This weekend we took advantage of the fall weather by taking in the colorful leaves in the St. Croix River Valley. We travelled to the Interstate State Park area, which straddles the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin at Taylors Falls and St. Croix Falls, respectively. It's a short hour and a half northwest of the Twin Cities, and it was definitely worth the drive.
Forecasters predicted the leaves to be at peak this weekend in much of the state. The vivid reds and yellows were especially pretty near the river bluffs. We hiked an easy, populated trail in Interstate State Park, ate cheese in Wisconsin, and shopped in the river towns before driving 30 miles south to Stillwater. This town calls itself the "birthplace of Minnesota,'" as it is the place where men got together and decided they wanted to petition for statehood. The town planners have wisely preserved the quaint downtown area, and it's a fun place to spend an afternoon. There are high end gift shops, art galleries, overpriced antique stores, and several restaurants with a river view. Their menus range from seafood to bar food. Downtown, they also advertise going on a cave tour underneath Stillwater, while drinking a glass of wine from a local winery....which is something that interests both of us.
As evidenced by the very large crowds in every town, we weren't the only ones taking it a typical Minnesota Fall weekend.
Interstate State Park is a hot spot for rock climbers, and we saw several non-stereotypical climbers in action. There was an 8-year-old dangling very high in the air, with his father spotting him, of course. Here's a group of college kids rockclimbing:
Next time we visit, we are definitely checking out the canoe trip. You can rent them and take them up the river from Taylors Falls. We will definitely return.
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