I sat at the top of the bluff as a light breeze competed with the warm sun on which could kiss my cheek first. I was enamored, not by the breeze nor by the sun, but by the small bloom at the edge of the trail; this Prairie Pasqueflower was shouting, finally, finally, spring has arrived! To me, this flower represented the entirety of our day trip to Red Wing, MN.
We started our end of March morning at Union Depot in St. Paul, MN waiting in a long line to board the 8:50 AM Amtrak Empire Builder train. The line was forced to be narrow since the Waiting Room of the Depot was set up for a wedding reception. My blurry, tired eyes cleared at this representation of joy and hope. As we entered the platform, conductors patiently waited at each train car, smiling, welcoming us. At car 12, Nick counted our party, 1, 2, 3, and sent us on our way to seats on the upper level.
Luckily, we were right next to the observation deck. As the train started moving, I made my way to the end of the car; the door slid open, and my breath was taken away.
The car was full of windows. A family to my left was laughing over a card game and a couple up ahead was sipping coffee hand-in-hand as they watched the station fall into the distance. We sat down and tried to name all the birds we saw skirting along the Mississippi River.
We stood outside the Red Wing station waving to the passengers left on the train bound for Chicago, IL smiling as they waved back. Then we were on our way. The downtown area spanned a handful of blocks with cheery store-fronts and glimpses of the river between blocks. We scored a bargain on some work-wear at the Duluth Trading Company outlet store and stared up at the World’s Largest shoe at the Red Wing Flagship store. We felt like locals as we traipsed down Main Street.
After our shopping spree, our stomachs reminded us of their presence, so we found our way to Red Wing Cafe. The coffee was flowing into our mugs that we felt like we never saw the bottoms of. The menu offered breakfast and lunch specials, including gluten-free options. My gluten-free Monte Cristo was the perfect combination of sweet and savory.
After lunch, we walked to Levee Park to see the water, and then made our way to Barn Bluff. Barn Bluff overlooks the city and had been beckoning, inviting me the entire morning. We could finally meet it. Since we did not have a car, it was about a mile walk to the trailhead. Then stairs and a fairly steep incline greeted us, but we persevered. We stopped to take breaks on the conveniently located benches to “watch for eagles and hawks” or really to just catch our breath.
At the top, we watched as people with climbing gear skirted past us and dogs pulled at their leashes. We saw (and smelled) the seed oil plant, the river, and the downtown. I took in all this life, this beauty, but I was most drawn into the small flower peering at us from the edge of the trail. This was the highlight.
Eventually, I pulled my eyes away to continue with our day. We enjoyed ice cream at the Red Wing Confectionery, soaked in the sun at Lagrange park, and felt classy exploring the St James Hotel.
We picked up food at the Family Fare to picnic outside the train station for dinner.
Our train was delayed, but rather than an inconvenience, it felt like AMTRAK was plotting with the sun; the delay allowed us to watch the sunset over the river on our way home. As the sun sank behind the bluffs, I said to myself one last time, finally, finally, spring has arrived!
By Brady Bove
