Best Bets for Fall Fun in Stillwater

Who needs Venice, Italy? Get cozy in the cushioned seats of a Venetian gondola powered by a gondolier wearing a striped shirt and straw hat. For optimal romance, time a 45-minute gondola ride to watch the moon rise over the St. Croix River.

Enjoy frame-worthy views of the St. Croix River Valley aflame in fall color. The St. Croix Boat and Packet Company's paddle-wheeler takes leaf peepers on a variety of two-hour excursions. One of the most popular options: weekend dinner cruises paired with live Dixieland music.

Visitors from the Twin Cities can bike the 18-mile Gateway Trail northeast from Saint Paul and branch off at the Duluth Junction (where you can sometimes catch a food truck) then pedal east to Stillwater on the 5.9-mile Brown's Creek Trail. The mostly flat rail-to-trail route winds around parks and golf courses, follows a trout stream for about 2 miles and then parallels the St. Croix River until it reaches Lowell Park in downtown Stillwater.

Come hungry to Aamodt's Apple Farm on the southwest edge of Stillwater. Fresh Minnesota apples, apple oatmeal cookies, apple cinnamon doughnuts, fresh cider and pies stock the sprawling 1880s barn. Kids love the goat farm, pedal tractors, hay wagon rides and a hay bale maze. For a change in perspective, a hot-air balloon lifts off from the farm for views of the St. Croix River Valley and surrounding bluffs.

Next door to Aamodt's, Saint Croix Vineyards fittingly serves an apple wine, but also pours close to 20 wines showcasing Minnesota-developed grapes, such as fruity Frontenac Gris and oak-aged Marquette. Cap off the tasting with Raspberry Infusion, a rich red that pairs beautifully with dark chocolate. Bring a picnic to pair with the wine and enjoy it at tables overlooking a pond.

Watch expert pumpkin carving and see brave souls willing to paddle down the St. Croix in giant carved-out pumpkins at the Harvest Fest and Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off at Lowell Park (October 8-9, 2022).