Taylors Falls in an Afternoon

You'll find Taylors Falls on the St Croix River, about an hour north-east of the Twin Cities.  The pairing of this little historic town and the adjacent Interstate State Park make this a great destination for an afternoon.  While there are a number of other activities you could incorporate into a visit, my favorite itinerary is the 'Taylor-made Malt Hike'.

Taylor-made Malt Hike
This day-trip starts off with some moderately strenuous hiking, a relaxing interlude, and then a more leisurely return trip.  First, make your way to MN Interstate State Park, be sure to enter the park at the campground entrance a mile west of the city of Taylors Falls, on St Croix Trail/US-8.  A vehicle permit for the day is only $7, or if you have a year round MN state parks permit, that will get you in as well.  Grab a trail map from the park office and then park in the lot.  The Sandstone Bluffs Trail and Railroad Trail start behind the office.  Shortly past the trail head you'll take a tunnel under the highway and reach the fork for the two trails.  The bluffs trail is very nice but has a lot of stairs, so if stair climbing isn't your thing, you may want to stick to the Railroad Trail which is a bit easier.  They both will connect later on so if your party decides to split up it isn't a big deal.

The trail will bring you to the parking lot behind the Taylors Falls Memorial Community Center.  Walk through the parking lot to Government St, passing the Old Schoolhouse and Old Jail.  When you reach 1st Street, take a right and head east for a block and then take a left and walk north on Bench street to find your way to Schoony's Malt Shop to refresh yourselves.  Cold drink in hand, head behind the malt shop towards the river and you will find a stairway that leads down to a little river park, passing through a wooden covered walking bridge.  The park has a nice view and is a great place to take a break and enjoy the scenery.

When you are ready to start exploring again, follow the river under the bridge to the Intestate Park Visitors Center.  Spend some time learning about the potholes that were created by the receding glaciers while also enjoying some of the river views.  When it is time to head back, follow the River Trail to the lot where you parked, but be sure to stop at the scenic overlooks on the way.

Other Options
If you'd like to tweak your itinerary, you could consider some of these activities as well:

• Enjoy a self guided walking tour of Taylors Falls.
• Float down the St Croix in a rented canoe or kayak from the park with a courtesy ride back at the end.
• Take a scenic boat tour from Taylors Falls.
• Do more hiking at Wisconsin's Interstate Park on the other side of the river.
• The third weekend of July the cities of Taylors Falls and St. Croix Falls schedule a weekend of activities to celebrate Wannigan Days.
• If you are going to be in the area Thanksgiving weekend, consider taking in the Taylors Falls Lighting Festival.

Wabasha Street Caves

Tucked into a bluff face adjacent to Wabasha Street, and across the Mississippi river from downtown Saint Paul, is a storied relic from the gangster era.  Now an event center available for weddings and other private events, the Wabasha Street Caves also provides tours, showcasing its colorful history.  The cave tours are reasonably priced and last about an hour.  The tour directors do an excellent job of weaving the story of the cave into historical events of the area, particularly the capitol city's prominent role in prohibition related criminal activity.

Day Trips

While a tour of the caves is well worth the visit, there is not much else within short walking distance unless you are visiting an event at Harriet Island or Raspberry Island.  Parking is free at the caves, so scheduling a tour at the beginning or end of your itinerary would work well.  Tours are available year round, but the schedule is limited so be sure to check their calendar ahead of time.  Tours are cash only and tickets are sold at the location 10 minutes before the scheduled start time.

Some suggested day trips are:

Cave Clubbing
Thursday nights are Swing Night at the Wabasha Street Caves.  For just an $8 cover, you can dance to a big band just like they did decades ago.  Doors open at 6:00 pm and a complementary dance lesson is provided at 6:15pm as well.  Come for the 5:00 pm tour and stay for an evening of dancing.

Coffee In Near a Cave
Grumpy Steve's Coffee shop is located on site, and serves breakfast and lunch.  They close at 12:30 pm and are not open Sundays.  If you only have a Saturday morning to work with, getting up early for a meal at Grumpy's before the Saturday morning tour might be a good option for you.

Cave Art & History
After touring the cave you may find yourself yearning for a wider variety of color and decor.  Saint Paul has a number of options for taking in art, history and the like:

• Minnesota Children's Museum
• Science Museum of Minnesota
• Minnesota History Center
• Minnesota Museum of American Art

Caves & Craft Brews a.k.a. Celebrating the Repeal of Prohibition

The craft beer craze is still going strong in Minnesota.  There are a number of breweries close to the Wabasha Street Caves where you can tip a pint after your tour and toast the efforts of our forebeareres in repealing that particular legislation. 

• Wabasha Brewing Company
• 12welve Eyes Brewing
• Barrel Theory Beer Company
• Tin Whiskers Brewing
• Great Waters Brewing Company
• Bad Weather Brewing Company
• Waldmann Brewery & Wurstery
• Yoerg Brewing Co.

This is just a partial list, check out Google maps for more...

Caves & Clover (August)
Harriet Island hosts the Irish Fair each summer and is just down the street from the caves.  Instead of waiting in line for the fair opening, ditch the queue and visit the caves first!  The fair takes place Friday through Sunday the second week of August and has no entrance fee.

Caves and a Cruise (Seasonal)

Padelford Riverboats' landing is located less than five minutes away at Harriet Island.  Consider starting or ending one of their cruises with a tour of the caves.

Cave Ball (Seasonal)

Saint Paul's minor league baseball team, the Saints, is close by.  While 'Cave Ball' may not really be an actual sport, or at least not invented yet, one could mix a cave tour and ball game into an afternoon and ponder the possibilities of such a combination.

Cave Farming (Seasonal)

What could be better than combining a visit to the Saint Paul Farmers' Market with a tour of the Wabasha Street Caves?  Look at Lowertown through the lens of history you've just experienced with your tour.

Hopefully these provided some additional options for you as you planned your tour.  If you have any other suggestions on things to do around the area of the caves, please leave them in the comments below.