3 Weekend Getaways Near Minneapolis

It takes faith to climb as many as 100 steps from your car to a vacation cottage, especially after you've had to shift gears and say a little prayer just to drive up to the parking lot. But as you listen to leaves rustling in the treetops, you won't regret the effort.

Perched on a bluff in Fountain City, Wisconsin, Hawks View Cottages makes the perfect endpoint to a weekend drive along the east bank of the Mississippi. The sun sets over the verdant valley, and you think of what you saw (and ate!) along the way. Stockholm's shops include Abode Store and Gallery, featuring river-inspired crafts. Pocket gardens hide behind artsy shops in Alma. In Pepin, the peach pie at Third Street Deli tastes like pure summer. And tomorrow morning at Perrot State Park in Trempealeau, you can hike up Brady's Bluff for one last sweeping Mississippi view.

Pictured: Buena Vista Park in Alma overlooks the Mississippi River.