South-east Minnesota is an awesome place for a vacation, and Rochester makes a great base to explore all that the region has to offer. The city is the birthplace of the renowned Mayo Clinic and has a wealth of art and culture, culinary delights, and shopping locations.
In the surrounding areas are stunning scenery, nature and adventure centers, and historical sites. Here are four of the things you can do on your Rochester vacation.
Rochester Trolley and Tour Company
One of the best ways to see all of Rochester’s main attractions is to take a hop-off and hop-on Rochester City & Mayo Historical Trolley Tour. The narrated tours take in downtown Rochester, Silver Lake Park, History Center of Olmsted County, Mayowood Mansion, the Plummer House, and much more. The company operates various other outings including microbrewery tours and wine trail tours.
Quarry Hill Park and Nature Center
Less than 5 miles from downtown Rochester is the 329-acre Quarry Hill Park which is an historic natural treasure. The park features several miles of hiking trails, opportunities for birdwatching and nature photography, quarries where you can hunt for fossils, and a pond where you can see frogs, turtles, snakes, muskrats, ducks, and geese.
The Nature Center within the park features the Exploration Hall where you can get up close to 35 species of live animals native to Minnesota, as well as some exotic species. On display are many exhibits such as antlers, animal bones, and turtle shells, which can be handled by visitors. The Honeybee Observation Hive enables you to see the inside of a real working bee colony.
Mississippi Valley
From Rochester, you can reach the mighty Mississippi River in under an hour. See the historic town of Wabasha, the oldest U.S. town west of the Mississippi, and visit the live eagle program at the National Eagle Center.
Drive the scenic river highway and stop at the overlooks to take in the majestic scenery. You could take a trip on a paddlewheel boat or sample the goods at a vineyard or brewery. This area has so much to offer so you might want to carefully plan your trip. Alternatively, just explore and see what you find.
Amish Tours
Around 40 miles from Rochester is Lanesboro where you can take a Bluffscape Amish Tour. The Amish people choose to live a simple, but hard life and shun the convenience of most modern technology. The fully narrated tour will give you insight into the history of the Amish and their way of life.
You will travel to farms and visit shops where you can browse Amish crafts, such as wooden furniture, quilts, baskets, soaps, and candles, and taste their buttery and sweet cashew crunch. On some tours, you may have the opportunity to take a ride in a horse-drawn wagon driven by an Amish husband or wife.
These are just a few of the activities available within easy reach of Rochester. You’ll find many other attractions to suit the whole family on your southeast Minnesota vacation.
Image by Melissa Johnson is licensed under CC-BY-SA 2.0
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