Overview

Our first day began bright and early with cloudy weather throughout the day and some light showers.  Our travel route had us stopping in Winona, Rushford, Lanesboro, the city of Fountain, Pin Oak Nature Reserve, and ending at the Four Daughters Winery and Cidery for a nice dinner.

 

Winona

44.0554° N, 91.6664° W (FIX)

Our first stop was in Winona. The air smelt fresh from the rain and the town was reasonably quiet for a Thursday morning. The Mississippi was largely carved out by the catastrophic failure of lake agassiz which was a massive lake in the northern reaches of Minnesota and extending up into Canada. This incision goes through the city causing bluffs that rise 200 feet above the valley. Winona is located in between the lock in dams 5 and 6 and used to be a major wheat transportation. When the city was first built its back was to the river because people did not care to see all of the economic activity. Fast forwarding to modern day, the citizens, and tourists, enjoy the benefits brought by being on the river. The city just renovated Levee Park so now it acts as the “front porch” of the town. 

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Rushford

43.8110° N, 91.7490° W (FIX)

Following Winona was our stop in Rushford which is a town with a population of roughly 1,500 people. This city contrast greatly from Winona in that the bluffs were much less frequent and was noticeably flatter. The bedrock is not deep with there being a thin layer of till over it and the valleys are wide. The original depot, which was built in 1867, is still standing. This depot is now used as a mini museum of the history of Rushford as a popular train stop. There is a man who arrived there because he got on a train in New York and decided to go as far as it could and ended up in Rushford because at that time, that was the end of the line. According to the museum, there are three known houses that were a part of the underground railroad.

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Lanesboro

43° 48' 25'' N, 19° 45' 17'' W

Our next stop was in a town even flatter than Rushford called Lanesboro. Stopping in Lanesboro allowed us to get an inside look on the human geography of small towns. We met up with a speaker from the Chamber of Commerce to learn about tourism and more about what the town has to offer. Unlike many other town in Minnesota, Lanesboro has found a way to survive the loss of the railroad. They turned the old track into a bike trail which combined with the river, attract many tourists to keep their economy booming. Lanesboro is recognized for its natural beauty and for its state recognized bed and breakfast. Though they have a problem with the resident housing being too expensive due to the huge amount of tourists that pass through the location.

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City of Fountain

43.7447° N, 92.1327° W (FIX)

The city of Fountain has a very different geology than the previous stops as it has carbonate bedrock making it have a karst geology. This means that it has a substantial amount of sinkholes and is something that farmers and city planners alike have to consider. These sinkholes have there own microclimates due to the very substantial drop in temperature and sunlight as you go down into them.

 

 

 

Pin Oak Nature Reserve

43° 47' 34'' N, 92° 13' 5'' W

Pin Oak is a nature study area with aeolian geology meaning that it’s made up of sand dunes. This isn’t immediately apparent looking at the landscape as the sand is hidden under grass but with a closer look you will find that instead of dirt there is mostly sand. This allows for different flora and fauna to prosper while the surrounding area is less kind to them. There is also high quality sedge metal found in the preserve. Pin Oak trees are not very common this far south due to their need for cooler temperatures.The north facing slopes are what make this area able to support pin oak trees which aren’t able to survive elsewhere.

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Four Daughters

43° 42' 36' N, 92° 28' 27" W

Our final stop of the day was at Four Daughters Vineyard and Winery. Minnesota has only been able to grow wine grapes for fifteen years since the U of M developed a breed that could survive in Minnesota. These grapes are also growing in Montana, New York, Canada, and Europe. The roots are hardy and able to survive Minnesota’s harsh winters and to protect them from insects that like to eat the roots. They are high in sugar because they are descendants from a local Minnesota grape called the River Grape. Four Daughters also produces Loon Juice which is a hard cider originally made out of honey crisp apples. Thanks to Justin Osborne, head winemaker, for an outstanding tour!

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References

Fisher, T. G. (2003) Chronology of glacial Lake Agassiz meltwater routed to the Gulf of Mexico. Quaternary Research, 59, 271-276.

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