Luke and I are HUGE fans of Stillwater, MN. We used to venture there as high school sweethearts and walk along the river. One of the first “fancy” places he took me was the Dock Cafe for a delicious meal we couldn’t really afford.
I have very fond memories of Stillwater, and still get excited every time we have a free day to go there. It’s the perfect day trip from Minneapolis – far away enough from the city, but still close enough to make it in 30 minutes or less.
We fell into a Stillwater routine the past few times we visited over the summer. It goes something like this…
9AM: Load your bikes up and head to downtown Stillwater. There is a large FREE parking lot on the edge of town next to the Stillwater marina and the old MN Zephyr train station. It’s way less congested than the other side of downtown coming in from 36.
10:45AM-12PM: Cruise down the Browns Creek Trail. This is a new trail paved over the MN Zephyr rail line. It’s open to bikers, walkers, skaters, etc., so it can get a little congested on a busy weekend. WAY less congested than River Road in St.Paul/Minneapolis though, from our experiences. Going out of Stillwater, there is a gradual incline, so be prepared to sweat! You can take this trail all the way to the Gateway Trail where it connects after 6 miles. We usually like to do the round trip 12-mile trip, which makes for a good ride. Not too long, not too short where you don’t feel like you got a workout in.
Browns Creek Trail
12PM: After biking, we’re usually famished and our go-to restaurant is Lolo American Kitchen on Main Street. I won’t go into too much detail here, since I already did a write-up of Lolo in my Hidden Gem’s TC post, but to re-emphasize my love, just go and eat there already!
1PM: Now that you’re belly is happy, time to walk off that lunch with a little shopping! There are tons of cute shops all along main street. A couple of my favorites are the newly revamped Stillwater Farm Store, Alfresco Casual Living and Mara Mi. Personally, I find Mara Mi the most dangerous since they have WAY too much cute stationary to handle (I mean how much stationary does a gal really need?) AND they serve Izzy’s ice cream. Double uh-oh. Lastly, we really like the 45* store – we’ve snagged a few sale items there and they carry brands like Patagonia and Keens.
2:30PM: We usually end our visit with a trip to Candyland to get some Chicgao Mix for the road.
If you’re looking for more things to do, here are a couple alternate suggestions of places we like to frequent:
Pay a visit to Wedge & Wheel, a cute little cheese shop across the way from Mara Mi. The selection of cheese & meat can be a little intimidating, but we’ve had nothing but fantastic service from their staff, who is always happy to lend a suggestion and samples.
Another great spot a little out of “downtown” is Lift Bridge Brewery. It’s in a bit of a weird location, but it’s a great taproom! They offer tours of the facilities, great beer and FREE popcorn. Can’t beat that 🙂
We’ve only eaten here once, but it left a mark on us: Domacin Restaurant & Wine Bar. Aside from their extensive selection of wines, there food is superb. It’s described as “New American with Mediterranean Influence”. It’s a little on the spendy side, so be prepared to throw down some dough. Great spot for a special night on the town with your honey!
What’s your favorite spot in Stillwater?
