May | 2015 | Find the Beauty

When Dan and I travel, we rarely take the direct route. Venturing off the beaten path is where the fun is. On this particular trip, the end goal was Pipestone, MN which is located at the very Southwestern corner of MN. There were many towns along the way that we made a mental note to stop back and explore further at a later date and time. A few mentionable towns we decided, for some reason or another, to stop in were Gibbon and Walnut Grove MN.

As we traveled through Gibbon, MN a few of the business caught our eye and seemed to bring us back to another point in time. Gibbon Village Hall is an extremely interesting building; the unusual building was built in 1895 with medieval-themed Romanesque Revival architecture. We also took some time out of our travels to walk into Bad Dog Antiques and Other Attractions and were pleasantly surprised. What a very interesting and unique store… I am still kicking myself for not purchasing the complete antique set of alphabet wooden blocks! If ever in the area, stop in and chat with the friendly staff. To see more images from Gibbon, MN take the time to view Dan’s blog, “Gibbon, MN/MN South Central”.

Located in the Southwest corner of Redwood County, Lies a small town called Walnut Grove. Walnut Grove is known nationwide today as the childhood home of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Every year, the town holds a Wilder Pageant which is an outdoor drama based of the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Although there are no pictures of the historical site in this blog, I remember visiting the banks of Plum creek often as a child since my grandmother lived and taught school in a small town located east of this area in Lamberton.

in Black and White

In technicolor

On this day, Dan and I decided to take a short trip and venture down to Reads Landing in Southeast MN. We followed the mighty Mississippi as it twists southbound from Red Wing; our first stop was a small beach in Old Frontenac.

This small town was originally established in 1857 with the name Westervelt, the name changed in 1860 to Frontenac by brothers who owned large tracts of land in the area. At that time, Frontenac soon began to attract wealthy residents and became a community of summer homes with Lakeside views of Lake Pepin. Frontenac is indeed a beautiful little town, we visit Frontenac State Park often and will stop by the little beach on occasion. On this day, the girls had fun in the sun and sand.

Heading south on Hwy 61, our next stop was Lake City. We did not stay long but had enough time to walk the marina to see the sails that are waiting for warmer weather.

Our final destination was Reads Landing, MN and Reads Landing Brewing Company. Originally founded in the mid 1800’s, Reads Landing soon grew to a major river town located at the mouth of Lake Pepin. In the late 1880’s the town began decline and most businesses relocated to Wabasha. Interesting fact: According to Wikipedia, “At one time Reads Landing was considered a possible site for the Minnesota State Capital.” Although there is not much left in Reads Landing, it is home to Reads Landing Brewing Company. I would recommend a stop in to try some of their hometown craft brew and a snack.