ITINERARIES St. Paul SAVOR A TASTE OF FRANCE Marc Heu Pâtisserie Paris is the home of a St. Paul-based Hmong baker who grew up in French Guiana and sharpened his culinary skills at the country’s oldest pastry shop (Stohrer), a Michelin-starred restaurant (Pré Catalan) and the Soho cafe that invented the cronut (Dominique Ansel Bakery). With exciting fl avors like passionfruit and lychee, Heu’s creations often strike a balance between his French background and his family’s roots as refugees in Southeast Asia. Faribault BUY A HOLLYWOOD-WORTHY BLANKET If you’ve ever seen episodes of “Yellowstone” and thought, ‘If Kevin Costner and Harrison Ford can wrap themselves in handwoven blankets, why can’t I?’, then head straight for the riverside factory of Faribault Mill , about an hour south of Minneapolis. The company started making its iconic blankets in 1877. Since then, they’ve shown up in two World Wars, several television shows and many design, fashion and style magazines. To see how they’re still produced today, stop by Faribault Mill on a Friday or Saturday for a tour. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling (507) 412-5534. Marc Heu Pâtisserie Paris Miesville BITE INTO AN AWARD-WINNING BURGER When Tripadvisor named the top-ranked burgers in every state recently, King’s Bar and Grill prevailed over all the Juicy Lucy joints that have dominated for decades. Anyone who’s been to the Miesville mainstay gets it. Feast on one of King’s 50+ signature combos, ranging from the standards (sautéed mushrooms and Swiss cheese, a.k.a. the Chessman) to the revelatory (a “Full Count” of peanut butter, homemade BBQ sauce, pepper jack cheese, bacon and French’s crispy fried onions). Red Wing POSE WITH THE WORLD’S LARGEST BOOT Speaking of heritage brands headquartered in Southern Minnesota, the Red Wing Shoe Company has a small museum devoted to its heavy-duty boots within its fl agship store in downtown Red Wing. It’s hard to miss the 20-foot boot on the main fl oor or all the workwear artifacts from 1905, but don’t overlook the discount outlet downstairs — one of the only ways to save on shoes that’ll last a lifetime. Wabasha FLY LIKE AN EAGLE Red Wing Shoe Company Daily live demos and two fl oors of interactive exhibits draw around 80,000 visitors a year to The National Eagle Center in Wabasha. A beloved fi xture along the 106 | EXPLORE MINNESOTA .COM
Explore Minnesota Travel Guide 2025 Explore Minnesota Travel Guide: Page 106
