Location: Southeastern Minnesota below Rochester to the Wisconsin border Length: 88 miles (142 km) Time To Allow: 2 hours Description/Highlights/Points of Interest In the small towns, agricultural communities and scenic beauty of the Historic Bluff Country Scenic Byway, you'll find art galleries, theaters, antique shops, Amish tours, historic homes and sites, state parks and forests, cave tours, festivals and events, museums, nature and interpretive centers and lodging from B&B's to motels to camping. Along the Root and Mississippi Rivers are miles of trails, making this byway the perfect place for canoeing, hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, bird and wildlife watching, hunting, fishing and photography. Suggested Itinerary Begin your tour in La Crescent, just south of Winona on the Great River Road (Highway 61 along the Mississippi River.) Travel a second scenic byway in this town as you journey on the Apple Blossom Scenic Drive through the hills overlooking the Mississippi River. In the spring, this route is alive with the pink and white of apple blossoms; in the fall, these colors are replaced with the red, orange and yellow of the hardwood forests which cover the bluffs. Bluff Country also boasts one of the best bike trails in Minnesota — the Root River Trail. Built on a former railroad bed, the trail is quite flat, and the scenery is spectacular as the trail follows the Root River through fields and woodlands. Bicycle rental is available in many locations along the trail, as are canoe or kayak rentals if you want to brave the river route instead. In winter months, you can trade your bike in for a snowmobile and travel the same trails for year-round outdoor fun. In the evening, attend one of the performances at the Commonweal Theater in Lanesboro. This quaint village draws professional actors from as far away as New York and California who dedicate themselves to providing a variety of high-quality productions, classical to contemporary. The terrain has also created some of the best trout streams in the Midwest. Anglers interested in fly-fishing will find many choices for a relaxing day outdoors. Adding to the country charm of the area is a community of Amish. You may encounter them on horse and buggy along the roads, using their horses to harvest grain, or shopping for goods in the small town of Harmony. Several stores in the region carry Amish handcrafts, as well as antiques. Every weekend finds some kind of festival or special event along this scenic byway. Celebrate the season or sample homemade Norwegian treats, discover a part of Minnesota history or meander through a display of contemporary art, experience the excitement of a marching band or the mellow sounds of an intimate concert. No matter where you go, a warm welcome awaits you in Historic Bluff Country.