Upper Mississippi River, Red Wing Shoes, and Lark Toys

While staying at Treasure Island Casino and RV Park in Welch, MN, we used it as our base to explore the Upper Mississippi River region.  There were a few things we wanted to see and some unexpected.

Our first stop was a short distance away at the main Red Wing Shoe in Red Wing.  We found out the factory tours are held on days we wouldn't be in town, so we did the next best thing.  The store is located in downtown and occupies 3 floors, which includes a museum.  The first thing you see entering the store.

Largest boot in the world

Size 638 1/2 boot

Boot reaches the second floor

What size boot do you want?

Evolution of Red Wing boots

The boot is massive.  The top reaches to the second floor. Size is listed as 638 1/2.  I don't know how they came up with that number, but it is big.  On display in the museum is a Puritan 3 stitch sewing machine still in use today in the factory.  It gives their boots a unique and strong stitch.

Puritan 3 stitch sewing machine

Linda wishing she owned a 3 stitch sewing machine

There is a display boot showing how the various pieces come together along with many styles of boots.

Cut away of a boot

The store has every current design of Red Wing boots and shoes along with other brands.  2nds are marked down in price and stocked in the basement.  If you want the best, Red Wing has it.

Heading south on scenic Highway 61 out of Red Wing along the Mississippi River, I heard a command from the passenger side of the car: TURNAROUND!  Linda saw something out of the corner of her eye.  She was carrying her iPad and got online to research (Linda does that best).  She saw a sign for: LARK TOYS.
Linda loves toys way more than your average three years.  A few clicks on her iPad later, she discovered that Lark Toys was voted one of the top 10 toys stores in the world. http://www.readersdigest.ca/world-travel/10-coolest-toy-stores-world?id=5 .  We got the car turned around and spent the next two hours in the store. http://www.larktoys.com/.

Lark Toys near Kellogg, MN

The store contains 20,000 sq.ft. of toys, a hand carved carousel, toy museum, fudge shop, and snack bar plus outdoors is a put-put golf course, and a llama area.  Their hand made wooden toys were wonderful.  Tim even found something to buy.  Of course, Linda had bags full of toys.

Hand carved carousel at Lark Toys

Hand carved pig on the carousel

We were so busy shopping for toys we forgot to get pictures of them.  Oh well, we bought some.

Llamas in yard at Lark Toys

Next we headed to Winona, MN to cross the Mississippi River to tour the Wisconsin scenic Highway 35 and make a loop back the the RV.  The river still is a major transportation route and it provided an avenue for train track building.  We saw and heard many trains. Trains, bridges, locks, dams, and the river occupied us until our return to the RV.

1 of many bridges over the Mississippi River

Train with containers on flatbeds along the river

The river is a wonder of nature.  Birds and wildlife are on constant display.

Lock & Dam from high point over Alma, WI

Sign explaining the lock & dam at Alma, WI

Walkway at Alma, WI lock & dam

The above picture shows a unique pedestrian walkway to access the viewing area at Alma, WI.

Lock #4 at Alma, WI

Sign explaining rivers tows

Visitor center at Prescott, WI

The Great River Road Visitor Center at Prescott, WI was terrific.  Not only did it provide a high vantage view of the river, but had some well done exhibits and signs.

Display showing plastic trash collected from the river

Metal junk from the river

Railroad bridge between Prescott, WI and Hastings, MN

Ever since we entered southern Missouri, we noticed how poor the crops looked....too much rain.  All through Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin we saw corn that looked like below.

Not knee high by the 4th of July

On our way back to the RV park and casino in Welch, MN we saw this great creature.

Eagle on electric tower near Welch, MN

Eagles are present in the Upper Mississippi River all year around.

After a long day, we finally got back to Big Red in the RV park.  The next day we made a rainy drive from Minnesota to Utica, IL.  After an overnight stay, we got up early and made a dash around Chicago and ended up in Elkhart County, IN.  See more on our visit in our next post.