Travel: Historic Red Wing charms with autumn spectacle

The Minnesota community of Red Wing always ranks near the top of any list of idyllic Midwestern towns. It has all the elements of a perfect weekend getaway: a picturesque setting, historic downtown, a variety of recreational options, friendly residents, and enough attractions to keep you occupied for part of a weekend while still allowing plenty of time for sleeping in, leisurely brunches, and evening strolls through tree-lined streets.

Located on the Mississippi River, Red Wing was once one of the largest wheat ports in the world and later became a center for lime-making and stone quarrying. Wealthy merchants built stately homes and a thriving commercial district, endowing Red Wing with a treasure trove of 19th-century architectural gems

'Red Wing residents take a great deal of pride in our town,' says Lynette Gudrais, who with her husband, Zig, is owner of the Candlelight Inn, a mansion built in 1877 that now welcomes guests. 'People work hard to maintain their historic houses and keep the downtown pristine.'

The town is best known today as the home of Red Wing Shoes, which has been manufacturing sturdy work boots and other footwear since 1905. Visitors can shop its flagship store in downtown Red Wing and then have their picture taken next to the World's Largest Boot, a mammoth piece of footwear in size 638 1/2 D (you'd have to be 120 feet tall to wear it comfortably).

Red Wing's other iconic industry is pottery. In the late 1800s, local potteries started producing crocks for storage and clay pipes for water and sewer systems.

The Red Wing Stoneware Co. was founded in 1877 and became famous for its hand-painted dinnerware produced in hundreds of styles as well as its gray-colored crocks marked with a distinctive red wing. While the company closed in 1967, it recently has been reborn as Red Wing Stoneware and Pottery, which sells its locally produced wares at two spots in town.

The free Pottery Museum of Red Wing tells the story of the town's clay industry through historic artifacts, vintage photographs and examples of the many designs that have been produced here.

'People come from all over the world to tour our museum,' says manager Robin Wipperling. 'Many of them are collectors, but we also get visitors interested in history, because these items tell a lot about how people used to live.'

After touring the museum, visit Pottery Place, a brick building that once was a pottery factory and now houses specialty stores and restaurants. Stop by Red Brick Pottery to visit with artist Scott Keith, who's likely to be working on a piece of art pottery but always is happy to chat with customers.

'I'm the first resident potter to be working here in half-a-century,' Keith says. 'I like to talk with visitors about my own work, but also about how pottery-making is a big part of Red Wing's heritage.'

Just a few blocks away, Red Wing's downtown has other unique shops. Stop by Uffda for Scandinavian gifts, then browse the shelves at Fair Trade Books, where first-time visitors are given a free book. The downtown also is home to the Sheldon Theatre, a jewel-like structure built in 1904 that hosts a variety of live performances. And don't miss the St. James Hotel, an Italianate structure built in 1875. Take a self-guided tour of its interior, which includes the Ski Jumping Hall of Fame and Museum (the first documented ski jumping competition in the United States was held here in 1887). Afterward, enjoy a casual meal at the hotel's Veranda Restaurant or a more formal one at The Port.

Folk music fans will want to take a short drive to Hobgoblin Music, located in a historic barn overlooking a rural valley. In addition to Stoney End harps — which are handcrafted on site — it also sells fiddles, mandolins, Irish drums, concertinas, guitars and other instruments. Hobgoblin frequently hosts concerts by some of the region's finest musicians, who perform either in its upstairs loft or on an outdoor stage.

While Red Wing attracts visitors year-round, fall is its most popular season. Located just north of Lake Pepin, a naturally formed lake on the Mississippi, the town is part of a loop tour that runs along the Minnesota and Wisconsin sides of the river.

The route is one of the nation's top places to view autumn colors, with brilliant reds and oranges lighting up the wooded bluffs that border the Mississippi River.

Another way to enjoy the colorful leaves is on the Cannon Valley Trail, a 20-mile, paved trail that borders the Cannon River. Or you can hike Barn Bluff, a 350-foot limestone formation that overlooks the town. If you'd rather not expend that much effort, you can drive to Memorial Park, which sits atop Sorin's Bluff, a second limestone promontory that overlooks Red Wing.

The town's lively food and beverage scene includes the Red Wing Brewery, maker of craft beers, and two wineries, Flower Valley and Falconer, both of which offer wine tastings in scenic settings. Falconer also serves wood-fired pizzas on a deck overlooking its vineyards, while at Flower Valley you can sip your chardonnay while admiring a resident herd of horses.

Though Red Wing was born as an industrial hub, today its main attraction is its laid-back vibe. 'Red Wing isn't on the way to anywhere else of much size,' says Lynette Gudrais.

'That isolation is a big part of our appeal, because it makes this a great place to get away from it all.'

If you go

Where: Red Wing, Minn.

Where to stay: The Candlelight Inn has five rooms and suites, with a three-course gourmet breakfast served each morning; The St. James Hotel offers accommodations in 67 rooms, each named after a Mississippi riverboat.

More information: Red Wing Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-(800) 498-3444 or www.RedWing.org