Here in Minnesota, there’s something fun to do for just about everyone. No matter what your interests, you’ll find a park or store or museum devoted to it. If you’re really lucky, you’ll even find off-the-beaten-track attractions related to your interest. That certainly holds true for Minnesota’s crafters and quilters. Not only is the state home to many quilt shops and craft stores, but it’s also home to a beautiful countryside quilt barn trail that is well worth the drive. Take a look:
Caledonia is a small town of just under 3,000 people. You’ll find it in the southeastern corner of the state.
While Caledonia is tiny, it does have a few claims to fame. This rural farm community touts itself as the Wild Turkey Capital of Minnesota.
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It is also the Heart of Quilt Country. That will quickly become evident with a drive through the Caledonia countryside.
This little town plays host to almost 60 quilt barns! There are 59, to be exact.
Because there are so many quilt barns, the quilts has been divided into three different routes.
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Loop 1 is the shortest route. Crossing through 10 miles of rural Caledonia, there are 10 quilt barns on display.
Loop 2 is the longest route. It consists of 20 quilts over 20 miles! The colorful patterns look just like real quilts, and they’re absolutely beautiful.
Finally, Loop 3 is a 15-mile drive that will give you up-close looks at 14 more quilts.
But that only covers 44 quilts! If you keep driving through the countryside, you’re sure to spot more that aren’t on official routes.
This lovely quilt barn trail is a wonderful way to see the lesser known Minnesota countryside.
You may walk away with a new appreciation for art and agriculture of small communities across the state!
For more information about the Caledonia quilt barn trail, check out their website. It contains routes, coordinates, and more.
If you're a lover of books and Minnesota, then you're going to love this little road trip in the Land of 10,000 Lakes that we've got planned for you. It's going to take you to some spots that touch on our state's literary legacy, as well as some of the best bookstores in the Twin Cities. The initial part of this trip is short, and how much time it will take you to complete will depend on how much time you spend browsing. At the end, I've included a stretch goal if you'd like to turn your afternoon adventure into a weekend getaway.
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The itinerary.
Tap or click on the above map to navigate or customize the road trip itinerary in Google Maps.
1. F. Scott Fitzgerald Statue - St. Paul
You'll kick off your literary road trip in downtown St. Paul's Rice Park, where you'll find a statue of Minnesota's arguably most famous literary figure, F. Scott Fitzgerald. A St. Paul native, Fitzgerald's best known work is his novel, The Great Gatsby, which features some references to his home state.
2. George Latimer Central Library - St. Paul
Just across Rice Park from the statue, you'll find the George Latimer Central Library, the crown jewel of the St. Paul Public Library system. Completed in 1917, Fitzgerald may well have witnessed its construction. Be sure to pop in and have a look around this historic repository of words and knowledge.
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3. F. Scott Fitzgerald Home - St. Paul
From Rice Park, you'll head out of downtown and up the hill to swank and historic Summit Avenue. There, you'll find one of the homes associated with Fitzgerald in the Twin Cities.
This is the brownstone where he wrote the manuscript for This Side of Paradise, his first novel, as well as several short stories.
4. Red Balloon Bookshop - St. Paul
Drop down a block to Grand Avenue, and pay a visit to Red Balloon Bookshop. It's a whimsical spot that's also one of the best local bookstores in St. Paul for children's literature. I used to visit when my kids were little, and I still love to pop in from time to time. Just look for the friendly bear holding the red balloon.
5. Next Chapter Booksellers - St. Paul
If you're wondering where to buy books in St. Paul that isn't so kid lit-centric, head a few minutes west on Grand Avenue to its intersection with Snelling. There, you'll find Next Chapter Booksellers, which is easily one of my favorite bookstores in St. Paul. You're pretty likely to find something from award-winning author Marlon James there, as well.
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6. Macalester College - St. Paul
James, winner of the Man Booker Prize and American Book Award, as well as many others, teaches at Macalester College, which is right across the street from Next Chapter. Take a moment to stroll around the beautiful campus and soak up some of the creative vibes that emanate from it.
7. Dinkytown - Minneapolis
Your next stop will take you to Dinkytown, the Minneapolis neighborhood where Bob Dylan lived when he attended the University of Minnesota. Legend has it, he lived in the building that was once home to Gray's Campus Drug, at the corner of 4th Street SE (positively!) and 14th Avenue SE. Now a vacant former restaurant, you can imagine him in one of the second-floor windows looking out at the hustle and bustle of Dinkytown as he noodled song lyrics with his guitar in hand.
8. Book House - Minneapolis
Half a block away from the former Gray's, you'll find the Book House. A Dinkytown institution, Book House has long been my favorite used bookstore in Minnesota. Every visit is like a successful treasure hunt - you never know what you'll find, but there's always something.
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9. Bob Dylan Mural - Minneapolis
Next, you'll head to the massive mural of Bob Dylan on 5th Street in downtown Minneapolis. By this point, you may be asking why Bob Dylan is on our literary road trip. Well, if you most know, this favorite son of Minnesota was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016. So, his feet are firmly planted in the worlds of both music and literature.
10. Birchbark Books and Native Arts - Minneapolis
The next stop on your adventure is, I think, the best local bookstore in Minneapolis for new books, Birchbark Books and Native Arts.
It's owned by renowned author and longtime Minneapolis resident, Louise Erdrich. Her work has won the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Pulitzer Prize, and countless other honors. Her bookstore is a wonderful place to get to know Erdrich's work while discovering other works by Native and non-Native writers, alike. If you don't have time to linger, be sure to check out Birchbark's offerings on the shop's website.
Birchbark is the end of the Twin Cities day trip portion of this adventure. You can finish here, or you can extend your adventure by visiting the boyhood stomping grounds of Minnesota's two Nobel laureates for literature. If you're game, tap or click on the map above to continue your literary journey in Minnesota.
11. Sinclair Lewis Childhood Home - Sauk Centre
You're first stop is Sauk Centre, a little over an hour northwest of Minneapolis. It's where Nobel Prize-winning author Sinclair Lews grew up. Famous for books like Babbitt, Main Street, and Elmer Gantry, Lewis incorporated his years in Minnesota into much of his literature. He became the first United States writer to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature when it was awarded to him in 1930. You can still visit his home in Sauk Centre.
12. Sauk Centre Sinclair Lewis Library - Sauk Centre
Sauk Centre has embraced its favorite son, and the public library is an excellent place for learning more about him.
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You'll even find a statue of Lewis standing outside the entrance.
The next stop on your journey is Hibbing, Minnesota, for a return to Bob Dylan and his roots.
13. Bob Dylan Boyhood Home - Hibbing
Although he was born and lived his first few years in Duluth, Robert Zimmerman spent his formative years in Hibbing.
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It was there that he became enamored of music and songwriting.
14. Bob Dylan Nobel Prize Tribute - Hibbing
He occasionally showcased his talents at Hibbing High School, where you'll find a tribute to Dylan and his Nobel Prize on its grounds.
15. Hibbing Public Library - Hibbing
The Hibbing Public Library houses a Bob Dylan collection that's fascinating to explore. It's definitely worth a visit if you're a Dylan admirer like I am.
Whether you just make a couple stops on this itinerary or spend a weekend doing the whole trip plus the stretch goal, I'm sure you'll learn some interesting stuff along the way or, at the very least, learn about some of the best bookstores in the Twin Cities. If you do choose to do the stretch goal, I recommend staying at the Hampton Inn Hibbing - it's clean, modern, well-appointed, and conveniently located to all the Dylan sites, as well as some other local attractions.
Have you visited any of these places? Let us know in the comments - and be sure to shout out your own favorite bookstores and literary sites in Minnesota.
One state park near the Iowa border is home to both the longest cave in the Land of 10,000 Lakes and a ghost town that’s open to exploration. Forestville/Mystery Cave in Minnesota is a state park that's a bit off the beaten path, so it doesn’t receive as much attention as some of its more popular counterparts. But folks who love caves will love the park and its karst geology, as well as a couple of stops afterward on one of the best day trips in Minnesota.
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Mystery Cave was added to the park in 1987 and is a popular destination in itself.
The Mystery Cave unit of the park is a few miles away from the main Forestville unit, so be sure to plug in directions accordingly.
With more than 13 miles of passages, pools, and fantastic geology, Mystery Cave is Minnesota’s longest.
To explore the cave, you must go with a tour guide. Several tour types are available, focusing on different aspects of cave exploration, like geology, scenery, and photography.
Serious spelunkers can even book a “wild caving” tour to explore underground passages that most others will never see.
When you resurface, head back to the Forestville unit, and cross the Root River bridge into another time.
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Forestville was founded in 1853. But by 1868, the railroad had passed it by, and it was on its way to becoming little more than a ghost town.
The Minnesota Historical Society restored Forestville. Today, demonstrations and reenactments educate and delight visitors to the park.
However, don’t forget the rest of the park, with its hiking trails through the driftless area’s bluffs.
Moreover, anglers will love its blue-ribbon trout streams.
After your day of adventuring, head a few minutes east of the park to keep up the cave theme of the day trip.
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When you get to the charming small town of Fountain - the "Sink Hole Capital of the U.S.A." - stop in at Karst Brewing for one of its rotating brews. Named for the geology that permeates these bluffs and creates the caves, the brewery is a local favorite and a popular watering hole on the Root River State Trail.
Cap off the day with a classic supper club dinner in atop one of these karst bluffs in Preston, less than five minutes south of Karst Brewing.
The Branding Iron has been a regional dining destination for more than half a century. You'll enjoy all the classics you'd expect from a Minnesota supper club - with views of Preston and the Root River valley - and you will not leave hungry.
There aren’t many parks that can claim both a cave and a ghost town, so we in the Bold North must count ourselves lucky. Don't want this day trip to end, just book a night a Preston, and keep it going the next day! Have you had a chance to explore Mystery Cave or visit Forestville? While you’re exploring Minnesota’s driftless area, don’t forget to explore its other geological highlights, like Niagara Cave and its stunning underground waterfall near Harmony. For further inspiration, check out more of our best day trips in Minnesota.