Floating Like a Leaf in Red Wing

[HostDave]

It might seem counterintuitive to be thinking about fall just as spring is starting to wrap its warm arms around much of the country, but when it comes to planning for your vacation, you can never think too far ahead. Among our most popular journeys are our Fall Foliage trips along the Upper Mississippi River between St. Louis, MO and Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN. Despite the fact that this is the heart of America, we find that surprisingly few of our gusts have travelled in this region before. However, they quickly discover that this is a special place. There’s no more relaxing, elegant or appropriate way to see it than from the decks of the American Queen.

What captures people’s imagination along these northern stretches of one of the world’s greatest rivers? We frequently hear how amazed our guests are at the hills and bluffs cradling the river. This is the Upper Midwest, after all, and most people have come to associate the word Midwest with vast, flat fields of crops. Nothing could be further from the truth on these voyages. America’s Midwest is a muse with many faces along the upper portions of the mighty Mississippi River. Hills blanketed in fall colors rise steeply from the banks; limestone and granite bluffs plunge to the river’s edge; and the land seems as if it is folding upon itself to create the most spectacular views just for you. You might even glimpse a few serene golden fields between the rolling hills and wide stretches of the river where lakes branch off into the trees.

Traveling in autumn brings a certain peace and serenity. As the leaves turn, the wood smoke spirals out of chimneys in the towns and cities along the way and the quiet calm is almost palpable.

It’s also the only time of year that the riverbanks are as colorful as the American Queen’s bright red paddlewheel. A blanket of reds, oranges and golds covers the landscape. Leaves blow across the brick-paved streets of small towns like Red Wing, MN and Hannibal, MO. Warm apple cider and spiced pumpkin pie bring the harvest bounty right to the table as wildlife bustles about the myriad of colors lining the river in preparation for the coming winter.

Speaking of Red Wing, this charming town is always one of our guests’ favorites. It’s blessed with a large dose of natural beauty, a picturesque setting, quaint traditional streets, historic red brick buildings and a population of warm, kind and caring people who are eager to answer a question or offer a smile. Ask a local for directions, and he’s as likely to walk you directly to your destination as he is to just point the way.

What many people overlook in the hurly-burly of today’s world is the rich tapestry of history that binds us all together and the tales of yesteryear that wait around every corner in America’s smaller towns. Each has contributed to the story of America and each story is unique. Let’s examine Red Wing in this light.

This city of 16,000 was well-known to steamboat travelers in the 1800s. The boats brought settlers to the fertile farmland in the area as far back as the 1850s. As one might expect, wheat was the primary cash crop and despite Kansas’ claim to be the “Breadbasket of America,” in 1873 Minnesota’s Goodhue County, thanks to Redwing, was the biggest wheat-producing county in the country with the riverfront warehouses able to store more than a million bushels to be loaded onto the many riverboats that frequented the Upper Mississippi bringing goods downriver as far as New Orleans. The expansion of the railroads eventually caused the river traffic to decrease by the 1900s.

If you think you’ve heard the word Red Wing used to describe something other than the city, you’re right. If you snow ski, you’re probably familiar with “Red Wing Style” skiing, a technique that had its roots in the Telemark form. The city’s association with skiing should be no surprise, given that one of America’s first ski clubs, the Aurora Ski Club, was founded in Red Wing in 1887. A Norwegian immigrant soared 37 feet from the ski club’s McSorley Hill that same year, establishing the very first ski jump record in the United States.

Red Wing has a strong Scandinavia heritage with many settlers coming from Norway and Sweden but immigrants also arrived from Germany and Ireland. Beer, pottery, masonry, boat-building and stone-cutting all took hold and the famed St. James Hotel is a testament to those earliest days and a popular spot for a relaxing afternoon cocktail. The city is still famous for its pottery, which got its start in 1861 thanks to a potter named John Paul who discovered ample supplies of solid clay in the bluffs and hills surrounding the city. Red Wing Stoneware was founded in 1877 and a tradition was born.

Today, Red Wing is modest about its achievements but a quick walk through town gives you a strong sense of history and appreciation for all that has come before. With the colorful autumnal leaves rustling in the sprawling oak trees lining the residential streets and the quilt of fall colors draped across the hills surrounding the town, Red Wing seems to be at one with its surroundings. Nature and history blend into a single experience that only America’s small towns can provide.

We mentioned at the beginning of this blog that it’s never too early to plan ahead for your vacation. While I’m sure you’ve heard that before, it’s particularly true for our Fall Foliage voyages. The lure of treasured ports like Red Wing and the colorful fall landscape means that these journeys sell quickly. Our 9-day journeys from St. Louis to Minneapolis/St. Paul on September 27 and October 11, 2013 include stops in Hannibal, Dubuque, La Crosse and Red Wing and a complimentary night in a deluxe hotel in St. Louis before your adventure begins. On October 4 and October 18, 2013, our 9-day return journeys depart Minneapolis/St. Paul for St. Louis, including a pre-voyage night in a delightful hotel, courtesy of the American Queen Steamboat Company.