5 Fantastic Fall Drives

Anytime is a great time for a road trip, but none is better in Minnesota and the Midwest than autumn, when the forests and woodlands are alive with color. Any of these five routes will keep you occupied for a weekend. And each will take you to an iconic corner of the region, from the wooded river valleys of south-central Minnesota to the sandy southern shore of Lake Superior in northwestern Wisconsin. So pack your bags, gas up the car, grab the atlas (or set the GPS), and go!

Photo by Todd Buchanan

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VALLEY VIEWS

Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway

Route: Belle Plaine to Ortonville ✦ Distance: 287 miles

The Minnesota River Valley was carved in ancient times by a swirling deluge draining from glacial lakes. Even today, you can’t get away from that fact. The valley is the dominant attraction as you drive, first southwest from the Twin Cities and then northwest at Mankato. In summer, I feel as though I’m swallowed up in a dazzling green trough of forests and farms. But the valley becomes most stunning in fall, when it’s filled with the eye-popping hues of golden aspen and cottonwoods, russet oaks, and flaming sumac. And way down at the bottom of the gorge is the descendant of that old glacial torrent, the comparatively puny but still mighty-in-its-own-right Minnesota River. ¶ If you’re setting out from the Cities, pick up the road at Belle Plaine and drive southwest to the river’s elbow, down at Mankato. Then turn sharply to the northwest, following the river into the upper reaches of the valley near Ortonville, on the Minnesota-South Dakota border. The highway twists, rises, and falls as it skirts the river bluffs. Hardwoods mix with cornfields and riverine wetlands. Watch for deer and flocks of turkeys. ¶ It’s the smaller towns that are most charming along this route: Henderson, St. Peter, Kasota, New Ulm, Morton, Granite Falls, Montevideo. The artery of the river valley eventually reaches into the prairies of western Minnesota, where crumbling foundations, repurposed-log buildings, and even a stone obelisk memorializing those killed during the Sioux Uprising of 1862 testify to old settlements in the valley—European and Dakota.

☛ Find a map for this adventure at: mnrivervalley.com/sites/index.php
 

STOPS ALONG THE WAY

✦ Autumn is apple season. Buy a bushel or sample a slice of pie at Jim’s Apple Farm (952-492-6380), between Jordan and Belle Plaine.

✦ In the attractive town of St. Peter, pick up a fresh sandwich at the St. Peter Food Co-op (507-934-4880, stpeterfood.coop) or some tasty quiche at the River Rock Coffee Shop (507-931-1540, rrcoffee.com). Then visit the Linnaeus Arboretum (507-933-6181, gustavus.edu/arboretum), on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College, to see some vibrant foliage.

✦ Minneopa State Park (507-389-5464, dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/minneopa), just west of Mankato, was named with the Dakota word for “water falling twice,” a reference to the picturesque waterfalls on Minneopa Creek, just a short walk from the parking area.

✦ New Ulm’s ethnic heritage finds expression in the giant Hermann the German monument in Hermann Heights Park. Hermann, otherwise known as Arminius, led Germanic tribes in a successful ambush of Roman legions 2,000 years ago. Ascend the 99 steps of the monument’s base for a sweeping view of the Minnesota River Valley. After your climb, enjoy a beer in the formal gardens of the August Schell Brewery (507-354-5528, schellsbrewery.com).

✦ A roadside stop at the Harkin Store State Historic Site (507-354-8666, mnhs.org/places/sites/hs), eight miles northwest of New Ulm on County 21, takes you back to the glorious 1870s, when the river port of West Newton had aspirations to be the biggest town on the upper Minnesota.

✦ Near Redwood Falls, the Lower Sioux Agency State Historic Site (507-697-6321, mnhs.org/places/sites/lsa) explores the roots of the Dakota War of 1862, when starving Indians battled troops and settlers in the Minnesota River Valley.

✦ Getting hungry? In Montevideo, grab a cappuccino, a quesadilla, or a panini (or all three!) at the cute little coffee shop Java River (320-269-7106, javarivercafe.com).

✦ Each fall, usually at the end of October, thousands of migrating geese gather at Lac qui Parle State Park (320-734-4450, dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/lac_qui_parle), which lies at the southern end of a dammed section of the Minnesota River. Birdwatchers also stand a good chance of seeing bald eagles.

✦ Fans of Scandinavian crafts should stop by the Trestuen Gallery and Studio in Milan (call for an appointment: 320-734-4715).

✦ The main attraction in Ortonville, which sits at the lower end of Big Stone Lake, named for the rock outcroppings that lie along its shoreline, is the Big Stone County Museum (320-839-3359), which features, among other things, a collection of more than 500 stuffed birds.