One of our favorite attractions for the Summit Inn Bed and Breakfast is that we live in wine-country. Not something you would think of when you think Minnesota but it’s true. Driving around the backroads in our county you will find vineyards, both private and commercial, peppering the rural landscape. Several of them are open on weekends, have beautiful facilities to visit, have wine tasting rooms and offer entertainment or dining! We thought we would offer an example of a “wine weekend” for when you come to stay with us.

Before we begin, we would like to remind you to please be safe while you’re touring. There is some distance between winery’s depending where you go. We do not have public transportation available in our area but we do have a limo service if you think you might need that. All the itineraries below are for the weekend of October 27-29 but making your own is as simple as visiting “A Toast to the Valley” for your info. Plan ahead to be sure your experience with us is stellar! We included directions to the locations via country backroads since the fall colors are beautiful this time of year.

October 27-29, 2017 Wine Tour Weekend 

3pm – Check in at the Summit Inn Bed and Breakfast (or any of the Inns of the Valley if we are full)

4pm – Head to Northfolk Winery for pizza!  (43150 Blackhawk Rd, Harris, MN 55032) Scenic Route: Take County Road 9 West across Hwy 95, through Sunrise to Hwy 61. Take a  left on 61, go a few blocks and take a right on Stark Road/County Road 10. Continue on Stark Road. A few miles up take a left onto Blackhawk Road and the Winery is just up from there.

6pm – Dessert/Drinks at Don Julio in North Branch (5466 St Croix Trail # G, North Branch, MN 55056) then head back to the Inn. Scenic Route from Northfolk Winery: go out to Stark/Road and take a Right. In a few blocks, take a Right on Cedarcrest Trail. Follow Cedarcrest a few miles to Hwy 95 and take a left. This will bring you into North Branch. At the first stoplight you encounter, take a left into the strip mall and Don Julio’s is on the opposite side of the grocery store. NOTE: Innkeepers Amy and Dave highly recommend the Xango’s for dessert.

9pm – Head back to Summit Inn Bed and Breakfast  (208 Summit Avenue, Center City, MN 55012)  and settle in for the night.

Saturday October 28th

11am – Leave for “Paint and Sip” at Dancing Dragonfly (120th Avenue, St. Croix Falls,WI 54024)    * Be sure to have purchased ticket to the event ahead of time! * Scenic Route:  Take County Road 37 east through Shafer and into Taylors Falls. When you can no longer go straight (stop light in downtown Taylors Falls)take a right to the next light and a left at that light onto Hwy 8. Follow Hwy 8 east until the roundabout by Menards and take a left. You can follow the signs from there.

4pm –  Visit “Wine-O-Ween” at the Chateau St Croix Winery plus visit the art gallery featuring Jan Killian‘s art work (1998 Highway 87, St. Croix Falls, WI 54024). Scenic Route: (this will tack on a lot of miles to your trip and is a very indirect route). From Dancing Dragonfly, head back out to Hwy 8 and take a Right, heading east. Take a left on Wisconsin Highway 35 and head north. Go several miles through Centuria and take a left on County Road I/180th Ave. Follow that back west until you come to WI Highway 87. Take a right and head north. You will see the Chateau on your right.

6pm – Dinner at Eichten’s Bistro  (16440 Lake Blvd Center City, MN 55012) There isn’t a scenic route to here. However if you’re timeline is different and you aren’t in the dark while driving to Eichten’s, stop at Franconia Sculpture Park. You can’t miss it at the roundabout where Hwy 95 and Hwy 8 meet. Directions: From the Chateau, take a left on WI Hwy 87 through St. Croix Falls until you reach Hwy 8. Take a right onto Hwy 8 and follow it west to Center City.

8pm – Head home to Summit Inn Bed and Breakfast. (208 Summit Avenue, Center City, MN 55012) If you’re tired and wanting to settle in for the night, great. If not, park the car at the Inn, walk down to Al’s Saloon, have a few drinks while mingling with the locals at their hang-out. If you’re looking for dessert, walk a little further to Pizza Pub at the bottom of the hill in Center City and have a Rootbeer Float!

Sunday, October 29th

Two options:

If you’re heading toward the cities and need to get home, you can take Hwy 8 west to connect to the freeway (Interstate 35) stop at Winehaven for the Federweisser & Roter Rauscher Festival. They open at 11am. We have never been but it sounds like a lot of fun sampling the 2017 harvest!

If you’re heading home at a more leisurely pace and want the scenic route, head east on Hwy 8 and at the roundabout (by Franconia Sculpture Park) head south on Highway 95 to Stillwater where there are more wineries to visit along with a wonderful historic main street.

Now this will change as the weekend’s progress but we assure you, our communities have a lot to offer! Just ask any of the Innkeepers at Summit Inn Bed and Breakfast for more information, directions or suggestions.