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Other stories in "Fall"

• Next weekend
  See dashing dachshunds and snorting horses.
• Head toward the (twinkling) lights
  At Christmas, tourist destinations pull out all the stops.
• Big birds on the move
  On the Mississippi, tundra swans and bald eagles are heading south.
• Join the fun
  With an outdoors club, make friends, see new places and save money.
• Remember the wrecks
  On Lake Superior, gales of November bring haunting memories.
• All quiet up north
  Like the leaves, room rates have dropped.
• Save on the ski hills
  Get a deal now on a season pass.
• Home of horsepower
  In Wisconsin, see where race cars, snowmobiles, outboards and motorcycles were born.
• On the ropes in Lanesboro
  Try walking a high wire on Halloween.
• Eyes on the skies
  On bluffs and ridges, it's time to watch the hawk migration.
• Culture in the bluffs
  Follow musicians to four unusual venues near the Mississippi.
• Ghouls ahoy
  On Great Lakes, two haunted ships are spoiling for a fright.
• Hot tip/A different North Shore
  Didn't reserve for fall-color season? Thunder Bay has rooms.
• Hunters on the North Shore
  A special deer season this weekend may put guns close to hikers.
• 10 great trails to ride in fall
  Here's where to get your fill of flora, fauna and fall colors.
• Go on a trail-clearing trip
  If you enjoy a hike, help make it possible for others.

Scenery in the studios

On autumn art tours, treasure hunters strike gold (and orange and red).

In September and October, artists everywhere throw open their studio doors, inviting the public to see some fall colors along with some fine art.

It's so tempting because of the scenic landscapes in which so many artists live: the bluffs of northeast Iowa, the coulees of southwest Wisconsin, the towns around Lake Pepin, the lumpy terrain of the Ice Age Trail.

"This is such a pretty area in the fall, and we thought it would be nice to have a tour where people could travel through it,'' says potter Diana Johnston, who helped found southwest Wisconsin's Fall Art Tour, the region's oldest.  "It's such an adventure — you've got your map in hand, and you're trying to get where you want to go.''

The tours are free, and many artists demonstrate their craft and provide music and treats. It's not like shopping at the mall.

"You can get a slice of someone's life and see just what they do out there,'' Johnston says. "You can go home with a piece of art and have a story to go with it.''

Here are some of the best tours in autumn 2010:

Sept. 17-19, Amana Artisans Studio Tour in eastern Iowa's Amana Colonies, sponsored by the Amana Arts Guild.

Sept. 24-Oct. 3, Crossing Borders Studio Tour on Lake Superior's North Shore, with artists at studios between Duluth and Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Sept. 25-26, 14 South Artists Fall Studio Tour south of Madison, with 35 artists in seven towns, including Stoughton, Paoli, Oregon, Verona and Fitchburg.

Sept. 25-26,  Studio Ramble in and around Red Wing, Minn., with more than 25 artists at 14 sites.

Sept. 25-26, Art Leap in northern Minnesota, with artists at studios and cultural sites in and around Park Rapids.

Oct. 1-3, Meander, the Upper Minnesota River Art Crawl, with artists at sites in and around Ortonville, Appleton, Madison, Milan, Dawson, Montevideo and Granite Falls in western Minnesota.

Oct. 1-3, Hidden Studios Art Tour along the Ice Age Trail in central Wisconsin, with artists in studios in  Almond, Amherst Junction, Iola and Waupaca.

Oct. 1-3, Fall Fresh Art Tour, with artists at studios along the Wisconsin side of Lake Pepin, from Bay City to Durand and Pepin.

Oct. 1-3, Northwoods Art Tour in northeast Wisconsin, with artists at studios in and around Manitowish Waters, Boulder Junction, Minocqua and Eagle River.

Oct. 1-3, Northeast Iowa Artists' Studio Tour, with artists at sites around Decorah, Burr Oak, St. Lucas, Waukon, West Union, Cresco, New Albin, Lansing, Elgin and Clermont.

Oct. 2-3, Falling Leaves Art Studio Tour in western Wisconsin, with artists at studios in and around Augusta, Fairchild and Osseo, southeast of Eau Claire.

Oct. 8-10, Art Studio Tour of Northeast Wisconsin, with artists at studios in and around Green Bay, Kewaunee and Algoma.

Oct. 8-10, St. Paul Art Crawl, with artists in downtown St. Paul and the Raymond-University area.

Oct. 15-17, Southwest Wisconsin Fall Art Tour, with artists at studios between Mineral Point, Spring Green, Dodgeville and Baraboo. This tour, started in 1994, is very popular; reserve lodgings early.

Oct. 15-17, Twenty Dirty Hands Pottery Tour, with artists at studios and a wood kiln in and around the northwest Illinois towns of Galena and Elizabeth.

Oct. 22-24, First City of Arts Studio Cruise in Bemidji, Minn., with artists in a 40-mile radius around this northern-Minnesota college town.

Oct. 23-24, South Central Minnesota Studio Art Tour, with artists at studios and galleries in and around Northfield, Faribault and Owatonna.

Oct. 23-24, Earth, Wood & Fire Artist Tour east of Madison, with artists in and around Lake Mills, Cambridge and Fort Atkinson.

Last updated on August 30, 2010