Minnesota wildflowers at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park

Marsh marigolds brighten Hidden Falls at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park by Northfield.

Discover Southern Minnesota's wildflowers

Wildflowers flank the trails at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park.

Story and Photos by Lisa Meyers McClintick

The trill of a red-winged blackbird swaying atop cattails instantly takes me back to growing up on the southern still-rural edge of the Twin Cities. April and May offered a daily scavenger hunt for new clusters and carpets of spring wildflowers.

Bloodroot emerged first, ­poking through the musty leaf litter beneath still-bare oak and basswoods. Muted green leaves curled protectively around bloodroot flower buds like a toddler’s hands cupped in prayer just before petals unfurled as crisply white as sheets on a clothesline.

Spring beauty

Dwarf trout lily

Within a week or two, the hillsides would burst into a carpet of pale lavender and pale pink rue anemone followed by trillium, Jack in the pulpit, violets, spiderwort and a rare patch of wild orchis with its tiny cluster of small white and purple orchids on each stem.

That land where I grew up is long gone, bulldozed and reshaped for suburban sprawl, but there are many places in Southern Minnesota where you can see a spectacular parade of wildflowers. And with this year's record-breaking winter and late arrival of spring, you can see the wildflowers in bloom later than usual.

These photos are from a May 13 visit to Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park, often considered one of the best spots in the state to see woodland wildflowers. The park's 2,884 acres of hardwood forest (remnants of the famed Big Woods biome) sits about 15 minutes south of Northfield tucked into a rolling landscape with ravines and small streams carved by glacial runoff.

Dutchman's breeches

Trout lily

Besides a lovely limestone ledge waterfall (that looks deceptively manmade), it's known for its rare dwarf trout lily (federally listed as endangered) and for carpets of flowers tucked into the woods and along the easy hiking trails.


Birders delight in seeing another species of special concern: the red-headed woodpecker. Keep your eyes peeled, too, for the brilliant colors of rose-breasted grosbeaks, indigo buntings and scarlet tanagers flitting among the maples and basswoods. You can check out a bird identification kit from the main office.


If you want to stay and explore--and soak up the spring birdsongs and peaceful woods--there are 51 campsites available.

Marsh marigolds

Can't get away for a short road trip? This feature I wrote for the Star Tribune Outdoors Weekend section includes The Eloise Butler Wildflower Sanctuary, the oldest public wildflower sanctuary in the country. This century-old garden lies west of downtown Minneapolis within Theodore Wirth city park. Look for ongoing programs and guided walks throughout the spring and summer.


To enjoy the showy blossoms of orchards, check out this blog feature.


Love touring domestic gardens? Check out the best destination gardens in Minnesota.


Love finding hikes to waterfalls? Here are some of the best waterfalls in Minnesota and a quick listen to Nerstrand Big Woods' Hidden Falls. Enjoy!

Spring Apple Blossom drives in Minnesota and Wisconsin

Apple orchards bloom across the hills above the Kickapoo River Valley in Gays Mills, Wisconsin.

Head south on the Great River Road

Photos by Lisa Meyers McClintick

Craving a Minnesota or Wisconsin road trip to celebrate the welcome end to winter? Let spring blossoms inspire your route. 

Some of Minnesota's most stunning views can be found along the 17-mile Apple Blossom Scenic Drive each spring. This byway, tucked above the Mississippi River Valley in southeast Minnesota, celebrates the apples which have thrived along these bluffs for more than 150 years.

Bluffs, like the hillsides along the Minnesota River or St. Croix River, shelter orchards from cold temperatures that sink into the valleys. The bluffs' rich limestone soil also nourishes the fruit and gives the area’s 30-some apple varieties a distinct taste.

Meander by farms, orchards

Catch the drive at County Road 3 a few miles south of Winona. This is one of the most striking stretches of the Great River Road. Look for a maze of islands to the east, along with deep ravines and lush, wooded ridges rising from both sides of the Mississippi.

From the picnic area and overlooks at Great River Bluffs State Park, you can even seen Wisconsin’s Black River delta on the opposite shore. The park’s hiking trails thread through the hardwood forest, thick with maples, basswood, oak and hickory. They flame into full glory by late September and early October. If you want to camp here, reserve these spots early.

Historic farms sprawl across Gays Mills' Orchard Ridge.

Most of Minnesota's Apple Blossom Scenic Drive hugs the ridges above Mississippi River, curving through horse and hobby farms and passing historic red barns. As the byway meanders southeast, it nears the orchards. They’re showered with delicate white blossoms in early May and thick with apples by late summer. 

Take a drive to Gays Mills

Because many of these bluff-top farms and orchards (given the proximity to La Crosse and great views) have become homesites, I actually prefer to head into Wisconsin and drive about 45 minutes south of La Crosse, Wis., along the Great River Road, where you may spot eagles and migrating waterfowl and an Amish buggy or two. 

At Wisconsin State Highway 171, head about 12 miles east to the tiny town of Gays Mills. It welcomes visitors with a burst of showy white blossoms then wows them on the east side as the highway climbs the high ridge above the Kickapoo River Valley where orchards have grown award-winning apples since 1905.

 

An elegant dinner at LaCrosse's The Waterfront Restaurant.

While orchards aren’t open in the spring, wooden signs promise fresh-picked fruits and sweets from apple pizza to pies—a perfect reason for a return trip in the fall.

Loop back to La Crosse

If you head back to La Crosse via Viroqua on Highway 61, the approximately 100-mile loop drive meanders through steep coulees and past brooks squiggling through lush meadows. Viroqua's also an ideal lunch stop with the Driftless Cafe. It serves tasty seasonally inspired meals with local ingredients, such as roasted root vegetables and trout. 

For an elegant finish to the day, enjoy the riverfront views, drinks and date-night meals at The Waterfront Restaurant and Tavern. If the weather's balmy, you can sit on the patio to catch warm spring breezes drifting along the Mississippi River.

Lupine growing along Lake Superior.

Take more scenic spring blossom drives:

Here are my favorite picks for scenic spring blossom drives in Minnesota and Wisconsin:

Bayfield, Wisconsin
You can't beat the gorgeous Lake Superior setting, artsy shops, great cuisine and views of the Apostle Islands. The month-long Bayfield in Bloom festival includes blooming orchards plus 54,000 daffodils. Our favorite Bayfield flower? June-blooming lupine which fills the ditches with an explosion of purple and tinges of pink.

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska, Minn.
A great option if you don't have time to travel far from the Twin Cities and want to research planting your own apple or fruit trees. Call the Bloom Line at 612-625-9791 to find out what's blooming.

Door County, Wisconsin.
Another lovely Great Lakes setting and the chance to meander by both cherry and apple orchards. Door County's six-week Festival of Blossoms runs through early June and includes several package deals. It's a great time to visit before summer crowds hit.

--Photos and text by Lisa Meyers McClintick

Family fun at Brookings, South Dakota

It's not all tame at the Children's Museum of South Dakota. T-rex Jr. (above) provides a thrill, as does big mama.

T-rex, prairie playland create one-of-a-kind fun 

Photos and story by Lisa Meyers McClintick

To the right, kids line up shoulder to shoulder to fish in a pond, squealing as they haul out and net realistic trout and sunfish. To the left, beyond willow twig tunnels and mazes of prairie grasses and flowers, there’s a roar building behind Brookings’ former school building.

A towering, protective T. rex mama snarls and twitches her tail as kids get too close to her or her offspring. That only ratchets up the shriek factor and adds to the thrill fest created by the Children’s Museum of South Dakota. Opened in 2013 in the historic 1920s school, it combines the fresh fun of an interactive, modern museum with a distinctive South Dakota setting.

Kids not quite brave enough to face the T. rex in person can watch the roars from inside for the former school gym where they can climb clouds up two stories, play house in a sod home, explore a tepee or harvest potatoes on a farmstead.

With the museum as the star attraction and a variety of laid-back family-friendly fun, the town of 22,600 residents and home to South Dakota State University provides a fun stopping point for a trip west or a hub for exploring the town and getting a glimpse of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s legacy in De Smet, about 45 miles west on Highway 14.

Get a little wet

It may be tough to get Children’s Museum of South Dakota visitors indoors when a 1.5-acre whimsical outdoor play area beckons with a stream for splashing and collecting buckets of water for activities such as rock-filled cyclinders that teach about filtration. Word to the wise: Bring a towel or change of clothes ($6; 1-605-.692-6700; prairieplay.org)

Here are some other top things to do Brookings, SD:

McCrory Gardens

Stop and smell the flowers

Junior green thumbs will enjoy a long romp through the 25 acres of McCrory Gardens, an arboretum run by the university. Among its draws are gardens dedicated to daylilies, sensory plants, new varieties and seed trials, and an eco building made of straw bales with a living room planted with sedum (Technically free, but donations of $3-$6 requested).

South Dakota Ag Heritage Museum 

Tractors and big machines

With no admission, South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum shows off the evolution of tractors, threshers and other technological advances that changed farming from the 1860s through the 1960s. It’s best for anyone who can appreciate engines or grandparents who can lightheartedly point out the farm chores and responsibilities older generations had. It's a perfect time to trot out those "When I was a kid..." stories.

SDSU Dairy Bar

Cookies and cream team

 Less than a block from the agricultural heritage museum, the modern Dairy Bar at Alfred Dairy Science Hall offers affordable ice cream and a sweet afternoon pick-me-up. Look for flavors such as butter almond or playful variations of cookies and cream, which the university claims to have invented.

 Prairie art

"The Prairie is My Garden"

Before leaving campus, stop in at South Dakota Art Museum anchored by Harvey Dunn’s painting, “The Prairie is my Garden.” His idyllic prairie works were inspired by his memories as the son of South Dakota homesteaders. He went on to illustrate World War I as it unfolded and to be one of the most prolific artists of his time. Other exhibits include works by Native American and South Dakota artist

Oscar Howe and an area dedicated to art that appeals to children.

Take a field trip

It’s less than 45 minutes to reach tiny De Smet, pop. 1,100, where kids can wander through barns, play with kittens, see newborn foals and take a buggy ride to a one-room school house on the 1880s Ingalls Homestead which inspired stories in “By the Shores of Silver Lake.” It’s open Memorial Day through September. The town also has additional historic sites and the cemetery where several members of the Ingalls family are buried.

Generous landscaping livens up Brookings' downtown.

How to get to Brookings

It takes just under four hours to reach Brookings from Minneapolis. Follow U.S. Hwy. 212 west to Granite Falls, then head southwest on Minnesota Hwy. 23 for 50 miles. Take U.S. Hwy. 14 west to Brookings, S.D. 

Brookings lodging

Several chain hotels can be found in Brookings (especially along Interstate 29). Hampton Inn and Suites ranks among the newer properties with 87 rooms ($114/night and up; 1-605-697-5232; brookingssuites.hamptoninn.com).

Brookings dining

Pheasant lettuce wraps

 

Handcrafted ice cream

The Pheasant Restaurant may look a little ho-hum on the outside, but it’s a

winning blend of creative and sophisticated on the inside with an oil and vinegar tasting room, a wine cellar and frequent live musicians. Fresh twists on comfort foods range from bison burgers with Thai flavorings and crisp pheasant salad wraps to homemade dulce de leche ice cream floating in a frosty, foamy mug of oatmeal stout. Daily ice cream flavors catapult past usual standards with combinations such as peach and Riesling sorbet, coffee ice cream with candied bacon and saffron ice cream with pistachios and pomegranate ripple.

Old Market Eatery

Coteau Cafe grilled cheese

Within view of the children’s museum and Brookings’ main street, Old Market Eatery and Bar serves refreshing salads, Mediterranean pitas, basil hummus, hand-cut market fries and desserts such as rhubarb upside down cake.

For the ultimate in kid-friendly dining, grab a seat in the sunny atrium of the children’s museum where the Coteau Caféserves grilled cheese sandwiches that look like owls, plus plenty of salads and pastas.

Need more info? Contact the Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce & Convention Bureau,

605-692-6125.

Visit Wisconsin Fox Cities Appleton-Neenah-Menasha

Learn about famed escape artist Harry Houdini and other Wisconsin natives at History Museum at the Castle.

Make paper at the Paper Discovery Center, Appleton.

Find Houdini, a glass museum, paper history and shopping in Wisconsin's Fox Cities 

Photos & story by Lisa McClintick

Wisconsin's city of Appleton, as well as neighboring Neenah and Menasha—anchor the Fox Cities, a mashup of communities with about 250,000 residents. They grew up around the paper industry that took advantage of the surrounding Big Woods for pulp and hydro-electric power from the Fox River which drops 170 feet as it flows about 40 miles from Lake Winnebago to Green Bay.

Its paper legacy lingers with a fun, kid-friendly Paper Discovery Center in a historic warehouse on the river, along with plenty of other surprises: a look at the tricks of native son Harry Houdini, a chance to craft your own custom chocolate bar at Wilmar's, see exhibits featuring the region's nationally known glass artists and an internationally known glass collection at the Bergstrom Mahler Glass Museum, and shopping galore with boutiques lining the downtowns. 

Here's a look at the top things to do in Wisconsin's Fox Cities:

Paper Discovery Center

Handmade paper souvenir

The ordinary kitchen blender roars to life, whirling and shredding discarded office papers and newspaper comics into slurry.

A staffer at Appleton, Wisconsin’s, Paper Discovery Center coaches all their visitors on making the perfect souvenir with a litany of pre-blender questions: Colored paper? Newsprint? Glitter? How about dyed fibers?

The results are always a surprise as she helps me pour the pulpy soup into a framed screen before several more steps to wick out all the water, leaving a textured, one-of-a-kind piece of homemade paper.

Paper Discovery Center

The Discovery Center, located in a former Kimberly Clark warehouse built in 1878 from cream-colored brick, explains the global origins of paper from bark and hemp to block printing and stationery until it played a crucial role in communication for centuries with printing presses, books and newspapers.

Industrial artifacts and kid-friendly, interactive activities (including the chance to "work" in a paper factory) reveal nitty-gritty details of the industry such as papermarks and embossing. Exhibits explain the evolution to more high-tech products, such as facial tissue, disposable diapers and toilet paper. Lest anyone forget these products are luxuries, an outhouse shows visitors what older generations used—including stiff catalog pages and corncobs—and elicits groans of sympathy and tsks of surprise.

The warehouse location adds a feel of authenticity, while a gallery and café soften the surroundings, inviting guests to linger on a sun-soaked patio overlooking the Fox River as it rumbles past. 

Bergstrom Mahler Museum

Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass

This lakeside mansion began with a world-class collection of paperweights with millefiori work as intricate as lace, along with an expansive collection of Germanic drinking vessels that date back to the 1500s. It's grown from there, incorporating the work of stellar creations from the modern art glass movement. Rotating exhibitions might feature giant glass corncobs swinging on iron stalks and elaborate water fountains that bring together regional talents with national recognition. 

Bergstrom-Mahler Museum

Even better: Admission is free, and if you plan ahead, adults and kids may be able to sign up for a variety of glass classes and dabble in their own colorful creations. The museum shop also ranks among the area's best places to find unique gifts (glass-themed, of course).

History Museum at the Castle

History Museum's exhibit on Houdini's famed escapes

The History Museum at the Castle grabs its share of attention with its 1920s Camelot look from years as a Masonic Temple, but it’s the exhibits dedicated to Appleton’s famous showman and world famous escape artist, Harry Houdini, that makes it stand out. Exhibits reveal a few magicians’ secrets and let visitors test their own escapist skills. Make sure you have a buddy to help if you get stuck.

A food exhibit on display through this fall cleverly dishes up regional history and culture with supper clubs, smelt fishing, “booyah,”  and letting guests try virtually spearfishing for sturgeon. Kids love it! 

Spearing sturgeon at History Museum

Catch a flying brat

Speaking of local food, nothing says Wisconsin fare like a juicy brat. Pair it up with a night of Timber Rattlers minor league baseball. The light-hearted, fun games include a sandbox in the outfield for kids and a “bratzooka” that shoots bratwurst into the audience. Games run April through September.

Make a custom chocolate bar

Wilmar Chocolate's candy bar lab

Wilmar Chocolates, a landmark candy shop since 1956, encourages creativity with a build-your-own supersized chocolate bar. Inhale the sweet, heady scent of chocolate while you mull over the endless options from fancy nuts to crushed potato chips.

Need help deciding? Try their combinations such as cherry pie with Door County cherries, almonds and cinnamon or “Kid Stuff” with gummi bears, M&Ms and pop rocks. My favorite? Chocolate with curry, coconut and pistachios--unexpected but delicious. 

Boutiques dot Neenah (above) and Appleton's downtown.

Shop until you drop

The area’s known as Wisconsin’s retail hub with its concentration of big malls and main-street boutiques. Best bets: Harp Gallery, Fox River Antique Mall and Urban Evolutions for vintage and reclaimed creations.

Stroll downtown Appleton for art and eclectic finds at Studio 213, fashionable baby clothes at Bellybeans and hands-on art at Fire Art Studio. Watch for Hey Daisy, which follows the food truck trend by putting its fashion shop on wheels. In downtown Neenah, check out Vintique’s retro chic and Lucy’s Closet pet boutique.

Hike the High Cliff

Hike Cliff State Park

Get out of town and hike the cliff-top trails High Cliff State Park for sweeping views from the Niagara Escarpment of Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin's largest inland lake.  There’s also a limestone quarry and a 40-foot tower overlooking the lake and the marina below. There's a campground, beach, marina and plenty of ways to fill a weekend getaway. 

Fox Cities dining & Accommodations

Atlas Coffee Mill and Cafe at Paper Discovery Center.

The Fox Cities have plenty of accommodations with most of the major chains. Among the top choices: 

• The Copperleaf Boutique Hotel and Spa with 75 rooms and suites sits along West College Avenue in the hub of museums and shopping and a block from the Performing Arts Center. 
• The Holiday Inn Neenah Riverwalk has 107 rooms, some with views of the Fox River with downtown Neenah nearby.

For dining, grab a homey bowl of soup, a breakfast strata, fresh salad or panini at Atlas Coffee Mill and Café, which is attached to the Paper Discovery Center.

Indulge in the pervasive Packer-mania and enjoy a white-tablecloth dinner at VinceLombardi’s Steakhouse. Diners can sip wine and tuck into filet mignon, chops or seafood while immersed in photos and memorabilia from the legendary 1960s Packers coach.

Head to Simon’s Specialty Cheese for a bag of fresh curds, chocolate cheese fudge, mozzarella whips or aged cheddars, sausages, and Wisconsin wine and beer.