Wabasha Trip

For a long time, I’ve heard about the National Eagle Center and wanted to go. This summer, we made it happen. The drive was stunning with cornfields, bluffs, and the river. We stopped at Lark Toys in Kellogg before checking into our hotel. Wow! Many times, people recommended Lark Toys to me, but I truly didn’t expect it to completely blow me away. Anyone that says it’s just a toy store is not giving a clear depiction of Lark Toys. Unfortunately, we arrived around an hour and a half before closing. It was not enough time to enjoy every aspect. First , we just walked around. Inside, there is a museum of older toys to remind you of beautiful memories spent playing as a kid. We’re talking Troll dolls, dolls, those little “fake” cameras, little army men, Mr. Potato Heads, and so many more toys that will bring you right back to your childhood. Next, we made a pit stop at the chocolate store. They make the chocolate right on site and offer free samples. My kids raved about the chocolate they tried. Right next to the chocolate shop, there is a beautiful carousel. Hand-carved animals that make you just stop and gaze in awe line the carousel begging kids to ride them.

After that, we finally made our way into the part of the store with actual toys for sale. Each room was more beautiful than the last and was filled with even more toys. There was a board game room, a wooden toy room, a sports and dress up space, a pretend play space, a sensory space, a train space…I could continue on and on. Every room was filled with toys that we either love or we would love to have. My kids loved that there were areas to play in almost every room. They quickly surveyed the room and then, got busy doing what kids do best…playing. The play areas were clean, fun, and sparked imagination. When we thought things couldn’t get any better, we entered the bookstore part of Lark Toys. Oh boy, if you know our family, you know we LOVE our books! It was like we had stepped into a favorite book store. We found books we already owned and books that we wanted on every shelf. Cozy nooks and crannies that begged you to sit down and enjoy a book were nestled throughout the store. Before long, it was almost closing time and we had to make a stop at one of our favorite places there…the ice cream store. Next to the ice cream store, there was an old fashioned candy store. This too brought up many memories, as we chatted to our kids about the candy stores we visited as kids. We grabbed our ice cream, which was delicious, and left the store. As closing time hit, we sat on a bench outside to finish our ice cream before driving to our hotel. Sitting and eating, the owners walked by on a walk with their llamas. Yes, you read that right. The owners were so kind to my kids and stopped their walk and came over to us. Each kid got to pet the llamas and we were overwhelmed at this amazing experience of Lark Toys, hidden away in a quaint small town. There was also, a large mini-golf course that we were unable to do in our time frame. A good chunk of a day could definitely be spent at this absolute delight of a place. We will most definitely be going back at some point and giving ourselves a lot more time.

After finishing at Lark, we drove the small distance to Wabasha. We checked into our hotel, AmericInn. Fresh cookies were waiting for us and the receptionist was extremely helpful and kind allowing us to figure out our plans for the rest of the night. Everyone was pretty exhausted, but we had promised the kids we would swim at the hotel that night. After we ate a quick dinner in our room, we headed down to the pool. The kids were ecstatic to find that there was a hand-carved bear and raccoon basketball hoop, along with balls, to play with. What a unique experience! Another cool aspect about the AmericInn in Wabasha is that there are themed rooms throughout the hotel. You can request to have one, which we would love to do at some point. When we finished swimming, we headed to bed for a busy next day.

We started the day early with breakfast at the hotel. Then, we drove downtown to Wabasha and explored the little town. It was absolutely beautiful! Nestled right alongside the river, there were many little stores and homes. We stopped at a park, right next to Slippery’s (a restaurant) and enjoyed a fun slide and tunnel built into the hill and swings. The park was on a section of land jutting out into the water, so we walked along the path to see the water better, look at the marina, and enjoy the beautiful views.

Then, it was the time we had been waiting for. We walked down to the National Eagle Center, only a few blocks away. It’s right alongside the river in a stunning building, full of huge windows to admire the river outside. Inside, we bought our tickets for the show that was about to start soon. Since we visited in the morning, in the summer, and when the weather was nice, the show was in their outdoor amphitheater. What an incredible experience that was! As you listen to all the facts and information, you are surrounded by nature’s beauty. Weather could not have been any more perfect for a show outside. Our one year old had fallen asleep in her stroller and ended up napping in the shade during the show. The other two kids were entertained throughout the whole program, as the leader of the show was made for the job. He mixed humor, knowledge, and the perfect amount of props and hands-on opportunities to keep everyone engaged. I left amazed with the information I had learned about eagles from him.

After the show was finished, we headed into the National Eagle Center. On the bottom floor, my kids enjoyed the kid’s area where they could trace different things and attempt to build a pretend eagle nest. They also, enjoyed seeing the bald eagles in this area. The top floor was full of more history and information, which was a little harder for our young kids. Yet, we did enjoy reading and learning. An art area was also, upstairs with a variety of pieces of art. Last, there was a beautiful deck overlooking the river. Here, the kids enjoyed looking for raptors and being so high up in the air. Overall, the kid’s favorite part of the National Eagle Center was definitely the show and I would recommend going to one if you have kids along, or if you want to truly learn a lot about eagles.

When we finished at the Eagle Center, we stopped at a cute store right across the street called Chocolate Escape. Walking inside, you were met with a mouth-watering smell and cases of chocolate beckoned you to come look. Of course, there was also, ice cream. All kids got an ice cream and they ate them on a back deck, looking out at the river. It was the perfect end to our quick trip to Wabasha. Overall, we will definitely be back at some point and highly enjoyed all the parts of the trip. The views alone of this beautiful area of the state are worth it! Then, when you add in the fun parts of the trip we enjoyed, it’s a definite must-visit! Although, we visited in the summer and it was beautiful, I do think seeing the trees with changing colors along the bluffs and river would be a stunning opportunity as well. Hope you enjoy this area just as much as we did!