Like the river captains of old, you know you’re approaching the southern Minnesota river city of Winona when Sugar Loaf the lofty limestone pinnacle atop one of the many formidable bluffs that flank the city, comes into view. Situated on what appears to be a huge island in the middle of the Mississippi, Winona is the quintessential river city. The towering presence of Sugar Loaf beckons to travelers to stop and tie up for a visit, just as riverboats did more than 150 years ago.
It’s no surprise that Mark Twain barely mentioned Winona, or any other “upper river” communities in his saga
Life on the Mississippi. In the 1850s, there just wasn’t much above St. Louis to write about. If Sam Clemens could only see Winona now.
Today this river community of about 30,000 offers all the amenities of a thriving, fertile, scenic river valley—camping, fishing, hunting, boating, hiking and wildlife viewing—plus a broad-based offering of the arts, culture and the region’s laid-back lifestyle.
Most travelers’ official introduction to Winona is the winding drive up a steep, wooded valley for a bird’s-eye view of the community and surrounding river landscape from the overlook at Galvin Heights. From the edge of the bluff, the vista extends across the river valley beyond the eastern banks of the Mississippi, which forms Minnesota’s border with Wisconsin. The view showcases not only the river but forest-covered bluffs, many with exposed caps of limestone that define this valley as far as the eye can see.
Galvin Heights is also home to the area’s newest vineyard. The main building has a 7-mile view of the surrounding hill country. Grapes grown at Galvin Heights Vineyards are Minnesota-hardy strains that produce most of the traditional flavors of white and red wines.
An added bonus to a tour along Galvin Heights Drive happens every fall when the forests throughout the Mississippi Valley explode in brilliant reds, oranges and golds. Almost any county road hereabouts will lead intrepid travelers through a patchwork of flaming fall foliage. It’s arguably one of the premier autumn color destinations in the Midwest.
Nowhere in Minnesota do art and culture flourish with any more gusto than along the banks of this river town. In its seventh season this year, the Great River Shakespeare Festival continues to offer two plays alternating every other day throughout the summer. The professional performances are all top-notch.
Winona’s Beethoven Festival begins its third summer of performances in 2010, providing yet another facet in Winona’s cultural crown. A diverse mix of musicians, soloists, trios and full orchestras offers concerts at different venues throughout Winona. Music is also in the air every Wednesday night during the summer through programs at the band shell at Lake Park. Nearly every musical taste, from classical to contemporary, can be heard during the summer in Winona.
If that’s not enough to fill your calendar, load up the RV and head to the Lakeside Drive Inn next to Lake Park. Every Wednesday evening, the lot fills with vintage cars from around the area. Enjoy a burger and a shake while drooling over the classic autos in a setting straight out of American Graffiti.
The newest cultural attraction to the area—to all of southern Minnesota, in fact—is the Minnesota Marine Art Museum. Built on the banks of the Mississippi in the style of a waterfront harbor, the museum offers a commanding view of the river. The museum is home to four major collections comprised of artworks, wood and painted sculpture, photography and maps.
Among its prized treasures is an original work by French Impressionist Claude Monet. Special exhibits such as the recent display of canoes from Winona’s own Wenonah Canoe company will be featured for extended stays throughout the year.
Some of the community’s other impressive art can be found in the form of massive stained-glass windows in local businesses. Downtown boasts two banks with looming displays of this art form. The glass in the Merchants National Bank spans 1,500 square feet and was designed by George Elmslie, a Prairie-style architect second only to Frank Lloyd Wright. A few blocks away at Winona State Bank, Egyptian Revival–style stained glass, designed by Tiffany Studios, adorns several windows and a skylight. More of these resplendent pieces of art can be found on a self-guided walking tour through Winona’s downtown area.
There’s plenty of parking downtown for big rigs, including the public lot behind the movie theater. If stretching your legs is an incentive to tour more museums, consider the Polish Museum, the Winona County Historical Society and the Watkins Museum a few blocks south of the downtown area. More parking along the waterfront at the river’s edge makes it convenient to enjoy the small shops and casual restaurants scattered throughout the downtown core.
The sacrifices of fallen American war heroes are memorialized at Veterans Memorial Park at Lake Park.
While history buffs have their plate full of delectable options, those drawn to outdoor recreation will find an equally diverse array of choices in and around Winona. The river alone provides endless opportunities to cruise the many channels in search of a small island sandbar on which to picnic or camp. Paddlers can enjoy a labyrinth of backwater routes, all interconnected and spread out from bank to bank. Access ramps on both sides of the river enable boaters to get out and into the heart of the Mississippi. Most access areas have adequate parking and turn-around space.
RV camping is conveniently available at nearly 500 RV sites scattered along both sides of the river and in the valleys throughout the region. Just north of town and right on the river is Prairie Island Campground, a Good Sam Park offering nearly 200 sites, 108 with electricity. Just a few miles south of Winona, on U.S. 61, is Pla-Mor Campground, another Good Sam Park. It’s nestled in the base of the bluffs along the river and offers Good Sam members two options for camping—in the woods or along the river.
Two Minnesota state parks with ample RV camping sites await less than an hour away. Great River Bluffs State Park, a half hour’s drive south on U.S. 61 offers bluff-top camping with lofty walk-out overlooks high above the Mississippi Valley. Twenty miles east of Winona, Whitewater State Park provides scenic contrast to the river country.
Across the river from Winona, on the Wisconsin side, a short drive north on Wisconsin State Highway 35 brings you to Merrick State Park with more RV sites and access to the river network of channels, marshes and streams.
If scenic drives are part of your activities, the hill country beyond the river flats of Winona offers extensive hardwood forests, deep valleys and winding roads that snake up and down birch-covered coulees. This is the part of Minnesota that wasn’t covered by the last ice age. Hills weren’t flattened, valleys weren’t filled. In fact, just the opposite took place. The winding climbs are steep, but the lanes are wide with several scenic turnouts strategically placed to offer stunning vistas. Huge rocky knobs, upsweeping grassy meadows and well-groomed fields of corn and soybeans characterize the landscape.
Yet another neighboring attraction on the Wisconsin side of the river is the Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge. Just 15 minutes away, this primitive area of hardwoods, marshes and estuaries along the Mississippi is a birder’s and wildlife viewer’s paradise. During the spring and fall migration, the region from Winona south to the Iowa border is visited by immense flocks of geese, swans and ducks. Sandhill cranes and white pelicans can be seen all summer long. A few miles south of the refuge sits Perrot State Park, providing more full-service camping and a network of hiking trails along and up into the bluffs above the river.
The Mississippi River is a shimmering bracelet, with each of its river towns a unique, glistening charm. Winona sparkles like a cluster of gems, from the sophisticated to the sublime. If Mark Twain could have foreseen all that Winona has become, he’d certainly have devoted a chapter to this river city.
For Your Information
Visit Winona
www.visitwinona.com
Winona Steamboat Days
June 16 through 20
www.winonasteamboatdays.com
Good Sam Parks
You’ll find 16 Good Sam Parks in Minnesota, including two in Winona and 23 more across the Mississippi River in Wisconsin.
Pla-Mor Campground and Marina
www.camppla-mor.com
Prairie Island Campground
www.prairieislandcamp.com