So another little day trip away from the Twin Cities. This time C and I visited for a short day trip to Hastings, MN.

The day was beautiful and we only wanted to check out a couple of spots in this very popular town along the Mississippi River. The trees are starting to leaf and the grass was nicely green. It was warm and the breeze was nice.

Our first spot was a typical check out the old store fronts lining  the historic main street. The street had many antiques shops on one end and places to eat on the other end. There were a few cute little retail boutiques.  Some shops were great little gems and others a bit of a disappointment. Overall, well worth a little stroll.

Since we arrived about lunch time we were hungry. Our window shopping took some time as did C’s need to take a few photos of the freight train passing over the river. The river is only a block or two off of the main street.

After a discussion with a used book store owner, we decided to take it casually and eat at the American Legion. It turns out that many American Legions in Minnesota are open to the public. There are locations that are just for veterans and their families. They had simple food and what sold me was that it overlooked the river. It is important to know that the food is more like basic pub grub rather than foodie creations. With the breeze in mind, we sat inside next to the wall of windows rather than on the balcony. The server was very friendly and the families of many generations eating was nice to see.

If you desire something a bit nicer, I am told that the Busted Nut as well as the Onion Grill are nice places too. I was in the mood for casual so we went casual.

After food we went to Vermillion Falls. It was really pretty, but the ability to get down to the bottom of the falls were not an option. Though they do have plenty of picturesque trails. The falls were flowing and the river was rushing at a great speed.

Due to not having a bunch of time to explore further, we drove back home. I am excited to visit again in the future. This is a place that seems nice for a weekend trip. C and I agree that Hastings will be on the revisit list.

Bye for now.