CENTRAL MIDWEST Midwest adventurer

You could spend all of your vacation on one multi-week NATURALLY extravaganza in the middle FUN Walk Midwest. But why not spread wooded paths along a gurgling out your visits here? An creek in Minnehaha outdoorsy spring weekend in Park in the heart of Minneapolis. Minneapolis, a few summer days in southern ’ wine country, a day at Chicago’s fall food festival. Whether you explore all at once or in bursts, it’s certainly time well spent. background We’ve always had a soft spot for Minneapolis, half of ’s famed Twin Cities. No matter what our mood, the city offers something to suit: beautiful lakes nestled among hip arts communities, tree-lined trails behind modern museums, vibrant nightlife blocks from high-class cultural attractions. Every traveler will find something to love here (888/676-6757; minneapolis.org). itinerary Minnehaha Falls

CENTRAL MIDWEST

DAY a theme park and an aquarium. Casual shoppers find plenty on Nicollet Mall, a pedestrian mall boasting Target’s flagship Minneapolis store, plenty of independent shops and restaurants, and from May through October, The Minneapolis1 Institute of Arts a morning farmers market. The News houses nearly 83,000 pieces in its Room, on Nicollet, serves casual eats amid permanent collection. The Department of plenty of newsprint decor and somewhat Contemporary Art shows works by living inexplicably, a bar modeled after a giant getaway artists, and the institute’s collection of masted ship. (To reach top-shelf liquor, paintings spans more than five centuries. bartenders climb the mast.) Boutique hotel Serious shoppers head to the Mall of Le Méridien Chambers Minneapolis America in Bloomington (10 miles south stands within walking distance of Nicollet of downtown Minneapolis) for more than Mall and features edgy, original artwork in 500 stores, plus dozens of restaurants, the guest rooms.

TO MARKET D A Y Pick up fresh Nature in big-city Minneapolis. In the Uptown flowers and neighborhood, Lake Calhoun features a produce at the sandy beach, a 3-mile hiking and biking bustling farmers trail and boat rentals. Hikers take in scenic market held overlooks along the trails of Minnehaha May through Park, in south Minneapolis, to see limestone October on Start the day off with2 huevos rancheros or bluffs and beautiful Minnehaha Falls. Head to Minneapolis’ corned beef hash at Hell’s Kitchen, where Brit’s Pub for a $5 game of lawn bowling on Nicollet Mall. guests can dig into breakfast on weekdays the rooftop green. and brunch on weekends. Then enjoy Mother Great River Wine Trail The nine wineries on the trail outside Dubuque, , range from tiny to rather large. The trail takes

Heartland4 Restaurant visitors to Iowa, Illinois and and Farm Direct Market , but stops are 5 High-end gastronomy 4 all within 40 minutes of Foodie Wine the Julien Dubuque Bridge meets sustainable-food ethics in Saint Paul’s (563/583-6100; favorites Lowertown. The changing trails thegreatriverwinetrail.com). menu may include rainbow trout with curried goat cheese and microgreens (651/699-3536; heartlandrestaurant.com). JAARSMA BAKERY In Chicago Gourmet Watch Dutch-influenced cooking demonstrations Pella, Iowa, the with celebrity chefs, listen iconic bakery to wine seminars with serves delicious, master sommeliers and traditional Dutch taste bites from Chicago’s sweets. Don’t best restaurants at this miss the almond- annual September festival paste-filled in Millennium Park Dutch letters (chicagogourmet.org). Hermann4 Wine Trail (641/628-2940; The trail around Hermann, jaarsmabakery­ , features .com). ­activities you won’t find elsewhere, such as touring underground cellars dug by hand before the Civil War. Some of our favorites of the seven wineries are SHAWNEE HILLS Hermannhof Winery, Stone WINE TRAIL A Hill Winery (shown), and 30-mile trail leads OakGlenn Vineyards and

4 to 12 family- Winery Savory Spoon Cooking owned wineries (hermannwinetrail.com). School The head chef, and many bed- guest chefs and artisan and-breakfasts. Great River Road Wine cheesemakers lead classes Our favorite Trail Twelve wineries in in Door County’s Ellison Bay, wineries: Pomona charming Mississippi River Wisconsin (920/854-6600; Winery for apple towns entice Great River savoryspoon.com). wine; StarView Road travelers to stop and Vineyards for sample. The trail starts in Cosentino’s The prepared- food; Owl Creek Cannon Falls, Minnesota, foods selection at this huge, Vineyard and and travels 250 miles along upscale grocery in Rustle Hill Winery the river, with stops in City’s Power and Light for live music. Wisconsin, before ending in District is staggering. Find Located 90 miles Marquette, Iowa (great fresh seafood and certified southeast of St. riverroadwinetrail.org). Angus beef, or choose Louis, west of I-57 from an 83-foot-long (800/248-4373; salad bar (816/595-0050; shawneewinetrail cosentinos.com). .com). 3Relaxing Historic2 1Baseball Wicker4 Park Inn Bed and B&Bs Breakfast Bright lights, parties destination big-city ambience and Wrigley Field The Chicago Cubs a trendy neighborhood The Surf Ballroom and International Route 66 started playing ball here in 1916, and are just steps away from Museum Concerts and Mother Road Festival the building still sports the original this 1890s row house, in an annual Winter Dance Get your kicks on during 1937 scoreboard. It’s the ballpark to Chicago. Pastries, fresh Party still pack in crowds this car show and visit for a classic game experience. On fruit and coffee are served in Clear Lake, Iowa. Music festival featuring live nongame days, try a tour (773/388- each morning (773/486- fans visit to honor Buddy music and food vendors 8270; cubs.com). 2743; wickerparkinn.com). Holly, Richie Valens and in Springfield, Illinois, The Big Bopper, who died each fall (317/236-6515; AG Thomson House in a plane crash nearby route66fest.com). Duluth Bed and Breakfast after playing a show here Wi-Fi, gas fireplaces and in 1959 (641/357-6151; a ­hydromassage whirlpool surfballroom.com). tub outfit a restored 1909 Dutch Colonial in Duluth, Minnesota (877/807-8077; thomsonhouse.biz).

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