There is beauty in each and every day and this day was filled with it! I headed north about 10 this morning, still undecided whether I would visit Minneapolis St Paul or avoid the big city completely, since I've been there before, and make my way down the Mississippi. The minute I approached the exit east for Red Wing, my response was immediate!
Red Wing, Minnesota is home to Red Wing Shoes and also Red Wing pottery. My late husband took one of those "let's get off the freeway" turns and we wandered down the Mississippi. Of course, that was too many years ago, things have grown and changed, but the character of Red Wing has stayed the same. I didn't remember the pottery store being where it was this time, but it didn't matter. Just stopping and wandering through was what I wanted to do with hopes to find one piece to bring home. The only thing we picked up there was a small mug. I was hoping for a bean pot or tea pot.
I watched the two potters work for a short while. They have a picture window that looks into the work area from the store. It is quaint, filled with different items and different patterns, and you could be in and out in a minute easily. My focus was on pottery with the red wing on it so after a once around, I pretty much knew where those were located. A small ramekin for ice cream/baking/whatever was gathered up to go home for one of my friends who definitely appreciates ice cream. Perfect to put into the freezer for a bit to help keep it cold. In reaching for it, I spotted my bean pot! It will more likely have soup in it come fall and winter, but how fortunate that it just happened to be 25% off that day! Was meant to be for sure! I also picked up a bag of Minnesota wild rice from Deer River, where my friend Leah is from. Because she shared a bowl of her wild rice soup one day, I was hooked on wild rice from that moment on!
Climbed back into the car and drove downtown Red Wing and walked a bit along the Mississippi waterfront and through the sidewalk market. The flower baskets hanging from the light poles were overflowing with a rainbow of colors and it fit the casual, hometown feel perfectly! I got an ice tea from Caribou Coffee, jumped into the car again and headed across the bridge into Wisconsin. More of their road from Red Wing to La Crosse is along the water and not so much inland and wanders through towns with names like Pepin, Alma, Buffalo, and Stockholm. I pulled over to catch the incredible blue sky and fluffy white clouds that hovered over the river, which was dotted with multicolored sails, jet skis, and other types of watercraft.
Stockholm obviously is a little tourist center, with wooden building of crafters, antiques, ice cream, restaurants, bakery, general store, etc. The roadway was filled with parked cars and though I doubled back to take a second look, I decided not to stop, continuing south towards LaCrosse, but crossed the bridge at Winona, Wisconsin and wandered some of the country roads south towards Harmony, Minnesota.
First of all, I loved the name! Second, when I did the Red Hat Society about four years ago, that was my name, and now, it is the little burg in Minnesota that touts itself as home to a sizable Amish population. I didn't know if I would get there in time to visit the bakeries or quilt stores, but just seeing that part of Minnesota near Iowa and wandering the country roads with the roadside vegie stands, horses, rolling hills and dairy lands was fine for me.
Went a bit farther east so I could take Highway 63 north to Rochester, since that one went right by my hotel in town and was, basically, a straight shot! My lunch had been a turkey and swiss on wild rice and cranberry bread, I had some cold grapes to snack on along with my bottled water, classical music, sunshine from beginning to end, found my pottery, and was finally pulling in for one of the best nights of sleep since I'd been here.
Today, I saw the blessings of nature and it enriched my spirit and warmed my soul. It was an incredible day and I am very thankful to have been able to enjoy it!
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