Fall Colors Cruise-2013

As some of you may recall, MNSubaru has traditionally run a mostly-annual Fall Colors Cruise. Last year we visited Big Butz BBQ in Siren, WI. Awesome colors were viewed, good roads in north central MN/west central WI were driven, ridiculous volumes of slow smoked ribs were consumed.

Here is a blurb from last years thread that still applies:

This year the logistics didn't quite work out to return to Big Butz. I thought it was a loss for the year, but now that we're getting colors so late I figured we could try and do an "impromptu" cruise.

This year we will be heading a bit further south and touring the Mississippi bluffs. The rough, simple 10 step itinerary is as follows:

1. boring straight shot to Miesville
2. Burgers!
3. Twisties
4. Pie!
5. Moar Twisties
6. Cheese
7. Jaw dropping bluff views
8. Apples
9. Moar twisties
10. IDGAF, we're back on 52.

Details on each step in subsequent posts!

DEPARTURE: Inver Grove Heights WalMart, Sunday, 10/20/13 @ 10:15 AM
**This is the same WalMart used as the departure point for the annual LaX cruise**​

Here is the route we will follow sans a few small tweaks for getting around downtown Red Wing with less hassle:
http://goo.gl/maps/Xu4C7
Updated:
http://goo.gl/maps/PC0K1

Facebook Event for your Calendar Sync Needs:
https://www.facebook.com/events/531947286873949/

Please RSVP in this thread so I can get a rough head count. The cruise is free. There are no required purchases or prepayments.​

That said... While Kings and Stockholm Pies do not honor reservations, they do greatly appreciate and attempt to accommodate larger groups given a heads up. We'll want to let King's know we're coming with a rough head count. I could potentially put in a pie order at Stockholm Pies if there is enough early interest. Note we CAN NOT fit inside Stockholm Pies, so we will be eating at the park across the street.
​

Handraisers:
tehfuzz

Innit2Winnit:
SurlyOldManMN + 1 kid
SCIFIDELITY + 1 Adult
MN3.6R
Kevin Harrinton + 1 Adult
engstb + 1 Evo
​

We MUST be on the road very close to 10:15 or we will run into serious issues with capacity and parking
at either/both of the first two locations. Both are very good at what they do, very popular, and very challenging to get into if you show up at the wrong time.

*Note there is a Holiday with E85 within spitting distance of WalMart on the same side of 52. The route is about 150 miles which should give anyone a fairly comfortable margin on a single tank. I recommend you fill up before we leave.

Location details/reviews to follow!

Edit: Here is some pre-run footage to give you a good idea what kind of roads to expect. Note the route is 100% paved:

 

Step #1: Meet at Inver Grove Heights WalMart of 52 and Concord. This is the same WalMart we meet at for the LaX cruise. Meeting time is 10:00. Departure at 10:15

Step #2: Kings Place/Hamburgers in Miesville, MN
When I visited on Saturday the first thing I noticed is they were PACKED at 2:30 on a Saturday afternoon. This was a bit surprising for a town of around 126, but not a bad sign...

I tried the "King" burger, which supposedly "started it all" according to the menu. This is what showed up:


The burger itself was like something you would make at home. Obviously fresh ground beef and a whole lot of it, american cheese, thick cut bacon, fried onions and mushrooms. If I'm honest, the beef was a little underseasoned but still well on the correct side of acceptable. The bun... the bun was something to behold. If you've ever had a Culver's butterburger then you understand what I mean when I saw it melts in your mouth as you chew... but without any grease.

I don't know what manner of witchcraft and trickery is involved to pull it off, but that was a real stand out. I also had some smoked gouda mac and cheese poppers that were so good I had to come back the next day with my kid and get them again, along with a few more burgers.

The verdict? Fatty recommended, minion approved:

 

Step #3: Ever been on Welch Village Road? If you have, nuff said. If you haven't, you'll be back...

Step #4: Stockholm Pie Company in Stockholm, WI
On the Saturday prerun they were closed by the time I got there. The sign on the door said "out of pie". The pie was a lie that day.

On Sunday when I did a second run to lock in some route changes (in part due to showing up to no-pie), we managed to catch them at the tail end of the day around 2:15, when they were down to 5 kinds of pie. Four by the time I got to the counter. This was another line-out-the-door joint and one look at the pie and ice cream on offer inside told the story. This is the real deal. Real pies, made with real ingredients, real fresh, every day until they run out.

We got a double lemon, caramel apple crunch and a chocolate cream to go as well as a scoop of fresh strawberry ice cream to eat in-store. The ice cream shot me back to growing up visiting Nelson's ice cream in Stillwater. If you've ever been, then I sincerely hope you understand that is the highest compliment I can pay an "old fashioned" ice cream spot.

Due to the route taken back home, the pies experienced some "shifting" and were not particularly photogenic by the time I got home. However, I can assure you that they looked EXACTLY like what you see in this picture. I doubt they did much if anything to get it to look like this compared to what they hand you when you actually show up:

*** This is a good spot to split off if you'd like. I will be continuing on to more twisties with visits to a great creamery and an apple orchard. You can follow or not, makes no difference to me. If you choose to puss out, it's an easy shot back up 35 north to Red Wing without too many twisties bits to disturb you while you cry into your skirt. ***​

 

Step #5: A quick jaunt up J and back down EE before rejoining 35 south towards Nelson/Wabasha.

Step #6: Nelson Cheese
I drove by Nelson Cheese but didn't stop. One of our members, MN3.6R used to live/work in the area and highly recommended the spot. I'm going to check it out. Prices look AWESOME for in-person sales, and I luvs me some excellent cheese and meats.

Step #7: Oh the views.... This is where we cross the Mississippi at Wabasha and start making our way up the MN side of the river. It's hard to describe the sensation of driving down wooded roads only to have them repeatedly and suddenly open up into jaw-dropping, expansive views of bluffs, cliffs and country side Bob Ross paintings.

As an example, start with this:


15 seconds later:


We will also hit some twisty bits on hwy 5 before popping out on 61 again just before...

 

Step #8: Pepin Heights Orchard
I have one word for you: SweeTango apples.

Let's be honest here. I'm not what one would consider a fitness-oriented individual. I don't pine over achieving the perfectly balance in my diet between fiber at patchouli. I'm not particular inclined to purchase organic anything.

These are the best apples I have ever tasted. Better than the Aamodts picked-them-off-the-tree-myself apples I grew up with. Better than any horrifically overpriced, guilt-laden, imported fruit basket given in lieu of actually caring about occasion warranted the gift.

The minion, unprompted, RAN into my office after I gave him a piece to try and screamed "IT'S JUST SO JUICY". I'm not sure what else to say... Buy some.

Oh, did I mention they're monstrous as well?





Step #9: You can either follow me back up 7 (welch village road) for a second crack or you can continue on 61 towards home as the route shows. Either way you'll end up at 52 and 61.

 

True, but more corvettes. I stopped counting Vettes at 12 yesterday. Not as many bikers. A few more interesting exotics were on tap. I saw a Ferrari Modena, an Aston Martin DB7 (I think? Maybe DB9, it was moving kind of quick...), a Ford GT, an ACR Viper and a FF GTM. The last two I'd never seen in person...

 

That means you're in, amirite?

 

I think we'll be good since we're getting there early enough. I did eyeball this while I was driving by though. Good to hear it's recommended. Maybe I'll try it on the way back!

 

Groovy. The first leg to King's is a short, straight shot down 52 and over on 61. My plan is to call them mid-late week when I have a guage on headcount, and then give them a heads up just before we leave WalMart. It wouldn't suck if we had someone with boots on the ground ahead of time.

 

I just checked with the Ma'am. There are awful plans planned that I do not wish to partake in, but must if I ever want things and stuff again. So alas, my excited BRZ will have to remain home on this trip. However, I am a little familiar with the route or at least some of the areas as I have Drill in Wabasha. Count me in next time!

 

I've opened up an invite to the local rally folks. This route is in prime road rally country. If you're curious about the type of roads you'll encounter if you try a TSD rally, come find out!

 

This-Weekend-Bump!

 

Oh I am sure they would. But then I miss out on the excitement and am stuck with the mundane. Oh well, she is my everyday driver so I will be attempting to play in the snow with the rest of the big boys.

 

And who knows, maybe plans will fall through and I get to play catch up!

 

Truf. These are lazy MN twisties. Not switchback with drop-off to certain death "real" twisties. I won't be taking them very fast either. I've had a few folks mention they were worried about "keeping up". Don't be. This is a relaxed cruise as opposed to a fun run. I'm not going to load up your suspension TOO much.

 

That depends on what you plan on doing after the cruise.

 

You have impeccable taste good sir!

 

So long as he doesn't pass the pace car.

 

lol, I forgot to disable audio. Oh well, everyone needs a little p-funk in their life.

 

I concur.