10 Best Things to Do in Wabasha, Minnesota

Wabasha National Eagle Center


Wabasha: eagles, Mississippi kayaking & toy museum 

Photos & story by Lisa Meyers McClintick

Historic downtown Wabasha

Historic downtown Wabasha

From posing with an American bald eagle and paddling the serene backwaters of the Mississippi to riding one of the country’s most beautiful hand-carved carousels, Wabasha, Minn., offers much more than being the small-towninspiration for the “Grumpy Old Men” movies.

Here are the top things to do during a

getaway to Wabasha, Minn.

 

1. Watch for eagles

No matter what the season, you should be able to get close up to resident eagles andspot wild eagles along the Mississippi River at The National Eagle Center in downtown Wabasha.
 
Visitors can use spotting scopes on the observation deck or take their cues from the Center’s resident eagles, who loudly let you know when they spot a wild eagle flying

National Eagle Center

 too close to their turf. Eagle programs are presented three times a day, and there are special photo ops for posing with an eagle.
 
Learn about the raptor’s history and cultural significance and let kids explore with crayon rubbings, scavenger hunts and hands-on activities like one that lets them feel the weight difference between a cat and an eagle.

National Eagle Center

The Eagle Center hosts special events every weekend in March during its annual Save Our American Raptors program. That month also is peak time for eagle watching as they migrate up the Mississippi flyway.  (1-651
2. Feel like a kid at LARK Toys
With more than a century’s worth of iconic toys colorfully filling Memory Lane display cases, a walk through LARK Toys in

LARK Toys

nearby Kellogg offers a sweet nostalgic outing. Howdy Doody hangs out with Barbie. Chewbacca bonds with Big Bird, and robots, race cars and rockets recall the sci-fi craze of the 1950s. Visitors excitedly point out favorites, exclaiming, “Oh, I had one of those!”

Part free museum, part Santa’s Workshop, LARK Toys provides a Minnesota outpost of the North Pole. The 20,000-square-foot mini-mall meanders and takes visitors past a bookstore, the impressive main toy shop, a comical curiosity shop, and an ice cream and fudge café before reaching the hand-crafted carousel.

3. Ride the LARK Carousel

LARK Toys founder Donn Kreofsky called the carousel “the largest toy I could make”–and admiring it firsthand could alone could be worth the road trip.

The LARK carousel twirls to life every half an hour with kids and adults bee-lining for creatures that include a deer with real antlers, a dragon with a bearded wizard, a gnarly gnome, a buffalo with an eagle and even a fancy goldfish.

If you have kids in tow, there’s also a mini-golf course outside and a snack bar inside. You can easily spend a half-day or more wandering this lively, one-of-a-kind toy destination.

4. Kayak along the Mississippi
Enjoy a waterfront view of Mississippi River barges and paddle into the Great River’s seKayak ride with Turning Watersrene (and calmer) backwaters with guides from Turning Waters Bed, Breakfast and Adventure. Whether you’re an overnight guest or just a daytime visitor, they can get you on the water and provide all the equipment you’ll nee
d with partners from Broken Paddle Guiding.

 

5. Enjoy Wabasha chocolates and sweets
If you miss the fudge and Chocolate Shoppe ice cream at LARK Toys, get your fill of sweets–and an education on the life cycle of chocolate and how it’s produced–at the Chocolate Escape. The wall mural colorfully explains chocolate’s origins and the route it takes before reaching this shop where they make their own sea turtles with extra salt (delicious!) and snapping turtles with a shot of expresso. Another fun twist: “hot rods”–chocolate-coated pretzel rods with a kick of cayenne. You can get ice cream and fresh coffee, too, and take the chocolates to go–and savor later. 

6. Dine in downtown Wabasha
7. Pick a themed room at Wabasha AmericInn

AmericInn Wabasha isn’t your typical member of the hotel chain (although the 64 rooms do come with the expected hot breakfast). This location includes several locally themed suites, such as one inspired by the LARK Carousel with an otter carved into the headboard and other playful touches. Others take inspiration from native Americans, riverboats, local artists, “Grumpy Old Men,” cat houses and even a Fisherman’s Suite with décor from Loon Lake Decoy Company.

8. Get Old & Grumpy

As the setting of the Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon “Grumpy Old Men” movies, Wabasha celebrates its Grumpy Old Men Festival each February. You can eat at Slippery’s, join an ice-fishing contest, eat a spaghetti dinner, watch a pet pageant and jump into Minnesota’s frigid waters.

9. HIT THE HILLS

In winter, enjoy the sweeping views of the Mississippi River Valley from Coffee Mill Ski Area. Less crowded than Twin Cities ski hills and more affordable than most, these runs feature 425 feet of vertical drop and three terrain parks. Open Wednesday through Sunday when the snow and temperatures cooperate.

10. Enjoy the drive
It’s about 90 miles to reach Wabasha and Kellogg. The roughly two-hour scenic drive follows the Great River Road. Pick a loop route to enjoy scenery on both sides of the river, following Minnesota Highway 61 on the trip there and Wisconsin Highway 35 on the trip back.
MORE INFORMATION
Wabasha-Kellogg Area Chamber of Commerce, (800) 565-4158; www.wabashamn.org.

Filed under: Uncategorized