• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Subscribe
Program Guide
Watch Live

CCX Media

Skip NavigationMenu
  • News
    • Close
        • CCX News
          • CCX News Home
          • News Stories
            • CCX Daily Newscast
          • CCX Media Schools
        • Feature Segments

          • Business Matters
          • School Spotlight
          • Standout Student
          • Weekend Showcase
          • Newsmakers
        • News Tip

          Send us a story idea or news tip!
          Facebook Instagram Twitter
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
        • Apple News
    • Close
  • Sports
    • Close
        • CCX Sports
          • CCX Sports Home
          • Sports Tips
          • Hall of Fame
          • Upcoming Event Coverage
          • Play of the Week
        • Sports Coverage

          Adapted SportsAdditional SportsBaseballBasketballFootball
          GymnasticsHockeyLacrosseSoccerSoftball
          Swimming & DivingTennisTrack & FieldVolleyballWrestling
        • Social Media

          Facebook Twitter Instagram
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
          Shop/Order
    • Close
  • Cities
    • Close
        • CCX Cities
          • CCX Cities Home
          • Cities Stories
          • In The Community
          • Our Town’s Story
          • Community Resources
          • CCX Media Schools
          • City Meetings
        • Your City

          Brooklyn Center Local News and Events
          Brooklyn Park MN Local News and Events
          Crystal
          Golden Valley
          Maple Grove
          New Hope
          Osseo
          Plymouth
          Robbinsdale
        • Social Media

          Facebook Twitter
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
    • Close
  • Create
    • Close
        • CCX Create
          • CCX Create Home
          • Channels
          • Resources
          • Meet The Create Team
          • CCX Create Virtual Tour
        • Get Creative

          • Launch Your Creative Vision with CCX Create
          • Free Classes
          • Contact Us
          • Polka Spotlight
          • Diversity Minute
        • RueShare

          • Member Login
          • Member Guide
        • Social Media

          Facebook Twitter Instagram
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
    • Close
  • Subscribe
  • Program guide
  • Watch Live

Backyard Getaways Makes a Run for the Border … the Wisconsin Border

5:09 PM | Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Two cities, two states and one river are actually not all that far away from the northwest suburbs. Seventy-seven miles round-trip to be exact. Road trip season is a time to explore and the city of Stillwater on the St. Croix River  is a good place to start.

“Stillwater is considered the birthplace of Minnesota,” said Miles Winslow, a Stillwater historian.

“You feel like you’re in a resort area,” said Lindsay Koepke of Wausau, Wis. “My gosh it’s so close to the cities.”

There is a huge wow factor when it comes to the scenic St. Croix.

“The river is beautiful,” Koepke said. “All of the eagles.”

There are postcard-like views everywhere and sometimes it seems like you have stepped back in time as riverboats float by.

“You feel like you are on vacation I guess 24-7,” said Austin Reese of Stillwater. “Everywhere around here is pretty good.”

Stillwater Traces History to Logging Boom

Miles Winslow is a trolley driver in Stillwater.

“We get people from all over the world coming here to take our tour,” Winslow said.

He’s also an expert on Stillwater’s rich history, which dates back to an era when lumber was king.

“I like to liken our boom to the gold rush of San Francisco,” Winslow said. “We didn’t have the gold obviously, but we did have the logs.”

The lumber barons profited from the logging business and built expensive European-style homes.

“A couple of the homes were part of the underground railroad,” Winslow said. “I’m really proud of that.”

Stillwater’s signature is a charming downtown with plenty of bars, restaurants and shops.

“I always compare it to Uptown,” Reese said, “but without all the crazy traffic and the really crazy drunk people.”

The Freight House is a city landmark. Its outdoor deck is a destination spot. Another cool place is Teddy Bear Park. This kid-centric playground is free and has places to climb and jump.

Wisconsin Border Leads to Popular Spot

When we left Stillwater, we hopped on the fabulous new bridge that spans the St. Croix. Goodbye North Star State, it’s now time for a pastoral drive through America’s Dairyland.

We wound up in Hudson where we discovered that the city has its own unique connection to the St. Croix as well.

“We’re busy,” said Andrew Kron the manager at Pier 500 restaurant in Hudson. “The stores are busy. The other restaurants are busy. There’s just a super fun vibe with the river and what downtown Hudson has to offer as a whole.”

Pier 500 has become trendy. The restaurant was jammed when we showed up for lunch on a recent Wednesday.

“There’s just a ton of character to the downtown,” Kron said.

Hudson and Stillwater are just nine miles apart. They share a river and are similar in many ways. But, they have their own identities.

“The biggest difference is we can get New Glarus beer here in Wisconsin,” Kron joked.

Competing businesses in downtown Hudson have a harmonious relationship.

“We’re a pretty tight-knit group that tends to feed off of each other,” Kron said.

This synergy has created quite a food scene and has made Hudson a go-to city.

“If we look at what’s down here we tend to check all the boxes on what people can get from a culinary experience in downtown Hudson,” Kron said.

Of course, being a border town means split loyalties – which is why Pier 500 takes no chances with their televisions on an NFL Sunday.

“We split them in half,” Kron said. “Half Viking and half Packer.”

 

Sponsored

Seasonal Features

Related Stories

2-22 COVID-19 Update: Minnesota Department of Health Reports 23 Gym Outbreaks in January:  2-22… Read More
The Separation Struggle: COVID-19’s Impact on Seniors:  The COVID-19 pandemic has hit older… Read More
Brooklyn Center Greenhouse Blossoms During Stay-At-Home Order:  A Brooklyn Center greenhouse is… Read More
Backyard Getaways: Maple Grove’s Ice Skating Loop:  Maple Grove's Central Park ice skating loop has… Read More
Maple Grove Gardening Expert Has Tips for Dismal Weather:  Gardening experts from Maple Grove's… Read More
What I Learned at Summer Camp: Archery:  It may be the last week of summer vacation, but for about 20… Read More

Footer

NAVIGATE

  • CCX Media
  • NEWS
  • SPORTS
  • CITIES
  • CREATE
  • Job Opportunities
  • Meet the CCX Media Team
  • ABOUT CCX MEDIA
  • Annual Programming Reports
  • CABLE COMMISSION

SUBSCRIBE

Get email updates for daily story previews. “Week in Review” video links, and programming previews.

Subscribe Today

CONNECT

HAVE A NEWS TIP? CALL OUR TIPLINE AT:  763-533-1710
Send us story ideas and comments!
Get in touch with us
  CCX MEDIA     SPORTS
 NEWS                SPORTS
SPORTS.           SHOP/ORDER

LOCATION

CCX Media
6900 Winnetka Avenue North
Brooklyn Park, MN 55428

Main Phone:  763-533-8196

CCX Media serves the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota, including Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Golden Valley, Maple Grove, New Hope, Osseo, Plymouth and Robbinsdale.
Copyright © 2025 CCXMedia | All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement
Web Design and Development by CEL Marketing PR Design and BizzyWeb | Log in