Fort Pickens National Park Review

Camping and Visiting Fort Pickens & Gulf Islands National Seashore Park – Pensacola Beach, Florida

Top 10 things to do at Fort Pickens Gulf Islands Park & Campground?

  • Go beach combing, swimming, and sunbathing on sparsely populated white sand beaches on the Gulf of Mexico.
  • Tour the historic Fort Pickens and Island Gun Batteries and learn about the military history of the Fort and of Santa Rosa Island.
  • Hike the several hiking and nature trails in the park.
  • Bird-Watching. Over 280 species of birds have been identified on the gulf barrier islands.
  • Visit the Gulf Islands Discovery Center to explore exhibits on the natural environment, wildlife, and history of the Fort Pickens Area.
  • Bike the roads in the park and bike the 6 mile road between the park and the fun things to do in Pensacola Beach.
  • Camping in a tent or RV in one of the full-service campsites or in a group the more rustic backcountry sites. (See our Fort Pickens Campground Review here)
  • Like Fishing? Fort Pickens does have a fishing pier that extends out into Pensacola Bay.
  • If staying in the campground, enjoy numerous attractions in the nearby vacation community of Pensacola Beach and the larger city of Pensacola across the bay from the park. At the end of this article are several links to interesting things to see and do in the area.
  • Watch the famed Blue Angels Flight team from the Fort Pickens Pier


Slide Show Top Fort Pickens Attractions

  • Historic Fort Pickens
    The 1834 historical fort is the main visitor attraction for non-campers. The Fort along with the island's numerous gun batteries has an interesting military history from before the civil war through World War II.
  • Fort Pickens Campground
    The popular campground at Fort Pickens will accommodate larger RVs as well as smaller units and tents
  • Fort Pickens Gulf Beach
    The uncrowded pristine beaches at Fort Pickens are among Floridas top rated.
  • Fort Pickens Hiking Trails
    Hiking/biking Trail from the Fort to the Campground
  • Biking at Fort Pickens
    Bikes are useful for riding from the campground to one of the beaches within the park as well as on the hiking/biking trails in the park. Also useful to ride the 6 miles into the town of Pensacola Beach (speed limit on the park road is 25 mph and is not heavily traveled)

Pensacola Beach Santa Rosa Island
If you like the excitement of ocean resort towns, Pensacola Beach is less than
15 minutes from the Fort Pickens campground

Driving Directions to Fort Pickens Historical Site from Pensacola, Florida

To get to Fort Pickens from Pensacola on the mainland, you have to take the bridge across the bay to Gulf Breeze and then take another bridge to Pensacola Beach on Santa Rosa Island.

Touring Historic Fort Pickens

Historic Fort Pickens
The 1834 historical fort is the main visitor attraction for non-campers.
The Fort along with the island’s numerous gun batteries
has an interesting military history from before the civil war through World War II.

History buffs, particularly those interested in US military history from the War of 1812 to World War II, will also enjoy the experience of touring the old Fort Pickens and several gun batteries that exist throughout the park. Fort Pickens also has an interesting museum, featuring interactive exhibits on the natural and historic features of the Gulf Islands National Lakeshore.

The restored 1834 Fort and the assortment of many shoreline battery units added to the complex in World War II are one of the major attractions of the park. Go here to learn about the fascinating military history of this fort and its companion Fort Barrancas which is situated across the bay.


Fort Pickens Campground

Located on the remote western end of the island, Fort Pickens Recreation Area & Campground is the largest unit of the Gulf Island National Seashore. It is a great spot for people who enjoy sun and surf, relaxing by the ocean or walking the beach in an uncrowded, natural setting. The Fort Pickens campground is set about a half mile east of the old fort, nestled between the remains of several of the coastal artillery gun batteries that were constructed during World War II. It offers over 200 sites, with about 170 with utilities for RVs.

See our Review & more information on Camping at Fort Pickens here

fort pickens map
Fort Pickens map (from Google Maps)

Alternative Campground. Times when we’ve not been able to get into the park due no sites available, we often have been able to find a spot at Big Lagoon State Park at the western end of Pensacola.

Fort Pickens Park Hiking Trails

There are hiking trails from the campground to the Fort Pickens restoration and museum, from the campground to the sand beaches facing the gulf, to the beaches on Pensacola Bay, between the two major camping areas, to some of the World War II Gun Battery encampments, and to picnic pavilions in the park. And there are several miles of sand beach to hike!

fort pickens hiking trails
hiking from the campground to the old Fort

Fort Pickens Discovery Center

The Fort Pickens museum offers exhibits on the Gulf Islands eco system and the natural environment, wildlife, and history of the Fort Pickens Area.

fort pickens discovery center
Gulf Islands Seashore Museum on the grounds of the Fort Pickens encampment


Biking around Fort Pickens

Fort Pickens is a great spot for biking if you are camping at one of the Fort Pickens Campgrounds. The sand hiking trails are generally firm enough to bike on and the extensive network of roads within the park have low speed limits and are lightly traveled. Some of the beach recreation areas are far enough away from the campground that you’d want to either drive or bike to them.

When we stay at the campground, we usually make at least one bike trip into Pensacola Beach to browse around town or get a bite to eat at one of the top Pensacola Beach seafood restaurants

Biking at Fort Pickens
Bikes are useful for riding from the campground to one of the beaches within the park as well as on the hiking/biking trails in the park. Also useful to ride the 6 miles into the town of Pensacola Beach (speed limit on the park road is 25 mph and is not heavily traveled)

Fort Pickens & Gulf Island National Seashore Links:

Other Top Attractions in Pensacola and Pensacola Beach

Ashland RV Park

Ashland Kreher RV Park

On the Lake Superior Circle Tour Scenic Drive When we are RVing around Lake Superior, one of our favorite campgrounds is the lakeside park in Ashland, Wisconsin. Kreher Park is an Ashland municipal campground offering 33 RV ONLY sites with electric and water hookups. Located on Chequamegon Bay of Lake Superior, the park also offers … Read more

Nelson Creamery Great River Road

Nelson Creamery

Restaurant Review – Nelson Creamery, Nelson Wisconsin

People shopping for cheese, lining up at the ice cream counter, and placing their luncheon order.

About 50 cars filled the Nelson Creamery customer parking lot on a Thursday afternoon in little Nelson, Wisconsin on Hwy 35 – the Wisconsin Great River Road Scenic Byway. Same thing happened last year. We were through Nelson last year mid-week about the same time for our annual fall River Road Color tour and the parking lot was full then and in fact there was somewhat of a traffic jam in front of the Creamery as people were looking for street-side parking. Lots of people sitting on benches in front and walking around eating ice cream cones. So we figured the Nelson Creamery must have some terrific ice cream to get so many people to stop here. Last year stopping just wasn’t on our plans, plus it was really crowded. But we made a note of a must stop the next time we were passing through.

Nelson Cheese Factory Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
So October 19, 2017, on our fall color drive from Winona to Wabasha, we did stop, initially to get an ice cream cone but ended up getting lunch as well. Once inside the Creamery we discovered ice cream isn’t the only reason people stop there. They have a huge selection of Wisconsin cheeses, an extensive wine collection, a wine tasting room, and indoor and outdoor seating for dining. Great sandwiches, soup and pizza bring people here as much as the ice cream. There were two separate ordering lines, both quite full. One for ice cream, one for lunch food service. At the luncheon counter, you order your sandwich or pizza, pay for the food, leave your name and seating location (inside or out) and a server will bring you your order when ready.

On a sunny day the Creamery’s secluded patio offers a most pleasing dining experience.

It was a pleasant sunny day so we dined in their cozy outdoor patio. The food service was courteous and fast. The wait for our order wasn’t very long considering they were quite busy. Kudos to the management for good staffing levels and competent help. Our hot toasted Pita Veggie Sandwiches were jam-packed with garlic hummus, guacamole, kalamata olives, cucumber, red pepper, tomato, onion, sprouts & feta cheese. Super yummy. The sandwich menu is quite extensive and there are soups and salad too, plus their personal pizza offerings.

Good food, reasonable prices, fast service, nice ambiance inside and out. We can see why Nelson Creamery is a favorite among travelers on the Great River Road.

Links:

Nelson Creamery – Nelson, Wisconsin

Upper Mississippi Great River Road Scenic Drive

A fall scene between Alma and Nelson along Hwy 35, Wisconsin’s Great River Road Scenic Byway.


Great River Road Map & Article Directory

Click on map to go to Great River Road map and directory page

Away from the World | Cedar Key

Away from the World Bar Cedar Key Florida

Restaurant Review: Away from the World Burger Bar, Cedar Key, Florida

Formerly named “Away from the World Cafe” Away from the World Beer and Burger Bar has expanded its menu and beverages. It is located on the top story of one of the commercial buildings along the Dock Street Pier looking out on the Gulf. Their expansive deck dining offers great views of the water and you can catch a decent breeze that is welcome on a hot day. If it is too cold or rains, there is plenty of dining room inside. Prior to arriving at Cedar Key we hadn’t done any research on best places to eat so we picked “Away from the World” simply because it looked like they had a decent dining deck with a terrific view of the water.

Away from the World Cedar Key
Great views and nice breezes from the dining deck.

While it took a while to get served, the Mahi-Mahi sandwich and the tossed salad were very good. Worth waiting for.

Away from the World Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

The weather was ideal, sunny and about 10 degrees above normal for a late February day. Almost too hot for our Wisconsin bodies tuned to winter temperatures. It was Tuesday afternoon mid-week and the town was only moderately busy. Yet apparently the staff at Away from the World wasn’t ready for several people descending upon them for lunch. We had to stand around for a while gawking at the bartender before we got a waitress to seat us. But then we did get profuse apologies, saying “sorry, we are really slammed today” which was a phrase we’d hear her repeat often to other customers. When our Mahi-Mahi Sandwiches did arrive, they were pretty good. I thought mine was a little dry, but Jo thought hers was excellent. The side salad was very good, a nice selection of fresh greens and veggies. The beer was decent and a good selection on tap. Our wait staff had only been working there for two weeks and was trying hard to keep up with her customers, but only partially succeeding.

Perhaps the manager of the operation was in the kitchen humping to get out the food. My impression was there wasn’t anyone taking charge of dealing with the chaos. So 3 stars for service and maybe too generous. But they did produce half-way decent food – 4.5 stars for that. 5 star view and atmosphere on the dining deck. Overall I’d give them a 3.5.

Travel and Restaurant Links:

Cedar Key Florida Beach
See our article on things to do and see in Cedar Key, Florida

Grayton Seafood Co | Grayton Beach

grayton seafood co

Restaurant Review: Grayton Seafood Company, Grayton Beach, Florida

On our previous visits to Grayton Beach we’ve eaten at The Red Bar so on our most recent visit we were looking to try something new. A search on “Google” provided some positive reviews for the Seafood Company located in the main entertainment and shopping portion of Grayton Beach that is located along Scenic Highway 30A away from the beach itself. So we decided to give them a try for dinner.

A warm, comfortable, uncrowded dining atmosphere. Neat little bar area.

My Grayt House Salad topped with grilled chicken breast.

It was a little too cool for us to dine outside in their intimate patio.

We were camping in our RV at Grayton Beach State Park, about a mile walk or bike to the restaurant from our campsite so we decided to burn off some calories walking vs driving. There’s a paved bike & jogging path that runs adjacent to the highway. If you are staying along the beach in town, it’s about the same distance, a mile walk, bike, or drive to Grayton Seafood Co.

While the sign outside indicates “since 1890” the restaurant itself is of much more recent vintage (opened in 2015), although they have done a nice job decorating the interior paneling with weather-worn planks, beer signs, old photographs on the walls, etc. Owned by Kenny Griner it is a family run operation. In addition to Kenny are his daughter, his son, and his son-in-law on-site working in the restaurant. While there are some standard menu items, they pride themselves on locally sourced seafood so current catches drive the menu. They also enjoy trying new selections, often using their Sunday Brunch as a testing ground for new items. For example, through their fun experiments, they discovered customers really liked their “chicken and waffles” combo breakfast-brunch selection!

I was feeling the need for some good “roughage” so I chose their Grayt House Salad that comes with romaine & Iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, carrots, croutons & cheese. I added some grilled chicken breast to the mix. The salad was terrific, nicely blend, fresh ingredients and a huge quantity. I’m generally a clean-plate guy and it was a challenge to accomplish it with the size of this meal. Jo went with the Fish of the Day recommended by our server: grilled Amber Jack, a fish she has never tried before. The Amberjack dinner was four or five fillet pieces with a choice of two sides; Jo went with the House Salad and baked potato slices. The fish was delicious and the house salad quite generous. On tap are beers from three local craft breweries: we had the Hooter Brown Ale from Oyster City Brewing Co (in Apalachicola).

Service was friendly and attentive; and we didn’t have to wait too long for our food to arrive. In conversation, we discovered our server, Grayson, has Wisconsin roots – his father founded Trek & Trail in Bayfield, Wisconsin one of our favorite towns along the Lake Superior Scenic Circle Drive.

Overall we give high marks to Grayton Seafood Company, casual dining with artisinal attention to food preparation and menu offerings that “foodies” will appreciate yet at a reasonable price.  In summary, very good quality food, good service, pleasing dining atmosphere, good tap beers, and we love family-run places where the owners are in the kitchen and serving customers.

Travel Links:

 

Breitbach Tavern Balltown Iowa

Breitbach Country Tavern – Restaurant Review

Billing itself as “. . . Iowa’s oldest food & drinking establishment” Breitbach’s was originally built in 1852 and has been run by six generations of the family since 1862. Current owners Mike and Cindy Breitbach have several of their children on site working in the kitchen, waiting tables, washing dishes, or tending to the bar ensuring that in time there will be a seventh generation continuing the family tradition.

The dining area is spacious and comfortable with a few antique touches.

We first discovered Breitbach’s in 2006 while taking our first trip along Iowa’s Great River Road north of Dubuque. At that time the original structure, built in 1852, still existed. (See photos below). It was a neat old building filled with 150 years of antique furnishings and memorabilia collected over the years. Besides a step-back-in-time to a genuine old fashioned country tavern, the food itself was genuine home-cooking. In addition to the delicious Iowa Pork Chops, I recall the most extensive and flavorful salad bar I’d ever experienced.

Since that original visit we’ve returned several times. Unfortunately, in 2007 the original Breitbachs burned to the ground in a gas explosion and fire. Almost all the antiques and collections from several generations were destroyed. A new Breitbach’s now occupies the original foundation. The dining area is much larger and is finished in beautiful oak beams and trim with some nice touches of antiques here and there. But nothing could replace the charm of the old 1800s era building and its contents.

All you can eat Buffet draws people from long distances to tiny Balltown Iowa.

However what hasn’t changed is the Breitbach family is still there running the place. Great small town service and excellent home cooking featuring famous Iowa Beef and Pork. On our most recent visit in October 2017 we caught their fantastic all-you-can-eat Dinner Buffet. We had a choice of beer battered cod, beef tips, popcorn shrimp, and broasted chicken. All excellent tasting, hot and moist. Jo particularly loved the homemade noodles, reminding her of those her grandmother used to make. Mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn rounded out the main course. But then there’s the exceptional soup and salad bar completely homemade by Cindy Breitbach and her kitchen crew. Still the best and most varied salad bar I’ve ever had. So much delicious food and even though I stuffed myself I couldn’t sample everything. Well that leaves more for next time.

From the Balltown scenic overlook, looking towards the Mississippi River bluffs. Wisconsin in background at top of picture.

Next to dining at Breitbach’s Balltown’s most notable attraction is the scenic lookout over the Mississippi River valley. At 1185 feet in elevation it is the second highest point in Iowa. Our latest visit was mid-week so we missed the music and Octoberfest celebration in the beer garden behind the restaurant. We caught that one year and it was lots of fun. In October you can also catch some good color and scenic river overlooks along the Iowa River Road Scenic Byway from Balltown to Guttenberg.

Link: Breitbach Country Dining


Here’s some photos of the original Breitbach Country Tavern that stood on the same site for 150 years as the current more modern version.

 

Two months before the big Dec 24, 2007 fire. The current restaurant sits on the same site as the original.

The old dining room was very cozy and chock full of antiques and memorabilia everywhere!

My wife Jo loved this antique quilt hanging on the wall in the dining area off the bar.

The Beer Garden out back was the only structure that survived the fire.

Traveling the Great River Road Scenic Drive. We have several articles featuring travel along the Great River Road Scenic Byway(s) from Rock Island, Illinois to Red Wing, Wisconsin.

Brewery Creek Pub Mineral Point Wisconsin

Brewery Creek Inn and Pub – Restaurant Review

According to Zomato reviews and recommendations from friends, Brewery Creek Pub is one of Mineral Point’s most popular places to eat. The Inn and Pub are located in a restored 1854 Warehouse. In the pub the original thick limestone walls, exposed hand-hewn timbers, solid oak tables and chairs, and classic bar complete the intimate and genuine old time pub atmosphere. The dining area and its adjacent bar are not very spacious, yet you didn’t feel crowded. Something to do with how the space was arranged with an eye towards good use of space and providing variety. Perhaps it was also the high open ceilings exposing the thick old floor joists of the floor above and the rough sandstone rock walls did a nice job of cushioning conversation from the bar or adjacent tables.

Their own beer is brewed on-site and they offer a limited but diverse selections of brews. They were temporarily out of their Porter so we chose their Dark Amber ale instead. While advertised in their menu as “mild” we found the brew had good body and a full taste. And it was darker in color than the usual amber brew. Perhaps the “mild” referred to alcohol content, which we didn’t miss, particularly on a day when the temperatures were headed above 90 degrees!

Jo ordered their California Burger and I had their Wild Sockeye Salmon sandwich. Each came with a choice of sides; we both elected the fries. Brewery Creek touts their use of fresh, locally sourced ingredients, and injects an home-cooked artisan approach to their pub menu. The California burger came with tomato and red onion and their specialty garlic mayo sauce. Jo gave it good marks for taste. The hand-made patty was moist and not over-cooked and just the right size for a filling meal but not over-board.

Brewery Creek Brewpub Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

In contrast, my Sockeye Salmon sandwich was a disappointment. All the ingredients were right. Nice sesame seed bun, adequate size salmon fillet, crisp fresh lettuce and tomato, decent sauce, etc. But as I picked up the bun, I could feel the top slice was chilled! And when I removed the tooth pick with the mini-cucumber at the end the mini cuke itself was chilly too. Undeterred I took my first bite, the salmon was room temperature, not at all hot. I was too hungry to send the dish back for a replacement, so I finished my meal. Something weird must have happened to my salmon sandwich because this is not the usual customer experience. Perhaps the finishing procedure of preparation is to flash microwave the entire sandwich once all the ingredients are assembled and somehow mine never got this final treatment. Perhaps the cold bun and cuke fresh from the fridge served to cool off the salmon which sat too long before served. A mystery.

Our waitress was friendly and courteous but only gets about a C+ compared to what one would expect from Brewery Creek’s reputation. She wasn’t attentive in asking how things were going mid-meal, nor noticing that my water glass was empty. She didn’t inquire how we “liked the meal” until we just about done. When I told her about my salmon sandwich, she’d said she’d have to tell the kitchen staff about it. But she never came back later with any mention of my complaint. It was as if I never said anything. Our dining at Brewery Creek was on a Sunday lunch time. They were busy but not over-crowded, still a few empty tables. Considering its reputation and neat ambiance, this dining experience was a disappointment. We’ll do a re-visit sometime and hope our next experience rises to their reputation.

Ross Reinhold, Sept 2017

2023 update. Since our earlier visit, Brewery Creek was converted into Commerce Street Brewery & Hotel

Links

Grayton Beach Florida

Grayton Beach Florida

The Best Small Town Beach Community along the Florida Gulf Coast

Number 1 in Grayton Beach attractions is the “Beach” that fronts the village and the adjacent Grayton Beach State park. This beach is regularly voted among Florida’s top beaches. And according to beach aficionado Dr. Beach, who is also Professor and Director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University, Grayton Beach is one of the top 10 beaches in the World! In his annual ranking of Best Beaches World-Wide based upon 50 criteria, Dr. Beach has ranked Grayton Beach tops for 2020.

Along with Apalachicola, the village of Grayton Beach is our favorite small town resort communities along the Florida Gulf Coast Scenic Drive. In contrast to slickly landscaped condo communities in South Florida, created by a myriad of developers, little Grayton Beach has retained it’s character of quaint cottages, some of which are over hundred years old. Aided by a community of artists and artisans, the town retains a unique character and whimsy. As the town’s website says “Grayton Beach is a state of mind. Our town is a funky little beach town full of free-spirited folks with a laid-back attitude. The narrow roads are shaded by southern magnolias, towering pines and moss-draped oaks. The salt air is ever present and so is the fine white sand covering the worn floors of our old beach cottages.”

grayton beach boardwalk
Jo finds a bench to empty the sand from her shoes after a stroll on Grayton Beach’s famous beach.

One of Florida’s Top White Sand Beaches. The beach itself is a treasure, especially for those who have the special beach passes that allow them to drive on the beach itself. And since the town is actually surrounded by Grayton Beach State Park, there’s always plenty of room on the beach. (see Beach Scenes of Grayton Beach beaches here)


Best Grayton Beach Restaurants & Bars

Red Bar Grayton Beach
The funky Red Bar is the lynch pin of Grayton Beach’s tiny downtown.

There are two bars near the beach, The venerable Red Bar (see our review), with its crazy interior decoration motif and signature blackboard menus, and the recently remodeled Chiringo bar down the street. In 2015 we were introduced to the Red Bar, its fantastic Mahi-Mahi basket, signature Bloody Mary, and super-service from the Wait Staff. We also caught some great musical entertainment. The Red is a very popular place and if you can’t get a table right away, rather than wait in line, I’d give its neighbor Chiringo Bar down the street a try. Looks like it would be a fun place. We hope to do a review on our next visit.

Another good dining option is away from the beach itself along Scenic Highway 30: The Grayton Seafood Company (see our review here).


Slide Show – A few of Grayton Beach’s Unique Cottages


Grayton Beach CottageGrayton Beach Cottagegrayton beach cottagesgratyon beach homesgrayton Beach cottage





Their tongue-in-cheek “Grayton Beach: Nice Dogs, Strange People” bumper sticker misleads a little bit because the people are also really friendly. As their website says “Grayton Beach is a state of mind. Our town is a funky little beach town full of free-spirited folks with a laid-back attitude.”

Grayton Beach Visitor and Travel Links:

Smokin’ on the Square BBQ Cookoff

On March 7th we caught the 6th annual Smokin’ on the Square BBQ Cook-off Festival held at Pensacola’s Seville Square park in Pensacola’s Historic District.


The main event is a Kansas City Barbeque Society National BBQ Cook Teams Contest, part of a series of BBQ cookoff contests held throughout the country to determine the Grand Champion. The KCBS series is sort of like the FedEx Cup in golf where points are earned in each contest based on where you finish, first place on down. Points accumulate during the entire season and the team with the highest # of points becomes the Grand Champion. The society boasts over 19,000 members world-wide. Thousands of professional BBQ teams compete in this series so only a fraction of that were present at the Pensacola event, which was billed as the Florida State Championship. KCBS supplies certified judges who taste and rate every submission, converting the ratings to an overall score. Highest score wins, next highest is second place, and so on. Iowa’s Smokey D’s BBQ, out of Des Moines, Iowa took top honors. Currently they are sitting in fourth place (out 1145 competitors) in the Sam’s Club National BBQ competition.

In addition to the pros cooking, there is also sort of a semi-pro or amateur division for Backyard BBQ chefs. Not all in this division are really amateurs as some of them do own BBQ restaurants but are not on the KCBS circuit. The Backyard chefs are graded on the same criteria as the pros. This year’s winner was Slade BBQ of Searcy, Arkansas.


[tribulant_slideshow gallery_id=”7″]


Backyard Chefs also compete in a charity fund-raising competition offering small samples of their BBQ for a dollar charity contribution. The largest fundraiser is then crowned “Taste for Tips” champion. This year’s winner was Who Dat Smokin’.

There are also several regular food vendors offering up a variety of food items, in addition to BBQ specialties. Jo and I had some excellent pork ribs from Sonny’s BBQ, who is a co-sponsor of the event. Lucky for us, the Pensacola Bay Brewery is located right next door to Seville Park, so we took our sandwiches to the brewery’s outdoor patio and had their signature Porter to go along with our meal. Great ambience, enjoying a good beer, superb BBQ, and listening to musical entertainment coming from the park’s gazebo. BTW Pensacola Brewery has no food service, just a small tap room with about eight to ten stools and a fairly large outdoor deck. Nice variety of beer though and some of their brews are available on tap at some Pensacola dining establishments. You can take home their beer in gallon or 32 ounce growlers.

Later we discovered we left the cook-off too early, because later in the afternoon, the main music headliner was Chloe Channell, a twelve year old country music entertainer who was a quarter finalist in the 2013 America’s Got Talent TV show. I remember her from the TV show. Would have loved to see her live. http://www.chloechannell.com/

In addition to the food and entertainment, there were a smattering of arts and crafts vendors displaying their wares and art for sale. And another contest, that also has a “pro” and “amateur” event, is the “Smokin’ Cornhole” Tournament. Cornhole is sort of like a bean-bag toss game, with points scored similar to horseshoes. The master division teams were actually competing in the Gulf Coast Cornhole Series.

Lots of fun; hope to be back there again next year (2016) for the 7th Annual “Smokin in the Square” held again at Seville Square only about a week later on March 18th- 19th.

Some other major Pensacola Festivals you might enjoy: Mardi-Gras in February, Beulah Sausage Festival in March, Pensacola JazzFest in April, and the Pensacola Crawfish Festival in April or early May. See more listings of popular Pensacola events here.

Links:

Smokin’ in the Square BBQ Contest

Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS)

Sonny’s BBQ – Pensacola

Pensacola Bay Brewery

Lotta Bull BBQ
Marietta, Oklahoma
Mike and Debbie Davis
Finished #17 overall at the 2015 Pensacola Championship, but came in #2 for their ribs. Mike and Debbie were the Jack Daniels World Champion in 2010.

Historic Stillwater Minnesota

Historic Lowell Inn Stillwater Minnesota
We spent Thanksgiving at the historic Lowell Inn in Stillwater, Minnesota

Historic River Towns – Stillwater, Minnesota

With Jo’s sister Donna and husband Dan, this will be our fourth historic river town and historic hotel Thanksgiving weekend. Previously we have enjoyed Galena, Illinois and the DeSoto House Hotel (1855), Dubuque, Iowa and Hotel Julian (1854), and Red Wing, Minnesota and the St. James Hotel (1875).

Like other larger river towns downstream, Stillwater has done an excellent preserving its historic buildings and landmarks. It hosts the State’s oldest still standing courthouse and its unique Lift Bridge, constructed in 1931, is still in service. Former freight houses, mill structures, and beer caves now house shops, antique stores, restaurants, and bars. Many of the stately Victorian homes of lumber barons and merchants have been restored and are now B&Bs. Over 60 of these homes are designated landmarks. The city has a number of attractive parks with over 11 miles of walking and hiking trails. We took the historic downtown walking tour that took past several landmark buildings as well as up and down two of the five long stairways that separate the downtown area from the surrounding neighborhood bluffs. Pioneer Park located at the top of one of these stairways provides scenic views of both the river and downtown area.

Stillwater Hometown for the Holidays

Downtown Stillwater offered special holiday activities from November 29 thru December 31st. Main street holiday lights, shop Christmas window decorations, Victorian Carolers along historic Main Street, live reindeer with Santa and sleigh, free horse-drawn carriage rides along the St. Croix River, and shopping specials.

 

Dining Room Lowell Inn
Our table (left side of picture) awaits us in the elegant dining room of the Lowell Inn

Thanksgiving at the Lowell Inn

Listed on the Historic Registry, the Lowell Inn opened for business in 1927 and retains its elegance and charm. It has 35 rooms, each of which is uniquely furnished, and a classic colonial style dining room.

The comfortable hotel lobby is furnished with classic overstuffed leather chairs and sofas, beautiful dark wood trim and moldings, and unique antique fixtures and artisan appointments. The centerpiece is a large wood burning fireplace. The unique Matterhorn Room is filled with Swiss wood carvings, plaques, decorations, and two authentic and functional Black Forest cuckoo clocks.

The parlour off near the lobby has comfortable chairs and sofas set among interesting antique furnishings and artisan touches

Their Thanksgiving Buffet is very popular with hotel guests making up only a small portion of the diners. The entre’ selections were turkey, ham and roast beef, all quite moist, soaked in gravy or without, complemented by a large selection of vegetables, fruit, and salads. About four or five dessert selections finished off the meal. We had our reservations for 12:45 pm; there was also a morning buffet and a late afternoon serving time. But it seemed like there was a steady stream of diners waiting for tables from morning to early evening. A five star meal in an elegant dining atmosphere for $19.95 helps explain the popularity.

We had breakfast at the hotel the next morning and found the food and wait service equally top-notch. Jo ordered her eggs medium-hard and mine were over easy and each was done exactly right and hot. The eggs were served with the thick slices of toast that melted in your mouth. My tomato juice was in a long-stemmed wine glass – nice touch. Water glasses kept constantly full as were our cups kept full with the top quality, fresh brewed coffee. (We home roast our own coffee beans so we feel we know good coffee from average). You can see more photos and info on the Lowell Inn under “Links” lower down  the page.

 

Downtown Stillwater Minnesota
Downtown Stillwater is full of shops, boutiques, restaurants and bars all housed in restored and well-preserved historic buildings like this 125 year old building at Main and Chestnut Streets

Stillwater Restaurants & Dining

If good food and service were our main priority, we should have eaten all our meals at the Lowell Inn, but we wanted to experience some of the other Stillwater dining establishments. We weren’t disappointed with our lunch at the Dock Café. Located on the river, with views of the river from every table, the Dock Café offers what I would call an upscale menu (How do I know it is upscale? Price and menus with difficult to pronounce descriptions!). Our salads, soups, and sandwiches were tasty and service was attentive. On the other hand we were disappointed with our Friday fish fry dinner at the Brine Restaurant and Bar located on Main Street. Slow and inattentive service. Worst french fries in memory – limp, cold, and tasteless. Baked beans from a can. The fish wasn’t too bad, lightly battered but three small pieces for $9.95 with the limp, untasty fries and beans was no deal. But on the positive side, they have an excellent selection of beers (including craft and imported) on tap and in bottles and not overly expensive. We scored again on the positive side the next morning: breakfast at the Main Café. They were busy, yet gave us prompt wait service and our food arrived in a timely manner. Nothing fancy in terms of decor or table service – just your very decent small town café giving good food and service at a fair price.

Next time we are in Stillwater we have to stop at Leo’s Grill and Malt Shop as the advertise the Best Burgers in Minnesota so we need to compare them against our findings in our Best Burgers of Duluth quest.

For more photos, maps, and info on Stillwater see our link to “Things to See and Do . . . ” further down the page.

Great River Road & St. Croix Trail

Gong north, the Wisconsin Great River Road actually completes its journey at Prescott, Wisconsin where the lazy Mississippi River coming from Northern Minnesota joins the wild and scenic St. Croix River that forms the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota. At this point the St. Croix inherits the character of the Upper Mississippi with its high bluffs and steep valleys. So in our travels we prefer to stay along the St. Croix versus following the Mississippi to St. Paul, Minnesota. To continue on the scenic river road, you cross the river at Prescott into Minnesota and then immediately turn north on Highway 21, the St. Croix Trail. You’ll pass Afton Alps Ski Area and then proceed under the I-94 Interstate Highway that joins Wisconsin and Minnesota. There the road changes to Minnesota Highway 95. Soon you’ll arrive in historic Stillwater, Minnesota – the birthplace of Minnesota. It was here in 1848 that territorial convention was held that began the process of making Minnesota a state. After Stillwater, the scenic St. Croix Trail continues north along the river until Taylor Falls and the St. Croix Interstate Park.

 

If you like walking and hiking for exercise, the downtown historic walking tour includes two stairways like this one.

Links

Things to See and Do in Stillwater

Stillwater Downtown Walking Tour

The Historic Lowell Inn

The Dock Cafe

Leo’s Grill & Malt Shop

St. Croix Scenic Byway

We hope to return to Stillwater next summer to explore more of what the town offers. Several of the restaurants have outdoor patios with views of the river and I’d like to do a more complete walking tour of the historic structures and homes. Next time I do one of the steep stairways between downtown and the surrounding bluffs, I’ll take a rest half-way up. Just about had a heart attack doing the stairs from the Warden’s House to Pioneer Park non-stop!

Happy Trails,

Roscoe

Fall Festival Great River Road

McGregor Fall Arts and Crafts Festival

Attractions in this post: McGregor, Iowa, Pikes Peak State Park, Prairie Du Chien Golf Course

Fall colors were starting to break out along the Mississippi River and a perfect weather forecast for the weekend encouraged Jo and I to head to McGregor, Iowa for their Arts & Crafts fall event.

McGregor Iowa’s Art and Craft Festival, second weekend in October

McGregor Fall Color. Since we were last in McGregor-Marquette area in the fall a few more of McGregor’s historic old buildings have gotten remodeled and some new enterprises now occupying them. The town is full of antique shops, artisan studios, pubs, and gift shops . . . most of them stretched along the main street that runs from the river front up the hill to out of town. Originally settled in 1837 as a ferry boat landing to cross the river to Prairie Du Chien, the community grew fast and was incorporated as a town in 1847. It retains its original river town roots in its grain elevator and dock, which was active with the fall harvest the weekend we were there. But its restored downtown buildings and interesting shops make it a fun place to visit.

McGregor Iowa Antique Shops
One of the many antique shops in “antique” buildings in McGregor
McGregor Iowa mainstreet
Main street McGregor has retained and restored many of its old commercial buildings

Our favorite dining spot, the Beer & Bratz Garden, was closed for a few days due to a death in the family. We missed having a sandwich and Leinie’s on their deck that overlooks the river.  As an alternative, we tried dinner at the Old Man River Brew Pub but we found it disappointing in many respects. So unfortunately no restaurant review here on that establishment. 🙂 The Cafe McGregor looks like a nice place; has an attractive outdoor patio. Have to try them next time we are in town.

McGregor Log Cabiin
A few structures like this log cabin date back to the 1840s and the founding of the town

There were spots of nice color on the hillside behind McGregor but we didn’t find the fall color along the river as we expected. Some trees had lost their leaves while others hadn’t changed much. If the leaves hold on, there still should be some halfway decent color towards the last half of October. Even though we missed peak color, it was still a very nice weekend to be out of doors along the Mississippi doing things whether it be hiking, leaf peeping, or touring the shops and pubs in McGregor and its nearby neighboring towns of Marquette and Prairie Du Chien.

McGregor Iowa
Not quite Peak Color on the hillside behind downtown McGregor

When we are in the area we usually do some hiking at nearby Effigy Mounds National Park as its mature forest offers some great color and it also has some very good scenic overlooks of the river. But the park was closed due to the government financial and political wrangling. This winter we hope to return to do some snowshoeing at the park when it reopens.

Pikes Peak Camping & Hiking

We lucked out and found an vacant campsite at Pikes Peak State Park located on one of the high bluffs above McGregor. Most of the 77 sites offer electrical hookups for Rvs with about a dozen suitable only for tent camping. There is a RV dump station and a clean, modern washroom and bath facility. Once we checked in we found out one reason the park was so full on an October Thursday: very reasonable campsite fees. Amenities include a day use picnic shelter, a well outfitted camp store and concession, some interesting hiking trails, and among the best scenic overlooks of the Upper Mississippi River. It is located only about two miles from town.

Here’s a few pictures of Pikes Peak.

Mississippi River Overlook, Pikes Peak
Looking upstream on the Mississippi River from Pikes Peak. Marquette-Prairie du Chien bridge in the background
Pikes Peak State Park River Overlook
The main scenic overlook of the Mississippi River Valley from Pikes Peak State Park

Prairie Du Chien Country Club Golf Course Review.

While we in the area I took an opportunity to squeeze in nine holes of golf at the Prairie Du Chien Country Club. It’s a nice little course and not too expensive. I will return to do 18 holes next time. Most of the fairways are tree-lined, with some thicker woods bordering some. About 2/3 rds of the holes are rolling hills, some with dramatic terrain changes. A few relatively level holes as well. I walked the course with little trouble. There were some challenging holes but no gimmicks. The fairways were lush and well maintained, the greens in good shape and relatively fast. The clubhouse is old and shows its age, but everything was clean. Has a small pro shop, a dining room and a bar, with an expansive deck overlooking the course. From the blue tees the course runs 6222 yards, with a slope and rating of 69.9/119.

A few pictures of the golf course.

Golfiing at Prairie du Chien
Well manicured fairways were typical of Prairie du Chien Country Club’s golf course
There are some dramatic terrain changes on some holes of the Prairie du Chien golf course

Our Rialta motor home will be soon put to bed for the winter so the next time we are at the Mississippi it will be winter for some snowshoeing.

Happy Trails,

Roscoe

UP 200 Sled Dog Marathon

up 200 sled dog race

Start of the UP200 Sled Dog Marathon – Marquette, Michigan Upper Peninsula

Friday night in Marquette thousands of people lined up along snow covered West Washington Street to watch the beginning of the UP200 Sled Dog Race, a qualifying competition for the famed Iditarod Alaskan race. Downtown businesses provided a festival atmosphere with music and entertainment plus several serving free hot chocolate and coffee. Frank Moe of Bemidji, Minnesota drew Bib #1 and starting position for the 24th running of the UP 200 (which is actually 240 miles in length).

up 200 sled dog race
Musher Frank Moe and his team of “athletes” roar out of the starting gate
up 200 sled dog race
Kevin Malikowski’s team running along the lower harbor

Sunday afternoon around 1 pm, Ryan Anderson of Ray, Minnesota crossed the finish line winning his fourth in a row and unprecedented UP 200 race. His neighbor Keith Ali also from Ray, Minnesota finished second. Ali had previously won the race three times. Ryan Reddington, who came all the way from Alaska to compete, finished third. Reddington’s grandfather was a founder of the famous Iditarod Sled Dog Marathon. Another Minnesotan, Troy Groeneveld finished fourth. Martin Koenig of Seeley Lake, Montana finished fifth.

We had a companion accompany us to the race: Flat Stanley – a paper cutout pal of our Grand Niece Kylah who is using Stanley as part of a school project. Stanley was there at the beginning and at the finish line.

Flat Stanley at the UP 200 Sled Dog Race
Flat Stanley was there with Jo to watch the start of the race
Flat Stanley at the UP 200 Sled Dog Race
Flat Stanley was also at the finish line to see Ray Anderson win the race

Restaurants & Dining in Marquette

Sunday afternoon Jo and I went searching for a place to have lunch downtown and discovered Donckers Restaurant. Donckers is a blend of a candy & confectionary store, an old tyme soda fountain, and deli restaurant serving a large variety of breakfast, lunch, and dinner selections. Located downtown on West Washington Street a few blocks from the harbor. A funky place full of old fashioned character that has been well-earned since the establishment has been in business since 1896 and at this same location since 1914. The business was started by Fred Donckers as a simple, open air stand featuring candy, fresh fruit, tobacco and $.05 hot-buttered popcorn. As the business expanded, Fred moved indoors and built the current location adding a full service soda fountain and dining services.

Donckers Restaurant.
Donckers soda fountain has all the “sweets” your tooth would want, including their own line of chocolate candies
Donckers Restaurant.
Down the hall from the soda fountain is a coffee house atmosphere with a combo playing mellow tunes while others are playing board games

Jo had their Cheese Steak special and I had the Apollo Vegetarian sandwich. The sandwiches were delicious. Jo’s hot sandwich was thinly sliced beef with red peppers, onions, mushrooms, and cheese sauce was served hot and juicy and earned 5 stars. My veggie sandwich had ample portions of fresh, crisp vegetables- spinach, lettuce, onion, cucumber, and avocado spread – topped off with a slice of swiss cheese. Both of us had the veggie chips over the kettle chips. Pop was self-service in a large 20 oz tumbler.

Donckers Restaurant.
Upstairs is the Deli with a decent variety of sandwiches, wraps, salads, and soups. After the order this couple received their pet rock placeholder!
Donckers Restaurant.
We found a free table overlooking Washington Street. The retro table and chairs were quite comfortable. We didn’t have to wait long to exchange our rock for our food order.

The service is Deli style. You place your order and then are given a “pet rock” with a number on it as identifier of your order. When your meal is ready a staff member hunts you down, delivers your food and utensils, and retrieves the pet rock. We didn’t have to wait long for our order and it was served by friendly wait staff. It was apparent the staff has a good time and enjoys providing good and friendly service to customers. The prices are reasonable and made more so by the senior discount they gave us. We’ll definitely be back.

Ross

Fall Trip to Marquette-McGregor Iowa

Quaint Mississippi River Road Towns ARVY, our RV motor home, had not been driven in well over a month, the gas in its tank was getting old, and we needed to mix some fuel additive + gas stabilizer into the fuel mix for the winter. Having noticed that Eagles Landing Winery was having a free … Read more

Red Wing, Minnesota

Barn Bluff

Golfing and Dining in Red Wing

In September Jo and I spent some time in Red Wing. Earlier we had spent some time in Duluth to attend the Duluth KIA Drag Races & Car Show. On the way home we decided to spend two days in Red Wing, Minnesota – one of our favorite river towns along the Upper Mississippi River Great River Road. We found a great RV Park at the Treasure Island Resort and Casino. Very clean, well staffed, and full services for a decent price. It is a bit of hike from downtown Red Wing but the Casino has a shuttle service should you not want to drive back and forth.

I had been wanting to play the Highlands Course at Red Wing’s Mississippi National Golf Club for the last few years but never seemed to get the chance. I talked my brother-in-law Dan joined me for the golf outing. His wife Donna came along to do some shopping and exploring of Red Wing with Jo. There were also a few restaurants that we’d heard good comments about that we wanted to try. During an earlier Red Wing visit to enjoy their Holiday Stroll Celebration we sampled the fare at Liberty’s Restaurant, one of the areas popular dining spots, so this trip we wanted to try the Brickhouse Pub & Grille which is another top-rated Red Wing restaurant. And we’d heard great things about Hanisch Bakery & Coffee Shop so that was on our itinerary as well. To follow are our reviews.

Highlands Golf Course – Mississippi National Review

#17 hole at Highlands Golf Course, Red Wing, MN
The signature #17 hole at the Highlands Course drops 150 feet to the green.

The older gentleman in the pro shop gave us a friendly welcome and helped us with some tips on playing the course. The fall senior rate was decent – $30 for green fee and cart. The carts were electric which I prefer, especially when navigating dramatic elevation changes as the Highlands Course offers.

This was the first of several unique holes on the course, many of them quite scenic as the photos illustrate. Mississippi National has two 18 hole courses – Highlands, which we played and as the name suggests is high on a bluff overlooking the Hiawatha Valley, and the Tournament Course, which is predominately in the valley below the bluff.

Highlands Golf Course Red Wing, MN
Overshoot this green and your ball won’t stop rolling until it gets to downtown Red Wing!
Highlands Golf Course Red Wing, MN
Unless you are Bubba Watson you better not go directly at the green

A few of the Highlands holes are in the valley so part way through the round you come off the bluff down to the valley and then back up to the bluff again. This involved quite a long cart ride between holes and at times we wondered if we were lost! My main complaints about the course were the dry tee boxes that resisted sinking my special tees to its shoulder and the sand bunkers were quite hard packed as well. Also, once you got off the edge of the fairways, the grass was somewhat sparse. We’ve had an exceptionally warm and dry summer and I suppose this high bluff location has suffered from this kind of weather. But on the positive side, the Highlands course is quite scenic and has a number of interesting and challenging holes. It is a fun round of golf for a fair price, a decent value. Next time I’d like to try the Tournament Course to see how its character compares to the Highlands.

Brickhouse Pub & Grille – Dining Review

The pub has a neat outside deck overlooking a lush garden but it was a little too cool to eat outside so we found a comfortable booth indoors. One review we read liked the food but complained about the service. That was not our experience. We had excellent, very attentive service. We ordered sandwich platters, burgers and reubens. Huge portions served on homemade bread from the Hanisch Bakery. Hot, juicy, and very tasty. They come with kettle chips, waffle fries, or hash brown cakes. We had fries and hash brown cakes. Both were excellent. The dinner salad had a nice variety of greens and vegetables and an adequate sized portion. Coffee was served in large soup sized cups. Overall assessment. A decent price and a very decent meal. Three of the four of us took half our sandwich home. Two days later from the fridge my cold reuben still tasted good! After sampling the Brickhouse I can see why it was voted “Restaurant of the Year” the last two years running.

Outdoor Deck and Garden of the Brickhouse Pub & Grille, Red Wing, Minnesota
Jo, Donna, and Dan enjoying some great sandwiches at the Brickhouse Pub and Grille

Hanisch Bakery & Coffee Shop – Dining Review

You walk in the shop to confront hundreds of temptations in the form of pies, cookies, donuts, muffins, specialty breads, cakes, danish rolls, etc. begging to be eaten. But we were there for breakfast so we turned right past the bakery into the coffee shop area – two cozy rooms outfitted with tables and booths. Between the two rooms is the coffee counter with about 8 – 10 styles of coffee available in carafes that have their decanting time noted on each, a detail important to me since I like my coffee “hot.”

Hanisch Bakery – After breakfast we had to take some muffins and cookies home with us!

Your coffee and breakfast is ordered deli-style across a counter behind which is the grill and kitchen. A good deal of Hanisch business is carry out so the deli style works nicely for either eating inside or taking it with you. You place and pay for your order, get your coffee cup, and find a table. The staff brings you your order when it is ready.

Enjoying a tasty breakfast and good conversation at Hanisch Bakery & Coffee Shop in Red Wing, Minnesota

Service was prompt and the food was hot – and delicious. We all had the breakfast sandwiches (bacon, sausage, or ham & eggs) served on thick sliced homemade bread. It was delicious. The sandwiches also came with a nice portion of cut fruit. We topped off our breakfast with some tasty muffins from the bakery. Warning to breakfast goers. Don’t expect the usual café selections. There are only six items on the breakfast menu: breakfast sandwiches or wraps, a quiche, french toast, toasted bagel, or a fruit and cottage cheese plate. Naturally you can have hundreds of pastries and baked goods but forget two eggs over easy with hash browns and bacon or blueberry banana pancakes; you ain’t gonna find it here.

But what they do offer is done to perfection and the price is decent. You get artisan food at small town café prices in a cozy small town friendly atmosphere. Next time I think I’ll try their Ham and Veggie Quiche, served with toast and fruit. Advertised as a “Man’s Meal” we’ll see if I am up to the challenge! By the way I note that the lunch menu is a bit more generous in terms of the number of choices – – – sandwiches, soups, salads, and hot dishes.

Links:

Mississippi National Golf Links

Brickhouse Pub & Grille

Hanisch Bakery & Coffee Shop

Links:

Red Wing Convention & Visitors Bureau

Treasure Island Resort & Casino RV Park

More on  interesting things to see and do
in Red Wing, Minnesota

–Ross

Fall Color Thunder Bay Ontario

Things to see and do in Thunder Bay In this post: Fall Color, Golfing, Dining, and visiting Fort William During our recent Minnesota North Shore Color Tour, we decided to extend our travels to run up as far north as Thunder Bay, Ontario. The color was not as striking as what we found along Minnesota’s … Read more