From beautiful hikes, historic landmarks, stone monuments to beer & wine!
After a 2 night stay in La Crosse Wisconsin, we ended our long weekend trip in Winona, Minnesota. Winona is also part of the picturesque bluff country, along the Great River Road.
Pickwick Mills
Since we were driving from the South, we decided our first stop would be Pickwick Mill. Pickwick Mill is one of the oldest surviving water-powered mills, constructed in the mid 1850s. It was closed when we arrived, but it was still a fun stop with a waterfall!
Sugar Loaf Bluff
The Sugar Loaf Bluff hike was one of my favorite things to do on our weekend trip! Sugar Loaf is a bluff on the Mississippi River topped by a rock pinnacle, overlooking the city of Winona, MN. It's 1.2 miles out & back to the bluff, but if you'd like to make the hike longer, head back and exit towards Garvin Heights.
Garvin Heights Lookout
Since the thunderstorms rolled in before we could get to the end of the trail, if there was an end, we decided to drive up to the Garvin Heights Lookout. It was pretty hard to see through the fog, but still a great stop! I had never understood why Winona was called the Island City, until you see the views from above.
Kinstone
Kinstone is a 30-acre haven of peaceful beauty filled with stone sculpture, natural buildings, restored native prairie, oak savanna and spectacular views over the Mississippi River. Located outside of Fountain City, Wisconsin.
Hands down the best thing we did all summer! I might be exaggerating a bit, but this was honestly such a fun surprise! It could be because we had really low expectations and honestly was a little freaked out by what we read on some of the signs, like the stuff is pretty out there. We didn't know if we just had entered some kind of cult or what, but our mindset changed dramatically after Jake completed the circle of intention and the rain stopped. Our minds became a little more open and when we reached the stone circle, we were completely in awe! And then we met our tour guide & we couldn't get enough of this place! Be sure to check out our Instagram featured stories for more of our experience here!
Elmaro Vineyard
One of our most favorite MN wineries is now Elmaro Winery! It's just across the border into Wisconsin. They are set on a beautiful landscape, have delicious wine & charcuterie! A must stop for you wine lovers!
Island City Brewing
Another must stop is Island City Brewing, which is located right along the Mississippi River downtown Winona.
Check out more trips along the Great River Road below! Also check out our Instagram page for our featured stories.
Kommentare