River City Popcorn & Candy Company has been on my list for a while and I'm so glad I finally…read morestopped in. I was nearby and decided to go for it and it did not disappoint. Such a cute mom-and-pop shop in the cutest area of Hastings. The woman helping me was the absolute sweetest (possibly the owner?). She let me know this year they are celebrating 5 years.... So exciting. They also offer a great selection of candy and it was fun taking a walk down memory lane with all the nostalgic treats from childhood. And the smell when you walk in... talk about popcorn heaven! They have different sizes and flavors of popcorn. Popcorn is bagged right in front of you and you are able to mix and match flavors. I went with the classic butter and YUMMMMOOOO! I couldn't stop eating this stuff. There were so many buttery pieces. Seriously, buttery perfection with just the right amount of salt. I will definitely make the trip back here again and that could be very soon because my popcorn is already gone.

Fun little popcorn and candy store right off main street in downtown Hastings. They make fresh…read morepopcorn each day - caramel, cheddar, and butter. Of course you can mix these to make your favorite mix. As I walked in, the caramel corn was just being finished and it smelled heavenly inside the store. Yum, fresh caramel corn!! If popcorn is not your thing, there is a good assortment of vintage candy - Turkish taffy, Necco wafers, Charleston Chew, Skybar, etc. Also a great selection of chocolate, even some boozy options! There is a good assortment stuffed into such a small store. Worth stepping in and checking out especially if you are enjoying a walk by the river or looking through the local antique stores. Stop here to relax and refuel!

Real Ice Cream. Tons of Flavors…read more That's really all you need to know. No samples, but you'll be fine. You can get a split cup and they do bonus mini scoops so plenty of options to try lots of great unique flavors. Clean, setting, indoors and out, pleasant young people working. What more could you want from an ice cream stop?

The staff here are incredible! Always have great recommendations and I get fresh waffle cones. The…read moresherbet is my favorite and the chocolate based ones. The "extra credit" (free little scoop to try) is always fun and all the flavors I have tried are unbelievably creamy and delicious. Such a fun interior and they even have an ice cream challenge! I'm up there on that wall so look for me hahaha!

The Twin Cities is super lucky in that you can be in a concrete jungle one minute and out in…read morebeautiful Hastings picking your own apples the next. There are loads of orchards and pumpkin patches to choose from but you really have to made a pit stop at Fischer's Croix Farm and Orchard. They have a super cute hay bail for kids/adults to climb on but I'll warn you.. you have to be PRETTY agile to get to the top.. There's also some goats and chickens the kiddies can feed along with a tracker ride out to the corn maze! (You can go on the ride without actually going through the maze). There are loads of different apples/pumpkins to pick your own or buy the preselected bags inside the shop! They're all super friendly staff that'll share their love of apples and really help you select the right one :) oh and there's also a food truck in case you get hungry!!

I can't believe this place isn't more popular! This place exceeded my expectations in more ways…read morethan one. It was easy to find, since they have a lot of signs up which have arrows from the main road. The staff here are very friendly, approachable and kind. It seems to be run by an all women staff woo!! The parking is on the grass or dirt parking. Come as early as you can because it gets crowded pretty darn fast, and loud. The inside building has a lot of items you can purchase, like peanut butter, apple pies, caramel apples, and pre picked apples. They also have samples of each apple in their orchard. My personal favorite was their sweet sixteen apple. They have an outside area, with 1 goat for a petting zoo. They have hay bails for kids to climb, and some open area for them to roam around. They have apple trees spread out everywhere and it's labeled with what kind of apple each tree is. It's a perfect photo spot, they also thought ahead and have a huge family bench near the corn maze where you can take cute pics. The corn maze is challenging but doable for kids and adults. They have an APPLE cutout inside the maze so you can find it, something fun in addition to the maze. There's a wagon that takes you out to the maze or you can just walk there. They have wagon rides at 11 am sharp. The pumpkin patch was sort of a disappointment, because some of them were spoiled and others were fungated? The whole place is perfect for instagram pictures, and fall photo shoots. It's free admission, but the corn maze is $3 per person. The apples and pumpkins are charged based on how much they weigh. It was really affordable. They have new hours apparently so call ahead to confirm. Definitely a family oriented fun outing!

We were pleasantly surprised by what is a very nice visitor center overlooking the Mississippi & St…read moreCroix Rivers. They have some nice displays both inside and out. Also plenty of tourist info. You can get your National Park Passport stamped here The outside space has great views of the rivers and plenty of picnic tables and benches. It is worth a stop.

I stopped at the Great River Rd., Visitor and learning center on my way to a photo shoot, and found…read moreit quite beautiful. Dogs and I walked around the upper area that overlooks the Mississippi river, and they enjoyed seeing the Eagles flying overhead as well as sniffing all of the smells in the park. Parking was easy, in the center is about two blocks off of the main drag. Inside, there are Nice restrooms, brochures about travel in the area and things to see, as well as educational exhibits. The volunteer that was working today was quite helpful in pointing out places that the dogs might enjoy along the drive, as well as good places to eat and some museums to look at. It would be a great place for a quick picnic overlooking the river Bluffs.

Creamiest yummiest truffles ever!!! Way better than Godiva could ever hope to be. If I lived closer…read moreI'd eat these every day...so it's good that I don't. They're AMAZING!!! Everyone needs to try these at least once in their lifetime. Take a trip down to Hastings, you'll love it.

We literally walked in to this shop based on the heavenly smell wafting out to the sidewalk as we…read morepassed by. The fudge is fantastic and you must try the Meltaways! The owner was extremely nice and he made us feel right at home. This is now on our list of must stops for when we come back to the Hastings area.

Whistling Well Farm was the perfect spot for a laid-back fall outing! I organized a trip there with…read moresome colleagues, and it ended up being such an easy, low-stakes way to spend time together outside of work. There was plenty of space to roam through the orchard, chat, and enjoy the beautiful scenery without feeling crowded. The apple picking was great--we had no trouble finding plenty of apples--and I also loved that the farm is both dog-friendly and kid-friendly, making it a fun destination for all kinds of groups. They even had live music while we were there, which added to the relaxed, festive atmosphere. Before heading out, we stopped by the little farm store and picked up some local goodies like jams and cider. It's those extra touches that make the experience feel special. The only minor downside was that the pumpkin patch was a little sparse when we visited, but the orchard and overall atmosphere more than made up for it. Whether you're planning a family day, a casual date, or a group outing with friends or coworkers, Whistling Well Farm is definitely worth a visit!

Simple. Keep this word in mind as you travel to Whistling Well Farm. If you are seeking out a state…read morefair experience or something with loud and boisterous events, this is not it. Contrary it's every reason why we enjoyed it. Highlights include: dog friendly, nice parking, friendly staff, proficient store with basic items such as honey, caramel, chocolate covered cherries, plush dog toys, coloring books, apples, etc. Outside you will find a pumpkin patch, goats and even a DJ with a dance floor. If you have kids, this is a great outing for the family. My group walked our dogs around the space, split come apple cider donuts and snapped a few pics by some of the fall decor. Notes: dogs are not allowed in the gift shop and there is a food stand that serves hot dogs, cider, chips and apple cider donuts. We did not see any alcohol onsite.

Always get my strawberries from here!! call ahead if you can't pick your own always freshread more

It was our first time visiting this place and I liked it quite a bit…read more 1. Strawberry The whole point of coming here was to pick strawberry. When we arrived, which was the last day of their operation, we were told to go to a specific row to pick. The berries tasted good and there were enough of them. It is important to pick where they tell you to pick, as most rows have nothing left to pick. They know where one should pick and direct you. They aren't too big in size, not too sweet either. It is solid decent strawberry you will find here. 2. Location It is about 30 or so miles from twin cities, depending on your origin of travel point. It is quite straight forward drive and you can't miss it. Had no trouble finding the place. 3. Price It costs about $2.50-$3 and the box will cost you extra $0.50. So, you can bring your own basket. But I personally like what they have. 4. Bathroom They have 3 mobile toilets, so it is not a problem. You do want to bring your own hand sanitizer if possible. You will need it! It's a strawberry patch, has no building or a shop. So, if you need water, pack it, if you need food, pack it, also don't forget the hand sanitizer. Unlike some apple farms, it is not a business that has shop that carries stuff you need. You need to bring everything you may need. All in all, it is a good place to come to relax and just quietly pick strawberries yourself. It has no extra bells and whistles and services, it is straight up strawberry picking place as the name says.

Noted for their burgers which are pretty good in general but SUPER slow on the service front when…read morewe visit at lunch time. Be sure you have plenty of time or get there early. What's odd is that it isn't usually all that busy but they still are pretty slow. Their service could use an upgrade. Be careful not to fill up on the free popcorn (self service) while you wait. A nice atmosphere inside.

I love RJ's it is like going to Cheers! Great service and every body knows your name. My favorite…read moremeal is the Buffalo Chicken Salad, it makes my mouth water! This is one of our favorite spots to visit on the weekends. I will definitely be going back soon.

Went on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon to visit the Afton Apple Orchard for the very first time. This…read moreplace is HUGE! There's lots to do for the entire family. There is a cost to get in if you want to do anything other than go to the retail store. The cost is $7 for anyone older than 5. $5 for ages 4 and younger. It's a little pricey compared to other orchards but again there are plenty of things to keep everyone preoccupied. My kiddo loved the playground area which included a tractor with some slides and climbing a tire mountain, etc. There's a petting zoo area so bring quarters if you plan on feeding the animals. They also have change machines. The hay wagon ride is included in the cost and we picked up bags at the entrance to fill up with apples to pick. We picked kindercrisp and some zestars. Some of the orchards had many apples down on the ground with lots of Yellowjacket bees to maneuver through. We finally moved to another row and it had less bees. Yay! I did get stung on my toe though. Ouch! There are a handful of stops on the hay wagon ride - one includes a stop to pick flowers and great photo opportunities but it's an addition $5 per person to enter. It's also $20 additionally to fill a vase which includes keeping the vase. We opted to focus on apples for this trip. They also have a little shop for drinks by the playground which we visited twice during our stay. I had some fresh apple cider which was great.

So much fun picking strawberries. WEAR A HAT!!! No shade while picking. Go on a cooler day if you…read morecan.