There is nothing we love more than taking our kids on an all-American road trip to state parks, national parks, wilderness areas and charming small towns!
We were invited by the historic Hotel Winneshiek to spend the weekend in Decorah, Iowa. It was about a three hour drive from the Twin Cities. It was so different from the Twin Cities! A perfect spot to get-away for the weekend.
The hotel was absolutely gorgeous. Everywhere you looked there were tributes to the past. The boys loved sneaking in to the opera house on the floor above ours!
The second night of our stay, we dined at Restauration - the restaurant within the hotel. The restaurant had a great menu, beer & wine selection. The locally sourced steaks and made-in-house desserts were some of the best we've ever had. And so convenient. We just crawled back up to our room afterwards with full bellies!
We also ate at the nearby La Rana and Mabes Pizza. Both were recommended to us & lived up to their recommendations!
hotel view from above
everyone in the family loved to sit in the window of our room and watch the street below
a very sweet elderly man bought our family's drinks and snacks on the first night we arrived. He did it anonymously and left before we could thank him! The bartender said he does it quite often.
a charming hall in the hotel
can't get enough of this lobby!
a great spot for happy hour - the hotel bar.
In fact, the entire town seemed to pay homage to its vibrant past: murals, museums, history walks and many restored buildings! It gave the town so much charm!
historic train station turned doctor's office.
I loved walking by the town's post office - so vibrant!
love the historical facades
These homemade cinnamon rolls with fresh cream cheese at Java John's were divine! I also loved the local art there.
City Hall
signs like these were all over, sharing town's the rich history. My kids were fascinated.
lots of cute shops and artsy stores
On Saturday we drove out to Malanaphy Springs State Preserve and went on a long family hike to see a waterfall and natural springs! It was one of the highlights of our trip. The weather was warm and the scenery was breathtaking. The boys rarely stayed on the trail and enjoyed climbing logs and steep pitches, finding mud and all sorts of treasures.
it had snowed a teeny bit the night before, leaving everything fresh and white!
Arlo asked if a leprechaun had touched the river! It was a beautiful bright green thanks to the plants growing on the bottom
they're truly happiest outside!
never staying on the actual trail of course!
we saw all sorts of neat tracks in the fresh snow
cy loved finding this permanent rope to hike some steep pitches
Later that day, after a nice lunch at Mabe's Pizza and some time spent wandering the town, we headed back out to the outskirts to see the Decorah Fish Hatchery and Eagles! The fish hatchery was a fun stop! For a quarter, you can buy food to feed the trout and see them all really come alive when you drop some bits in.
A very short walk from the hatchery is the famous Decorah Eagle's Nest. Cy has been watching a live eagle cam at school so this was particularly exciting for him! It was a treat to be so close to a huge nest and babies! See the live cam feed here!
feeding trout
they're quite beautiful
so stoic
we also saw a couple of deer right as we were leaving the fish hatchery!
The town looked so pretty Sunday morning as we went on a final walk.
Thank you so much Hotel Winneshiek for a quick weekend get-away that really took us "away."
We loved your charming town's winning combination of arts, history and nature!
We highly recommend visiting Decorah, Iowa for a fun weekend get-away from the Twin Cities!
If You Go:
Leave time for the drive!
the most beautiful indoor carousel with hand carved, hand painted wooden animals at Lark Toys!
On the "Rochester Route" there's Zumbrota's covered bridge, Minnesota Mystery Cave and numerous towns with Amish furniture.
On the "Red Wing Route" there's the Red Wing shoe store, Lake Pepin and Lark Toys is a must! Lark Toys is a roadside gem with an indoor carousel, vintage toy museum, a full cafe and a candy shop.
In Decorah:
Hotel Winneshiek is located in the heart of the town's historical downtown. Comfortable and stately. Charming and welcoming! Also be sure to try their restaurant, Restauration.
Vesterheim Museum - homage to the town's fascinating Norwegian history
Luther College - climbing wall!
Decorah Eagles and Fish Hatchery
Hike at the Malanphy Springs State Preserve or Dunning Springs Preserve.
Lots of fun brew pubs! Topping Goliath (my beer snob husband loved their Zeelander) and Pulpit Rock
Have fun! Read a few other Twin City Weekend Get Away ideas here!