Red Wing
Campground
Treasure Island Casino Campground
Once upon a time, we told ourselves we would not stay here because it just looked like a parking lot with RV hookups. Well, it is. However, it was the only place available that was close to family and friends. Our opinion has definitely changed. The grounds, bathroom, and showers are very well maintained. There was a bit of construction as they are installing a huge solar farm and were digging up the ground to lay in the electrical cables and such. If you are into gambling, of course this is very conveniently located. We did take in the water park when Troy, Brenda, Alek, and Carli came to visit. There was a nice open field for Polly to run and plenty of paved paths for us to run on. We have stayed here in 2023 and 2024.
Things to see
Dee's Bar Car Show (Almond, WI)
On one of Mark's trips to see his brother Fred, he got out the 1958 Chevy Bel Aire and they took it to our hometown of Almond, WI for the annual Dee's car show. So many people were so happy to see Fred out and about.
Epic Eagles
The "Epic Eagles" is a Eagles tribute band that played at the Treasure Island Casino. They were FANTASTIC! One of the band members really played up the fact that he very much looked and sounded like Don Henley. Duane and Sarah joined us.
Hundred Mile Garage Sale (Lake City)
Every May, you will find a continuous "100 mile" garage sale weekend. The loop goes around Lake Pepin and down the Mississippi River quite a distance. We have seen people come from hundreds of miles away pulling enclosed trailers that they will fill with things they bought along the way. In our family, it is an excuse to have a friendly (?) competition to see who can see the most. A spreadsheet is involved. We even have a mini-donut guy set up right on our lawn!
Jen & Friends at the MetroNOME (St. Paul)
Jen Burleigh-Bentz is a long-time friend of ours. She is a very well-known stage actress, especially in the Twin Cities area. Singer, dancer, actress. Among other activities, she has a monthly cabaret-style show at the MetroNOME brewery in St. Paul. When we went to see her, she was doing a tribute to a show she was in 10 years earlier - Disenchanted. Her fellow female actresses put on a great, albeit abbreviated, show. She was fabulous. In 2024, we saw her show "Jazzing Up George Michael".
Lake City Water Ski Days
Lake City is the home of water skiing so every summer, their town festival is all about it. Food, drinks, bands, and other activities. They have a karaoke contest, with qualifying events at local bars. Mark tried at one of the qualifiers and did not make it. Some of the other people who didn't make it just went to the next qualifying event and made it to the finals.
MN State Fair
We've been to the MN State Fair ("The Great Minnesota Get-Together") several times and Camille joined us this time. We had a great time sampling foods, riding the lift, dancing with our friends from The Backroad Kickers, and seeing a tribute to Barb's favorite group - Meat Loaf! Michael Lee Aday, the original lead singer who was known as "Meat Loaf" passed away in 2022. The original backing band, Neverland Express, puts on a tribute show with new lead singer Caleb Johnson (American Idol Season 13 winner). It was fabulous!
MN Zoo (Apple Valley)
The MN Zoo is always a great way to spend an afteroon. We went with Troy, Brenda, Alek and Carly this time. They removed the out-dated tram and put in an elevated walkway in its place. It was a great way to see the animals. However, beware that the static electricity builds up and you are constantly shocking yourself and others. Hopefully they get that fixed.
Rivertown Live! 2023 (Hastings)
Mark had seen on Facebook that the organizing committee for Rivertown Live! (in Hastings) was asking for volunteers to help with a variety of tasks. We signed up to help set up in exchange for general admission tickets. We started out setting up chairs for the VIP section but also helped unload one of the semi-trailers that had all the HUGE speakers and amps. It was quite interesting. The performers this year were "The Hype" (an 80's tribute band), John Waite, and Starship featuring Mickey Thomas. It was a very good show!
Rivertown Live! 2024 (Hastings)
This year, it was 90's country! Little Texas and Diamond Rio were the headliners. Barb and I signed up to work the beer tent that was right in the area where the stage was. Great view of all the action. We were so busy! Both bands sounded absolutely fantastic. Diamond Rio showed some of their old music videos while they played the songs now and to see how young some of those guys are is rather funny. Such great musicians.
Schaar's Bluff and Spring Lake Regional Park (Hastings)
This is a great park to picnic, hike, bike, or just relax at. Great views of the river too. We were lucky enough to be home for the annual bonfire that our friends, Pat and Tom organize.
Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour
That's right. ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd put on an outdoor show at the Treasure Island Casino. Yes, they are VERY old at this point. Two of the three original ZZ Top guys are still alive. None of the original Lynyrd Skynyrd guys are alive but one of the Van Zant brothers (who used to be in ".38 Special") is the lead singer now. It was a really good show and beautiful night with Duane and Sarah!
Webb Lake Resort (Danbury, WI)
Our good friends Duane and Sarah have a site at this resort and we look forward to going up there with them when we're in the area.
Hiking
Barn Bluff
We have hiked Barn Bluff many times. When Troy, Brenda, Alek, and Carli came to visit, we all enjoyed doing it again. Great views on a beautiful day.
Frontenac State Park
Barb's parents' farm is right across the road from this State park. Lots of great trails. Nothing technical, just good walking trails.
Food and Drink
A Taste Of Tayb (Hastings)
Just don't. We had high hopes for something different and were so disappointed with the service. The guy taking our order was barely able to pull himself away from his phone to help us figure out what menu items they actually had. Then he still got our order wrong. Then there's the math. A catfish dinner is $21 but if you order each part of that individually, it only adds up to $16. I don't know how that works. They are terrible and I don't say that often.
American Legion (Hastings)
Great outdoor patio with consistent musicians playing out there in the summer. A mainstay of the area.
Bayside Tap & Steak House (Red Wing)
Bimi Thai Restaurant (Hastings)
After our recent trip to Thailand, we were craving good Thai food. We love curry! This place opened up in Hastings, MN and the curry dishes are very good. We went 3 times during our stay. Watch out for the spicy chicken appetizer - a little too hot!
Canadian Honker (Rochester)
When taking Barb's dad to treatment in Rochester (Mayo Clinic), when he was up for it, this was his go-to place. Great food!
Centro (St. Paul)
A nice little place in St. Paul. Not a "sit down" restaurant so be prepared to order on-line and walk inside to get it.
Common Man Brewing (Ellsworth, WI)
Wonderful brewery in Ellsworth that has a nice outdoor patio and great burgers and other stuff.
El Mexican (Hastings)
Barb and I tried this place when it first opened several years ago and just didn't care for it. However, we tried it again and things have changed! Great house salsa and other great choices.
El Norteno Authentic Mexican (Minneapolis)
While in Camille's part of south Minneapolis, we tried this nice little restaurant. Outdoor seating on a nice evening.
El Original Mexican (Hastings)
A new-ish place that opened up in Hastings by the Cub Foods. The outside is definitely part of a "strip mall" thing but inside is nicely done.
Fiesta Jalisco (Lake City)
One of our go-to places in the area for great Mexican food and the owners and so wonderful.
Fiesta Mexicana (Red Wing)
A "sister" location to Fiesta Jalisco in Lake City with very similar, if not the same, great food and drinks!
Forestville Winery & Event Center (River Falls, WI)
Also known as Forestville Vines. A very quaint place in an old schoolhouse. They have lots of activities along with good wines, good pizzas, and good music. The day we were there, they had "yoga in the vineyard" and a bunch of local artisans selling wares. Mark performed here!
From The Ground Up (Wisconsin Rapids, WI)
Mark and his daughter Camille stopped in there for coffee and breakfast. Such a cute place, I wish I lived around here.
Hollandberry Pannekoeken (Rochester)
Another lovely go-to place in Rochester with awesome breakfast foods.
Jewel Golf Club (Lake City)
Great views of the golf course grounds from the outdoor seating. Really nice food and beer selections.
Kelly's Lake House (Lake City)
Wonderful place to find outdoor seating overlooking Lake Pepin and the Mississippi River.
King's Place Bar and Grill (Miesville)
A very famous burger joint in Miesville MN. There is a local "town team" baseball team and King's has dozens, if not hundreds, of burgers with some kind of baseball-term name.
Las Margaritas (Hastings)
Our stay in MN is not complete until we eat and drink, sometimes multiple times, at our favorite Mexican restaurant. This one is in Hastings, MN and the same owner has one in Cottage Grove.
Liberty's Restaurant and Lounge (Red Wing)
A mainstay in Red Wing with good menu choices. On one of our visits, we ate at the bar and the poor bartender was busting her butt trying to keep up with tables. At that time, they were low on staff. Be patient.
Lock and Dam Eatery (Hastings)
Nice place with both Mexican and Italian menu items. Outdoor seating and often have summer live music out there.
Matt's Bar and Grill (Minneapolis)
There is a battle over who can claim the invention of the "Juicy Lucy", Matt's and the "5-8 Club". They are both within a few miles of each other. I'm going with Matt's. What a cool, old-school, neighborhood bar. You can get beer. You can get a burger. Not a whole lot else. A "must do"!
Missi's Sip and Savor (Hastings)
A new place in the [finally finished] Confluence hotel. The building was home to Hudson Sprayer but vacant for decades. They have done such an amazing job of renovating it. You have to go in to see the wonderful interior. The restaurant has lots of inside and outside seating. A little pricier than other places but definitely worth it.
Port 104 (Lake City)
An easy bar-and-grill place in Lake City with standard foods. Quite good, though!
Read's Landing Brewing Company (Reads Landing)
If you've driven between Wabasha and Lake City, you may have passed by this. Don't! It is a cute place right along the river and has good beers and decent food selection.
Slippery's (Wabasha)
You cannot go to Wabash without going to Slippery's. It was made famous by appearing in the "Grumpy Old Men". They have decent food and often have bands outside.
The Stone Barn (Nelson, WI)
A farm turned into a wedding venue and pizza place. A bit off the beaten path but worth it for a very relaxing, and very awesome, pizza. They have a full bar and good beers on tap.
The Tipsy Steer (Minneapolis)
While out with Camille, we had breakfast at this cool little place.
Vino In The Valley (Ellsworth, WI)
We have been out here on a number of occasions. This summer, Mark played here twice and at one of those, some of Barb's relatives showed up for a girls-night-out. Thanks! We also were here for the annual "topless tour", a trip with other owners of convertible cars.
Wiederholt's Supper Club (Miesville)
A great old-fashioned supper club. We went there to celebrate our 7th anniversary. Great food and the after dinner ice cream drinks are a must.
To make a long story short ...
A nephew's wedding
Mark's nephew, Shelby, married Stephanie in Wisconsin Rapids, WI in an outdoor setting. The bridesmaids wore very nice dresses and the groomsmen wore cowboy attire (boots, vests, blue jeans, hats). We toasted with Busch Light beer! Camille came with Barb and me. It was so nice to see relatives. Shelby's dad, Mark's brother Greg, had passed away a few years ago and they had an empty chair with his picture on it, along with an empty chair for our mom, and Shelby's mom's parents. A nice touch.
National Night Out at White Pine Assisted Living
When we lived in Hastings, MN, we hosted a NNO event at our house for the entire neighborhood a few years ago. A friend of ours works at this assisted living facility and asked if Mark would come play for the NNO event they were hosting. It was a lot of fun. The local police, EMTs, and firefighters were there as well as the newly chosen Strawberry Festival court (Cottage Grove's annual festival).
Our annual trip to Nemo SD
We didn't have the time to pull the RV out to Nemo to visit Bruce and Traci so we went out for a quick four day visit with Polly. They have several rental units, one of which is a small RV so that's what we stayed in. The Nemo valley is quite beautiful and our visit with these great friends never disappoints. We had a really fun hike in the National Forest, with many creek crossings; Polly and their dogs just loved it. See our story below about the Buffalo Hunt Coaster!
The Blue Hair Music Tour
Do you remember the "Blue Collar Comedy Tour" with Jeff Foxworthy and his friends? For the last couple of summers (2023, 2024), Mark has had the pleasure of playing at a few assisted living facilities in the Hastings area. I dubbed it the Blue Hair Music Tour. I had so much fun playing for the residents and it sure looks like they enjoyed it too. I always walk around and get to know the people and there are always fun stories! One lady is really in Elvis and wears Elvis socks. One guy claims he was captured in WWII and taken to see Hitler. I had the very humbling experience of being asked to play in the room of a lady that was in her last few days. I will ALWAYS do this for free.
Mark's 60th Surprise Birthday Party
Call me gullible. Barb can get me every time. She had left me in Utah so she could scoot back to MN to help take care of her dad and his radiation treatment. I finally got back to MN on my birthday and she suggested we go the The Busted Nut, our favorite bar in Hastings. It is where we met for the first time. Of course, I walk in the the place is packed with friends for my 60th birthday! I love that girl. Another friend, Tom, shares a birthday with me and he was there too. Even Camille (my daughter) was in on the ruse!
Staying at the Diercks' Farm
When Barb came back to MN early on the Spring in 2024 to help her dad with radiation treatment, it made sense to stay at the farm for a few weeks. Our big camper was at the Treasure Island Casino Campground, only 15 miles away or so. We gladly did everything we could to do the things Dean became too weak to do. It took time, but he came back very strong! Polly had so much fun making her rounds in search of squirrels to chase.
A funny thing happened on the way to Minnesota
As I was making my way from UT to MN to catch up with Barb, I pulled into a truck stop in Gillette WY. As the truck was filling, I decided to just take a quick walk around the RV to make sure everything looked good. It didn't and I was SO lucky I looked. The third axle just look odd. The tires were unnaturally close to the second tires and the trim of the camper was also oddly close to the tires. It wasn't this way on the other tires and I never remembered seeing it quite like this. I slowly drove the rig out of the way and took another look.
There are these metal pieces called shackles that connect the suspension of each axle either to the frame of the RV or to each other. The shackles holding the front of the third axle was broken ON BOTH SIDES. The only thing holding the third axle to the RV were the rear end of the leaf springs attached to the RV frame.
I immediately started calling some RV tech companies in Gillette and hooked up with a mobile tech who was able to come to me. When I described what happened, he said very clearly "Do not drive it." If I had not done my walk around and had just fueled up and hit the road, that third axle would have ripped right off the RV and likely totaled it.
He ran and got some parts and a couple house later I was back on the road. He could have charged me anything he wanted! He didn't. I was so thankful for him.
During the summer, Barb and I replaced all the shackles with aftermarket heavy duty ones. I have since heard that it is suggested that everyone replace the cheap factory shackles with these replacements. We had no idea.