Poster The National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minn.
The National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minn.
Luke Taylor | MPR

Moveable Feast: Wabasha and environs

Wabasha and environs

In visiting Wabasha — coming from the Twin Cities, at least — getting there is half the fun. The river road is beautiful, tracing the Mississippi, with lots of great pit stops in Red Wing, Frontenac State Park, and Reads Landing (which is home to a namesake brewery).

Once you get to Wabasha, there's a magical place called Lark Toys, with a hand-carved carousel, mini-golf course, a hall of not-for-sale vintage toys (Donkey Kong cartridges, Castle Grayskull, etc.), plus actual toys for sale, some of which are made in Lark's very own workshop, and most of which have "testers" available for playing.

The main attraction in Wabasha is the National Eagle Center, a giant exhibit hall with programs and about 40 resident eagles to watch. It has just announced a big expansion, including a display of eagle art, so stay tuned.

As for food, the iconic Slippery's Tavern and Restaurant inspired the watering hole featured in Grumpy Old Men — a film set in the town, though not actually filmed there. For dessert, there's great ice cream at the nearby Nelson Cheese Factory, just over the river in Wisconsin.

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