Twin Cities/Decorah/Fargo Trip Help

You have a pretty good list already. I have a couple comments:

Surly's original brewery is no longer open to the public. The destination brewery is certainly worth a stop though.

In Decorah, you can stop by Pulpit Rock if you have time. A lot of folks really like their beers.

On the way between Minneapolis and Decorah, you should absolutely stop at Forager in Rochester. Some of the best beer in Minnesota and good food too.

 

Definitely go to Pulpit and Forager.

I don't know how much time you're planning for each place, but that's an absolutely beautiful time of the year in Decorah. Get out on the Upper Iowa River, or do some biking.

 

If you're a hiker, you'll love Decorah.

I'd recommend:
Yellow River State Forest (Iowa - about a 40 minute drive) http://www.iowadnr.gov/Places-to-Go/State-Forests/Yellow-River-State-Forest, and

Beaver Creek Valley State Park (Minnesota - about a 30 minute drive), http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/beaver_creek_valley/index.html

Decorah Human Powered Trails, which are more popular with mountain bikers. These aren't quite as out-in-nature or scenic as the others, but they're convenient and offer plenty of challenge. Don't miss Dunning's Spring (a large - for Iowa - waterfall just .25 miles from TG's tap room)

There are a ton of paved biking trails as well. In Decorah proper, there's the 13 mile Trout Trun loop that circles town. It's a lot of elevation, but really pretty. From Calmar to Cresco (just west and south of Decorah) is the Prairie Farmer. It's an old railroad bed, so it's flat, but you really get a good slice of rural/small town Iowa (with a couple fun little bars in the towns along it) and between Rochester and Decorah is the Root River Trail, which is a railroad bed that runs through the Root River valley, so not only is the grade flat, but the surrounding scenery is excellent. Lots of cool towns and places to stop along that.

I realize you aren't going to get all that into 2 days, but it's a start.

 

If you want to try your hand at canoeing/kayaking, go through Hruska's in Bluffton. The float from Daley's Bridge back to Bluffton can be done in 4 hours, and is the quintessential Driftless Area canoe run. You can start the trip at Chimney Rock to shorten it up and still get the best views.

My avatar picture was taken along this stretch.

 

Neither of these are beer mecca's (they will have furious and a couple others), but Manny's is the local powerhouse steak joint and Burch would be the trendy steakhouse with smaller cuts while serving wagyu, grass fed, and prime.

 

For your Minneapolis/St. Paul leg of the trip, I would definitely add Indeed Brewing, Fair State, and (possibly) Modist Brewing to that list. Indeed has grown to be one of the best all around breweries in the Cities and Fair State always has interesting stuff, particularly sours, on tap. Plus, there are a ton of great take out food options right by Fair State. So, even if you don't like their beer, you can at least eat well! As for Modist, I'll admit to my neighborhood homerism, but they're less than a year old and are already putting out good and very interesting stuff. They also just got a permanent food truck on site, the Curious Goat.

In terms of beer(ish) bars, I'd also check out any of the Red Cows in the area, there are three. They constantly rotate their taps and consistently get rare/limited stuff in. Plus, their food is very good, they're known for their burgers.

 

I'd second Fair State.

Steel Toe has been one of my favorite MSP breweries over the years as well.

 

I'd suggest skipping the traditional steak houses (Manny's, Murray's, etc) and checking out Burch. It's much more foodie driven and focuses on more composed well prepared dishes rather than giants portions of meat and over priced sides. Just my $0.02.

Also, the rookery is the cocktail bar inside of travail so no need to hit that up on it's own.

Honestly, I think Dangerous Man is one of the most overrated breweries in Minnesota. I would definitely go to Surly and Town Hall and then add Indeed, Fair State, and Bad Weather to the list. Republic and Happy Gnome are the best beer bars in the city IMHO.

If you have time to stop in New Ulm on your way to Minneapolis I'd check out Schell's Brewery and the Starkeller space if it is open. I'f you'd prefer to stick to highway 52 north from Decorah then Forager is a great stop in Rochester.

HAVE FUN!

 

In Minneapolis, I'd say Wild Mind Artisan Ales is also a must stop.
http://www.wildmindales.com/
Also, since you're in the cities, and if you've never been to Wisconsin, there's several breweries within a couple of miles of the border.
Oliphant in Somerset
Pitchfork in Hudson
Rush River in River Falls
Swinging Bridge in River Falls, which opens on the 17th of March

Along the way to Fargo, assuming you're driving, there's a few breweries along the way:
Lupulin in Big Lake
Hayes Public House in Buffalo
Spilled Grain in Annandale
Beaver Island in St. Cloud
Urban Lodge in Sauk Rapids
Bad Habit in St. Joe
Coppertail Brewing in Alexandria
Union Pizza in Fergus Falls
Disgruntled in Perham

Hope this helps.

 

Very good list - nice research.

I'll second some of the things already said on here:

-Skip Dangerous Man and replace with Fair State and/or Indeed.

-Steak: Manny's and Murray's are the two stalwarts in town. Both are great, but both also suffer from "steak house pricing". You'll find one of the best rib eyes in town at Butcher & the Boar, so that's what I'd do.

-You have a nice restaurant list. I'd also consider adding the St. Paul location of Revival - it's about a block from The Gnome, and it's larger than the Mpls location (easier to get a seat). Also, if you do go to the Nook, and there is a wait upstairs, just head downstairs. It's the same menu, and there always seems to be seating down there (plus, there is a cool bowling alley).

-If you're going to the original Town Hall location, then you should hit up Republic across the street.

 

I'll third skipping Dangerous Man. I know they have a lot of fans, but in a limited time situation, there are much better options.

And if you let this thread run long enough, you'll have a recommendation for every brewery in Minnesota...I'd stick with your list & @jrsaffert's recommendations. That would give you a solid trip.

 

I agree. I like their beer, but it's always a nut house, and the beer isn't that good. They seem to focus less on hoppy stuff (which is what I'm into) and I just haven't found that the beer itself has ever lived up to the hype.

Parking is a pain, and there's going to be a crowd. As many have said, better options with less hassle.

 

Not beer related, but this is great info. A friend & I have been canoeing together forever & are just starting to do rivers/stream rather than lakes & I hadn't heard of this area. I'm going to put it on our growing list for next summer (doesn't hurt that it's near beer!).

 

I love canoeing, but rarely get on any streams other than the Upper Iowa. It's just so damn close and so pretty, but I know there are plenty of other great options in the area.

I've done the St. Croix a few times, and that's awesome. Not sure where you're at in MN, but I'd recommend it.

I'm close to the Root River, but tend to avoid it as I bike along side it frequently. That said, there are other branches to explore and I should check some of those out for sure.

 

I also agree about Dangerous Man being very overrated. If you find yourself in that neighborhood, Indeed is close by, has better beer, and a larger/nicer taproom.

 

Since the consensus seems to be skipping Dangerous Man, let me add this as a time saver. Dangerous Man has a separate growler and crowler shop right next door to the tap room. If you're in the area Thursday - Sunday you can get in and out of there pretty quick. If you plan on hitting up one of the other suggested breweries like Fair State or Indeed then you're only about a mile or two away from those destinations.

Buy yourself a crowler of Chocolate Milk Stout and another of Peanut Butter Porter and you'll get get the essence of what Dangerous Man is in a 5-10 minute pit stop with the luxury of enjoying it on your own schedule later. They're not "overrrated" rather they've just been putting out the same good product and unfortunately they haven't come out with a "wow" or trendy beer in a while. Just like good hops, if it isn't new or fresh it isn't exciting anymore to some folks.

No matter what you do, you probably owe it to yourself to spend at least part of one day in Northeast Minneapolis, better known as Nordeast around here. There are lots of breweries concentrated into a few square mile area so it could make for some easy transportation options, not to mention the bohemian feel of the area.