3122. Go to the Watkins Museum in Winona

 Ryan and Tracy camped out in the western part of the state in August and went to the Watkins Museum in Winona. I did not know such a place existed but since we grew up using Watkins Vanilla and Meat Magic, I decided I needed to make it part of girls' weekend. 

Going to the Watkins Museum fit in the schedule perfectly. It is open 10-4 Monday-Saturday. We could hit it first thing in the morning and still have plenty of time to get to Wabasha for the Eagle Presentation at 1:00. It is located downtown Winona adjacent to the factory.

The Watkins Museum highlights the history of Watkins Company. It tells how J. R. Watkins started his business and early product making.

My favorite part was all the old bottles and tins of products. They sold everything from spices to moth spray. I remember you only were able to get your Watkins through a Watkin's rep. 

My old babysitter growing up, sold it. I found a lady I used to work with that sold. Now you can get their cleaning products and vanilla in Walmart and Target. Alas Meat Magic is no more.

There is also a store where you can buy whatever Watkins products you need to stock up. Of course I picked up vanilla. It is still the best vanilla for the price. It was $18 for the large bottle. My little bottle from Penzey's is $15.

After checking the museum and store, we drove over to J.R. Watkins home that he built in town once his business took off. It is now a nursing home but back in the day it had fabulous gardens. I would have to been able to tour it. The house is only a short drive from the museum. It is also worth driving by when in Winona. 

If you are in Winona or that part of the state and need a quick stop, this is perfect. It gives a glimpse in a family run business since 1868. I love checking out these pieces of history as you don't see many left anymore. It is definitely a quick stop no more than 30-60 minutes depending on how long you spend in the store.

3124. Hike Sugar Loaf Bluff in Winona

Knowing Stacy and I usually get an early start, I noticed that we would have some time to kill before any museums or sites opened for the day. Being on the Mississippi there are plenty of bluffs and overlooks to hike. After some google mapping, I found Sugar Loaf Bluff in Winona. It was a moderate hike that gave us good views and wasn't very long.

Sugar Loaf Bluff is an 1.2 mile out and back trail just as you come into the city. Parking is interesting as you literally park on the side of the road. The trailhead is behind the reality office. 

The trail is a typical trail though the woods.. dirt, leaves, and roots. It is not paved or chipped so it's what I call real hiking versus these little nature walks through the nature preserve. It takes about 20 minutes or so to get to the top. You are hiking up hill most of the way but it is not overly steep. It is much easier than the Three Dune Challenge or even Tonto National Monument.  The last part of the trial is sand as Sugar Loaf Bluff is a sandstone outcropping.

Sugar Loaf Bluff soars 85 feet in the sky. The views of Winona and the Mississippi are stunning.

Once you get to the base of Sugar Loaf Bluff, you can take a narrower, rocky path around the back and actually reach to the top. We started this journey and decided to turn around when the path became too narrow.

There is a small ledge you can sit on for pictures at the base. 

The walk down isn't so bad but it is down hill so it does require a little skill. 

If you are ever in the La Crosse area or headed across Minnesota, take a quick detour to Winona and climb Sugar Loaf Bluff. It is well worth the hour of exercise you'll get. 

I'm glad I planned on a morning hike. The motto of the day became "We hiked so we can eat fatty foods and consume large quantities of alcohol."