On the Road to Red Wing
We spent most of today on the road, working our way from Minneapolis to Red Wing. Staying as close as possible to the Mississippi, we made quite a variety of stops – educational, scenic, historical, quirky, and we even fit in some music at a funky little bar in Hager City.
To start at the beginning of this series, visit GRR: La Crosse to St. Paul
Kaposia Landing
After we left our friends this morning, our first stop was Kaposia Landing – only about 20-minutes down the road. Although we didn’t stay long, it was an informative and beautiful stop. I ventured down a lovely trail that lead to another fabulous bridge.
This is an active Union Pacific railroad swing bridge that rotates to allow larger barges and boats to continue on the Mississippi. Kaposia Landing also features an off-leash dog area and nearly two miles of paved trails, as well as five softball and baseball fields. Although no one was playing baseball today, one of the fields was covered with seagulls. No bald eagles though, unfortunately.
An American Success Story
The information sign above tells of the Bald Eagle’s recovery from only 487 nesting pairs in 1963 to nearly 9,800 in 2007 in the lower 48 states. Over 1,300 of those pairs live in Minnesota – more than any other state.
In 2015, there were 46 active bald eagle nests along the 72-mile stretch of river running through the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. Bald eagles may be seen throughout the Park, even in downtown areas along the river.
“The Endangered Species Act in 1973 afforded protection of this majestic creature and the cooperation of the American public helped bald eagles make a remarkable recovery.” ~ READ MORE on the sign above
Rock Island Swing Bridge
Rock Island Swing Bridge Park has a wonderful pedestrian bridge that ends halfway across the Mississippi. Lots of signs were posted around the park about the history of this once-double-decker bridge, where trains would cross on the TOP level – ABOVE the cars. Creepy, I know!
This unique structure was built in 1894. In 2008 – after more than a century of service – an eastern portion of the bridge collapsed prompting an order for immediate demolition. Driven by local interest, the Governor signed a moratorium to stop any further demolition, thereby saving two spans that were in better condition and several stone piers and creating this park.
If you’re around after sunset, a light show with color-changing LED lights can be seen every 15 minutes from 6-10 p.m. throughout the fall and winter – starting later as the days grow longer.
“This was a bridge that stands out in history – a double-decker that spanned the river with rails above and a road below. It could swing open for river traffic many times a day, and was one of the last toll bridges in Minnesota.
It was also a vital river crossing for shipments of cattle, meat, and grain; for horse-drawn wagons and station wagons; and even for a famous bank robber.” ~ READ MORE on the sign below.
The Walk Across
This was a very unique experience, but just thinking about a train crossing on top of this bridge gave me the creeps. One of the signs below quotes a person that called it “an unsettling experience”. No kidding!
St. Paul Park Refinery and the Inver Grove Heights Marina (home to the Mississippi Pub) can be seen from this amazing bridge and standing at the end of the bridge in the middle of the Mississippi River was pretty amazing.
More Information
Riverfront Parks
The first photo is River Front Park in Inver Grove Heights, MN. The next two are located in Hastings at Point Douglas Park where the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers converge. These would be perfect little parks if we had our Playmate cooler and some sandwiches, but since we didn’t we moved right along.
It was awesome to see yet another river join the Mississippi and it reminded me of a quote on a sign on a Perrot State Park bluff:
“If you haven’t fished Ol’ Man Mississip, forget about any preconceived notions you may have as far as rivers are concerned. Because Ol’ Man River isn’t a river at all. In fact, he’s a hundred rivers and a thousand lakes and more sloughs than you could explore in a lifetime. He is creeks, bayous, ditches, puddles, and thousands and thousands of impenetrable lotus beds that break big yellow flowers out above green pads.” ~ Mel Ellis, 1949. A History of Fish and Fishing in the Upper Mississippi River, 1954 [from a sign near the train view from “Our Inn on the River“
Prescott Riverfront
Prescott, WI is one of the oldest Wisconsin towns on the Mississippi River, dating back to 1839, and the Prescott Riverfront was amazing. Along with lots of shops and restaurants, we got a two-fer today with two very unique drawbridges. I think I may becoming a bridge nerd!
“The Point Douglas Drawbridge (the green one) carries U.S. Highway 10 across the St. Croix River and connects Prescott, WI, to Point Douglas, MN. It is the only highway drawbridge in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area still in active traffic and is designed with a double-leaf bascule mechanism. The bridge was completed in 1990 and features a steel grate roadway.” ~ AI Overview
The BNSF Lift Bridge (the older one) is a historic lift bridge that connects Prescott, WI, and Hastings, MN, at the confluence of the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers.
If you’d like to see both bridges in operation, visit this link and you may be converted to a bridge nerd yourself!
The Eagle has Landed!
A fabulous eagle sculpture was close to the lift bridge. “Abe the Eagle was named after “Old Abe”, a famous eagle that was taken into battle 37 times during the Civil War by the 8th Infantry Wisconsin. This Abe is made of stainless steel and covered in stainless steel flatware and cooking utensils. Artist – Dale Lewis, Sponsored by the City of Prescott” ~ from a sign near Abe
If you’d like to see Abe under construction or “meet the artist”, visit his link. Click on “Sculptures”, to see more of his work, including one we’ll see at our next stop. This sculpture was amazing, and takes recycling to a whole new level!
Freedom Park
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that we’d make a stop at the Great River Road Visitor & Learning Center (Freedom Park), but it probably will surprise you that we didn’t even go inside the Visitor Center. After doing some research, that was probably a mistake. But we had to cut time somewhere, and today we were all about the views and the information panels about the history of the Mississippi River in this area.
The link above talks about a local Boy Scout: “I am currently working on an Eagle Scout Project for Freedom Park by building various kiosks to display information about their park and its inhabitants. I am tremendously proud of this work and I have been waiting for an opportunity to show my commitment to this organization for quite some time.”
More Information
Time for a Break
After a much too quick stop at Freedom Park, we stopped at the Harbor Bar Restaurant in Hager City for a little lunch. We were going to sit inside because it was pretty warm, but wandered around back which had a cool-ish river breeze and a funky little bar. As we sat down we noticed a band was setting up. Talk about great timing! We thoroughly enjoyed our experience here (and a Dirty Banana) and would like to return again someday soon. From here we crossed over the Mississippi and into Red Wing!
Memorial Park
Although Barn Bluff is probably a more well-known landmark right along the Mississippi, hikes to those views are considered “more difficult” and if you know us, we don’t do difficult. Instead we chose to drive up the nearby bluff to the south – known to the Dakota as He Mni Can Sun-Ka-Ku – or Barn Bluff’s Little Brother.
When the City of Red Wing incorporated in 1857, this bluff was known locally as Sorin’s Bluff, named after the first pastor and organizer of First United Methodist Church who settled in Red Wing in 1853.
The city’s use of this bluff varied over the years – as an American Ski Jump center and a limestone quarry. When residents tired of all the explosives, leaders of two associations joined forces to create a park memorial dedicated to soldiers of all wars and the park was dedicated in 1929.
The views of the River and the bluffs of Minnesota and Wisconsin are amazing from this vantage point and more signs about the birds of the Mississippi Flyway, the remnants of prairies, and the flora and fauna of the area are very informative.
“Native prairies once covered much of Southeastern Minnesota, but now only small remnants like those found on Sorin’s Bluff remain. You can hike through these dry prairie areas to see up close the native grasses, wildflowers, and wildlife that are so different from the forested areas on the northern edges of the bluff. Where bluffs and ravines stopped the spread of fires, diverse habitats were created. Much of this pre-settlement Minnesota landscape has been lost; less than one percent remains.”
Bay Point Park
Next up is Bay Point Park for more time by the River. We started on the end near Red Wing Bay (“a quiet little bay just off the river”) and were able to check out the boat houses at the Red Wing Marina, and the Red Wing Sign!
The bronze statue shown below depicts a young Charles Lindbergh dreaming of taking flight, and inspiring local youth to follow their own dreams. Titled “The Boy“. Lindbergh wrote “What kind of man would live where there is no daring? I don’t believe in taking chances, but nothing can be accomplished without taking any chance at all.”
“Charles Lindbergh is best known as an international hero for completing the first solo, nonstop flight between New York City and Paris. Lucky Lindy’s legend began here, at his childhood home in Little Falls, MN (northwest of Red Wing).” ~ READ MORE
“The first big opportunity to promote aviation was given to Lindbergh by Harry Guggenheim, the son of a leading industrialist. Guggenheim headed a fund created “to promote aeronautical education throughout the country; to assist in the extension of aeronautical science; and to further the development of commercial aircraft, particularly in its use as a regular means of transportation of both goods and people.”
Tipi Structure
As we worked our way to the other end of the park, we sat for a while on a bench to watch Ole Man River gently flow by. The Tipi Structure honors the local Mdewakanton Native American Community, “those who were born of the waters.” The city’s name itself is linked to Chief Red Wing, and the tipi structure is a symbol of Indigenous resilience, strength, and traditional life.
And of course with two bodies of water at hand (a Bay and a River), we need another Marina! Ole Miss Marina is available for all your nautical needs!
Walk About in Red Wing
We made a stop at Red Wing Brewery because, well, it had “brewery” in its name. I had decided to have one of their house made Root Beers this time, but halfway through I caved when I saw a Barn Bluff Brown on the menu. The pizza was fantastic with plenty of leftovers.
Since we were heading out in the morning, we took another walk along the riverfront. The Red Wing Depot was quite beautiful, but closed for the day. And one of our views across the water included the marina where we had our lunch (Harbor Bar).
“Red Wing’s historic depot, built by the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad – known as the Milwaukee Road – opened to the public in 1905. It was constructed as a combination depot, meaning it contained passenger and freight functions under one roof. Today it is a beautifully restored gateway to the recreation, arts and commerce of this vibrant city on the west bank of the Mississippi River.” ~ READ MORE
