Caledonia is located in the southeastern corner of Minnesota where the land transitions from rolling hills to scenic bluffs and the Mississippi River Valley.  It is not uncommon to see majestic eagles soaring or sitting high in the treetops and deer, wild turkeys and coyotes are plentiful. Area streams offer access to some of the best trout fishing in the state.  Biking, hiking, horse trails, boating and bird watching lure people to the area.  Beaver Creek Valley State Park features a 250 foot high heavily forested valley, and is a hidden natural oasis amidst the farmland of southeastern Minnesota.  Many rare plants, birds and animals reside in the park.  Caledonia is also “The Heart of Quilt Country” and offers a scenic driving tour route of 40 Houston County barns sporting 8 x 8 squares of plywood painted in vivid colors in a variety of quilt patterns. The Caledonia Area Convention and Tourism Bureau is welcoming tourists to our area to view beautiful barn paintings and enjoy our splendid natural and cultural resources.

Day 1 – Arrive in downtown Caledonia and check out the shops on Main Street. Stop in at Bluff Country Meats and the Caledonia Bakery to stock up on picnic foods to pack and grill during your visit and stay at Beaver Creek Valley State Park. Enjoy a walk along Beaver Creek, try your hand fly fishing for trout, and check out a pair of binoculars from the park office to view the many species of birds in the park or hike the trails leading to spectacular overlooks 250’ above the valley floor.  Bring your camera and photograph the amazing array of wildflowers in the park.  See if you can locate the wildlife safari geocache hidden somewhere in the park.  Drive back to Caledonia for your overnight stay at .  Try out Good Times or Elsie’s for dinner tonight.

Day 2 – After breakfast in your hotel or B&B today you will take the scenic barn quilt tour route throughout Houston County. Start off at the fairgrounds in Caledonia where you may tour the Houston County Historical museum complex, the deer park and see the first quilt on the tour. A map and GPS points will help you locate the 40 quilts on the tour. Stop for a gourmet lunch at The Farm House Eatery  in Caledonia. Finish your afternoon with a tour of nearby Schech’s water powered grist mill – on the National Register of Historical Places.  This is one of three mills in Minnesota still operating solely with water power and the only one to have its original equipment.  The mill produced cornmeal, rye buckwheat, wheat flour, graham flour, and whole wheat cereal. Grind your own whole wheat flour to take home.  Cool off at the Caledonia swimming pool this evening and enjoy the outdoor playground area adjacent to the pool complex.

Day 3 – After breakfast this morning take a drive to Brownsville and stop in at several new Army Corps of Engineers overlooks of the Mississippi River along Highway 26. See Tundra swans, migrating ducks, bald eagles and many other species of waterfowl just south of Brownsville. Stop in at the Shellhorn Grill for lunch on your way to Wildcat Landing where you can walk along a sandy beach and wade out into the Mississippi River.