four-level addition connected to the existing mall. Besides more than 520 stores and 50 restaurants, MOA boasts Nickelodeon Universe, the nation’s largest indoor amusement park, and Underwater Adventures Aquarium. The mega-mall is just 15 minutes from downtown Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Nearly 40 hotels lie within a 10-minute drive, and all offer complimentary shuttle service to MOA. (bloomingtonmn.org, moainformation.com) In Saint Cloud, Munsinger and Clemens Gardens provides an idyllic setting along the Mississippi. One garden features more than 1,100 rose bushes, while an all-white garden blooms with white flowers and flowering shrubs. Known as Granite City USA, Saint Cloud is home to Monumental Sales’ granite works, where tours showcase the making of cemetery me-
morials and garden ornaments. (granitecountry.com) Grand Rapids, an old lumber town in Northeast Minnesota’s tall timber country, was built on the Mississippi River, which carried logs to mill. Get in touch with lumberjack heritage at the Forest History Center, where costumed interpreters breathe life into a 1900 logging camp. The Judy Garland Museum celebrates a Grand Rapids girl who made good. Attached to the museum is the white frame house where Frances Ethel Gumm ( Judy’s real name) grew up. Valuable pieces include a Gold Record awarded for Over the Rainbow, a “test dress” made for (but never used in) The Wizard of Oz and a black carriage from the 1939 movie that later was found to have been owned by Abraham Lincoln. (visitgrandrapids.com) Bemidji, just over an hour from Grand Rapids and 100 miles south of April 2010 47
on location: midwest ❖ the Canadian border, bills itself as the “First City on the Mississippi.” Close to the river’s headwaters in Itasca State Park, it’s situated where the Mississippi passes through Lake Bemidji. (The Indian word “Bemidji” means “cross waters.”) At the lakefront visitor center in this northwoods town, tourists have fun posing next to the giant statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. Groups enjoy the factory tour and outlet shopping at Bemidji Woolen Mills, which has made warm clothes for loggers and outdoorsmen since 1920. Paul Bunyan Playhouse features theatrical productions in summer. (visitbemidji.com)
good place to try Minnesota foods like walleye and wild rice. On narrated lake cruises aboard the 55-passenger Chester Charles, groups will see deer, herons and the common loon, the state bird. (dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/itasca) Small, old-fashioned towns along the Great River Road in Southeastern Minnesota provide plenty of attractions and shopping opportunities for groups. From blufftop lookouts, they also offer panoramic views of the Mississippi River Valley and, in winter and spring, great eagle watching. Historic Red Wing, best known for shoes and pottery that bear its
tional Eagle Center. Besides interactive exhibits, the center has several injured eagles that star in classroom presentations. (wabashamn.org) Downtown Winona is crammed with vintage buildings, and the region’s past comes alive at the excellent Winona County Historical Museum. The Minnesota Marine Art Museum, on the banks of the Mississippi, displays nautical and folk art. Groups also like the Watkins Heritage Museum at the headquarters of the venerable home products company that makes everything from spices and seasonings to liniment oil, foot cream and body oils.
Giant statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox provide photo ops in Bemidji. Groups in Northern Minnesota also flock to the Judy Garland Museum (right) in the Mississippi River town of Grand Rapids.
An obligatory stop at Itasca State Park is the Mississippi Headwaters, the point where a humble stream flows out of Lake Itasca on its 2,552-mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico. A trail leads from the Mary Gibbs Headwaters Visitor Center to the Headwaters Post, a tree trunk sign that signifies the river’s source. Some people wade across; others negotiate the stepping stones. The park’s Jacob V. Brower Visitor Center, a fascinating museum, explodes with lore of the region. Exhibits in the log-beamed building cover Ojibwe culture, flora and fauna, and the park’s history as a resort. Nearby are the rustic buildings of the 1905 Douglas Lodge and cabins. The lodge restaurant is a 48 April 2010
name, abounds with antique shops, art galleries and one-of-a-kind specialty stores as well as places to buy Red Wing Shoes and Red Wing Pottery. The Red Wing Shoe Museum opened last year on Main Street and features the world’s largest boot—a size 638½ D that stands six feet tall. The store attached to the museum sells the sturdy shoes and work boots the company has been making since 1905. Groups at the St. James Hotel enjoy Victorian charm and lunch in the Veranda restaurant, which overlooks the Mississippi and offers seasonal outdoor seating. (redwing.org) Wabasha, another historic town full of yesteryear charm, is home to the Na-
Winona, located on an island in the Mississippi, is known as the “Stained Glass Capital” for its cluster of stained glass studios, and tours allow groups to see artisans at work. (visitwinona.com) Whether their tour starts in the Bluff Country of Southeastern Minnesota, the Twin Cities metro area or Paul Bunyan’s northwoods, groups will find a cornucopia of options within a stone’s throw of the Mississippi River— in the state where it begins. LGT
PLAN IT ! Explore Minnesota: 800-657-3600, exploreminnesota.com
LeisureGroupTravel.com
The hee Place Pla for for
ffun un
™
Bloomington, MN
S H O P • P L AY • F U N Mall of America® – over 520 stores, 50 restaurants and the nation’s largest indoor Nickelodeon® theme park - Nickelodeon Universe®! Experience world class shopping, spine-tingling rides and leading attractions including:
Enjoy no sales tax on clothing and shoes! Take convenient Light Rail Transit to MSP International Airport and downtown Minneapolis. For more information, contact Millie Philipp in Mall of America Tourism at 952.883.8843, mphilipp@mallofamerica.com or visit www.mallofamerica.com