A Taste of the Past

Aug 20, 2024Adventure Report, Biking, Kayaking, Scenic Byways

A person with long hair is kayaking on a wide, calm lake under a clear blue sky. They paddle a red kayak and wear an orange life vest. Trees line the distant shore, reminiscent of nearby Minnesota trails. The word TRAILS is faintly visible in the bottom right corner.

Minnesota’s network of scenic byways snakes across the state, comprising about 3,000 miles of designated roads with scenic, natural, recreational, cultural, historic or archaeological significance. At Lake Benton, MN, the King of Trails, Highway 75 meets another scenic road, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Highway. This area of the state is full of small towns with rich histories, and we decided to hitch up our wagon to take a closer look at Lincoln County in southwestern Minnesota.

a landscape view of Rvs parked on a grassy field under trees

A woman walks through a grassy field past some trees

A small, rustic log cabin stands in a lush green field surrounded by trees, perfect for starting your Minnesota bike rides. A wooden bench sits out front as the sky stretches clear with a few clouds.

A large stone with the words Welcome Hole in the Mt. Co. Park stands on grass, inviting visitors to explore the nearby bike trails. In the background, parked RVs and trees bask under a clear blue sky.

Our base camp was Lake Benton’s Hole in the Mountain Park Campground. The well-manicured, quiet park is tucked into a small valley and is made up of an east and west campground and a lodge building with showers and restrooms. Right behind our campsite was a log cabin once occupied by John Snyder, one of the founders of Lake Benton (we later learned it was once used in a McDonald’s TV commercial).

Street view of a brick building featuring Gatsbys sign. Large windows with vertical metal blinds. Partial view of parked cars on the right and neighboring storefronts along the sidewalk. A Trails sign is visible on the lower right.

After we set up camp Friday afternoon, we drove to nearby Hendricks for dinner at Gatsby’s Speakeasy and Supper Club. We needed no password to get in, but otherwise it looked the part. The long room with its tin ceiling and exposed brick walls was dimly lit. A posh velvet couch made for a sitting area by the entrance and booths lined the wall opposite of the bar, which was illuminated by a neon Gatsby’s sign. Farther back, a potbellied stove and a copper still rounded out the look. Somewhere in the half-light, a young couple was holding hands across their table.

A cozy bar interior with a long wooden counter, high chairs, and exposed brick walls. A neon sign reads Craftys above the bar, welcoming patrons after a day on the bike trails. Seating lines the wall as intricate tin detailing adorns the ceiling and a TV is mounted nearby.

Smiling server in a black apron presents a tray with a large sandwich and fries inside the cozy bar adorned with wooden decor. A neon sign reading Gatsbys glows on the brick wall, evoking the charm of a rustic retreat after exhilarating bike rides through winding trails.

We slid into a booth and studied the menu. It was a Friday night at a supper club, so I ordered the prime rib sandwich. Jen opted for the sirloin, medium rare. Over drinks, we discussed the itinerary over the next few days. There was so much to see and do, but we felt pretty good about our plan. Our friendly waitress brought our food in record time, and we dug in. After the first bite, it was clear we both had made a good choice and that called for a good old-fashioned bite-trading.

A plate with a sandwich, pickles, and hash browns is in the foreground, while another with steak and hash browns sits beside it, offering the perfect meal after exploring Minnesota trails. A cup of black coffee is placed on the left side of the table.

A vertical sign by the door reads Press here if you had a roaring good time, with a button below. A persons arm is visible near the sign, as though they just returned from exhilarating Minnesota trails, and part of a car can be seen outside through the window.

We had a chance to chat with owner Steve, who, dressed in a white shirt and black suspenders, topped with a black trilby hat, looked the part of a barkeeper of yesteryear. He said he’s always liked the 1920s and remodeled much of the place himself to turn it into Gatsby’s Speakeasy and Supper Club. The 1901 V. Cech building has never been anything other than a bar, and Lawrence Welk is said to have performed there once. On our way out, we noticed a curious button by the door, and Steve encouraged us to try it out. To find out exactly what happens when you press that button, you’ll need to take a trip to Hendricks, Minnesota.

A closeup of two plates of breakfast food on a counter

A woman reads the newspaper in a diner with formica booths, chrome swivel stools and black and white checker floors

Our busy Saturday started with a hearty breakfast. As we expected, we found the 19 & 75 Cafe at the intersection of highways 19 and 75 in Ivanhoe, MN. We stepped through the automatic sliding doors of the truck stop-gas station-cafe-convenience store and were transported back in time. The chrome swivel stools at the breakfast counter, orange Formica booths and black and white checker tile floor gave the small cafe a vibe like the 1950s, but it had a modern edge to it, too. Owner Marty, a former engineer and bike racer, told us he brought the formerly abandoned place back to life 12 years ago, and it’s going very well.  We weren’t surprised to hear that. Jen’s trucker’s omelet and my breakfast sandwich came out fast, sizzling hot and delicious. While we ate, we watched the trucks go by on Highway 75, the King of Trails Scenic Byway, hauling their cargo north and south. At that moment, there was something very American, very nostalgic about this ribbon of tar between Canada and Texas and this new old-fashioned diner.

We were happy we stocked up on calories because the next itinerary item took some work. Back at camp, we took a short walk on the trails around the campground, then got the bikes ready and turned our wheels toward Tyler, MN, for a very special celebration. When Danish colonists came to the recently platted town in 1885, they established a Lutheran congregation and constructed a church, folk school and other buildings on what they called the Danebod campus. Of course, some of the Danish culinary traditions have made their way into the fabric of Tyler over the years, and the town celebrates Aebleskiver Days in July. The word literally translates into “apple slices”, which once filled this spherical pancake. Modern recipes omit this ingredient, and today it’s apple only by name.

A woman rides her bike on a gravel road flanked by corn and soybean fields

A closeup view of the water tower of Tyler, MN

It was a hot and breezy day, but the gravel riding was great. We were on the Buffalo Ridge, which is the Minnesota part of a geological feature called the Coteau des Prairies, a massive plateau 200 miles long and 70 miles wide that covers the eastern Dakotas and southwestern Minnesota. It sits significantly higher than the surrounding area, which we noticed while climbing out of Lake Benton, so it’s always windy here. Wind turbines dotted the landscape near and far in the corn and soybean fields. Riding close to one of these gigantic towers, we actually heard the whooshing of the blades as they turned.
Eventually, Tyler’s water tower appeared on the horizon and after a few more turns of the cranks we rolled into the county fairgrounds where the party was in full swing.

a woman chats with two other women at a lunch line

A woman browses outdoor vendors at a fair

A man walks through a display of antique cars at a fair

A closeup of the chrome and gold emblem of a Ford Skyliner antique car

A red and white Ford Skyliner antique car is displayed outside

Two draft horses pull a wagon full of people

A man pulls children in carts around a fair with a John Deere lawnmower

A man wearing sunglasses drives a team of horses pulling a wagon at a fair

A closeup of a serving of Ableskiver with sausage

A man and a woman hold hands while seated in an oversized blue Adirondack chair

We locked up the bikes and went straight to the pavilion, where a small army of volunteers was serving Aebleskivers to the crowd, lunch-line style, with sausages. We retreated to a bench outside to eat, then started strolling the grounds. There were numerous vendors selling anything from jewelry to hot sauce, a classic car show, outdoor bingo, face painting and rides for the kids. The band NeonGypsy played hits from the last 50 years on a stage outside under blue skies and a hot sun. We plopped down on an oversized Adirondack chair to take a break, but couldn’t resist the draw of the horse-drawn wagon. Slowly, the two Belgian draft horses pulled us around town, which was deserted because every one of the 1,100 people who live in Tyler was at the fairgrounds.

The interior of a bar with patrons seated at tables and a pool table

A closeup of a burger and a patty melt on a table

After that ride, we swung into the Kronborg Inn for lunch and to cool down for a bit. I can’t resist a clever quip, so I had the Kronburger, a bacon cheeseburger with all the fixings, and Jen ordered the patty melt. Both hit the spot.

The exterior of a three-tier red brick building with a turret on one corner

A rock in front of a church bears a plaque with the word 'Borneskolen' on it

The interior of a historic church is clad entirely with honey-colored wood

a group of visitors strolls through a historic gym decorated with Danish flags

A woman walks into a room whose entrance bears a banner reading 'Welcome to Danebod' and Danish flags

an antique princess lace loom is on display in a museum

Just up the road from all the action was the decidedly quieter Danebod campus. As part of Aebleskiver Days, some of the buildings were unlocked, and we wandered in and out of the gym hall, the folk school and the stone hall and its museum exhibits. At the Cross Church, we learned that volunteers stripped and refinished the inside of the wood-clad building in recent years, a monumental task. The volunteer in attendance also told us that the miniature replica of a sailing ship hanging from the ceiling was a votive ship, a common practice in Nordic countries. Given as a gift, it was supposed to ensure a safe voyage for a ship and its crew.

We had to eventually say goodbye, get back on the Buffalo Ridge and find our way back to Lake Benton. The winds were not in our favor and by the time we got back to town we were ready for dinner.

A closeup of prime rib and a salad on a table

The Country House in Lake Benton is an old-fashioned supper club where a hostess seats you and the steaks come out sizzling on a platter. We took our time to cool down over a drink and studied the menu. It was early, and we were the first customers, so we struck up a conversation with our hostess. While the complete history of the place is lost in the annals, we learned that Bill and Marge Williams ran the Country House for many years. When they passed, the family took it over and is still involved with it today. “They’re in the kitchen right now,” we were told. Sensible Jen ordered the chicken salad, but I hadn’t had prime rib in almost 24 hours and I just had to get it. It was delicious and I stand by my decision.

We spent the rest of the evening enjoying the view from our campsite. Besides the occasional car on highway 14 it was wonderfully quiet in our little valley.

On Sunday morning, we put the kayaks into Lake Benton and explored the scenic shoreline for a while. The lake is about five miles long, a mile and a half at its widest, and besides a couple of resorts and small neighborhoods, the shore is undeveloped. After giving the legs a good workout the day before, it felt good to use our arms for a change. Near the boat landing on the western end of the lake, a narrow strip of land reached out into the water. It was wide enough for some benches and would be a great spot to watch a sunset, we thought.

When the sun had grown strong enough to be hot, we got off the water, broke camp and headed to our final destination on this trip.

The exterior of the grounds of a museum with a red, wood clad train station and other historical buildings

A woman walks toward a white church on a lwan with trees

A woman studies historical newspapers in a museum

A pendant reading 'New Grove Farmers Club' hangs on the wall in a museum

Back in Hendricks, we stopped at the Lincoln County Pioneer Museum. The idyllic grounds of the museum comprise the main museum inside the old Hendricks train station, an old school house, a historic Sears and Roebuck house, and various outbuildings with a dizzying array of artifacts. All buildings were moved to this location to preserve them, including a white, wood-clad church built by Icelandic Immigrants. “Usually, I ring the bell when we open,” the volunteer on duty told us and invited us to try it out. It took a few pulls to get the heavy church bell to start swinging, but Jen eventually muscled it into ringing out loud. We milled around the buildings and marveled at the fully furnished historic home on the property. The rooms were small, and the stairway was narrow, but it was certainly a mansion in its time.

As much as we would have loved to stay longer, it was time to pull our own mansion on wheels back home and get ready for another adventure.

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A person wearing a yellow helmet, sunglasses, and warm winter clothing smiles while outside in a snowy Minnesota landscape. They are pointing at something, perhaps one of the scenic mountain bike trails nearby, as the sun shines brightly overhead.

I’m Jan, the publisher of Minnesota Trails Magazine. I’m looking for that one trail, the next ride, a new discovery and other reasons to never sit still in Minnesota.

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A Taste of the Past

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