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Winter weekend in Monticello

Come for the swans; stay for the shopping and skiing.

Not far west of the Twin Cities, the Mississippi River town of Monticello is known for two things.

Passersby on I-94 can't fail to notice the nuclear-power reactor that marks the town. In winter, it's the power plant that attracts a flock of trumpeter swans, which thinks the plant's warm discharge waters are a little spa just for them (See Snow birds).

Of course, the flock of swans draws a flock of swan-watchers. One January, my husband and I were among them, standing along the shore of the river and marveling at the raucous crowd of hundreds of birds, jostling for food and attention.

But it was cold, and you can only watch birds for so long. And luckily, it turns out there's more to do in and around Monticello.

To warm up, we retreated to Jam ‘n’ Jo Espresso, on the ridge above Swan Park. It turned out that 16-year-old Laura Scadden, who made my mocha, lives across from the swan park on Mississippi Drive.

“I grew up with the swans,’’ she said. “I’m used to them, but not to the people.’’ Then she waved her hand around the comfortable shop, which has a sofa and shelves of magazines, books and games. “It’s good for here, though.’’

From Jam ‘n’ Jo, we drove into town on Broadway Avenue. Once, Monticello was known for its antiques shops; now, only Riverstreet Station remains, housing about 18 dealers. We wandered down aisles full of Americana, including a Skookum Chief figure in a blanket coat, $465, a Shirley Temple doll in a tam and kilt, $135, and a collection of platinum-haired, pointy-breasted Barbies, $10-$20.

Then we drove five miles down I-94 to do some serious shopping at the Albertville Premium Outlets. First, we made a beeline for Harry & David, where smiling saleswomen fed us samples of chocolate strawberries, yogurt pretzels and pepper and onion relish, the store’s biggest seller.

We plowed our way through Eddie Bauer, Levi’s, Adidas and Bass in the old section and drove over to the Promenade, a new section with a vaguely Mediterranean look. There, we browsed through Liz Claiborne, Aerosole, Kenneth Cole, Villeroy & Boch, Rug Dйcor and Ecco, where we saw a lot of nice things, but nothing so tempting I couldn’t live without it.

The Riverwood Inn, a conference center on landscaped grounds along the Mississippi, is just three miles up the road and offers a Shop and Stay package. When we checked in, we got a surprise from front-desk manager Carolyn Cooper.

“I had you in Room 211, but the people in 203 have canceled, and they had champagne and chocolate already set up for them,’’ she said. “Would you like to have that room and save me the trouble of going up to get them?”

We were happy to oblige. We settled into our attractive sage-green room, which had oak furniture and a bay window, then walked over to Timothy‘s, the inn’s restaurant. I liked my pepper-crusted New York strip with blue cheese and garlic mashed potatoes, and especially the $2.50 glasses of Talus, one of the better inexpensive wines. Torsten was not so lucky, having ordered cranberry-merlot chicken that was dry and came with crunchy risotto, but he had no quibbles with the double-chocolate cake.

We spent the next morning watching the birds at Swan Park, having pulled on extra socks and fleeces. A few geese brave the swan hordes along the shore, and a crowd of ducks provide a comical show in Lawrence’s back yard, hurrying away as she approaches, then waddling right after her as she walks away.

As Lawrence carried corn, visitors trickled in. Kriste Maus lives just across the highway from Mississippi Drive, and she’d brought her three kids to see the swans for the first time.

“We see them flying overhead all the time,’’ she said.

When our feet went numb, we drove downtown for brunch at Crostini Grille, a beautifully designed newer restaurant on Broadway. There were stems of fresh alstroemeria on every table, cherrywood furnishings, wall sconces, a gas fireplace and walls lined with windows, through which we watched the world go by as our server brought out plates of fresh strawberries, cinnamon rolls, eggs, meats, potatoes and penne with a pesto cream sauce.

It was starting to snow as we headed for the Historic Rand House, a hilltop estate in town. Built in 1884 by Minneapolis Gas Light Co. owner Rufus Rand as a gift to his bride, whose parents lived next door, it’s now a B&B, the other nice place to stay in Monticello.

Duffy Busch bought the 30-room Queen Anne in 1986 and restored it with her husband, Merrill. She gave us a tour, leading us from one airy, light-filled room to another.

“This was their ‘cabin,’ their little shack in the woods,’’ she said, and pointed to the plentiful windows. “This is very unusual for its type. Most Victorians are very closed up, but this was built as a country home.’’

Many guests like to watch the swans, Busch said.

“I used to say they were one of the best-kept secrets in the state, that and Lake Maria State Park,’’ she said.

We still had some daylight left, so we drove to the nearby park to get some exercise. The park has one of the last remnants of the Big Woods that once covered southern Minnesota, and normally, its rolling trails are one of the best places to ski near the Twin Cities.

Lacking snow, we hiked instead, through oak forest and frosted meadows to Bjorkland Lake. But everything was ready for winter — the brush carefully cleared off trails, skating rink smoothly surfaced, fire laid in the visitor center/warming house.

“It’s so fun to ski here,‘’ Torsten said. “We have to come back.’’

In winter, there are many reasons to spend a weekend in Monticello. Swans, skiing, shopping — it’s a trifecta that’s always a good bet.

Trip Tips: Monticello

Getting there: It’s less than an hour west of the Twin Cities.

Accommodations: The Riverwood Inn, on the river between Albertville Premium Outlets and Swan Park, is very nice; ask for the Shop and Stay package, $89, unless you want a room or suite with a whirlpool, fireplace or turret. The inn has an indoor swimming pool and a small hot tub. 763-441-6833 or 800-379-2647, www.riverwoodinn.com.

The 1884 Historic Rand House is Victorian, but filled with light and refreshingly decorated with white linens, botanical prints and hand-painted garlands on white walls. It has four very attractive rooms, 763-295-6037 or 888-295-0881, www.randhouse.com.

Lake Maria State Park has three year-round camper cabins that are popular. They’re heated by a wood stove but have no electricity or running water. They can be reserved up to a year in advance, 866-857-2757, www.stayatmnparks.com.

Dining: Timothy’s at Riverwood has a pleasant northwoods motif and good, plentiful food, 763-441-4235.

Crostini Grille, 254 W. Broadway, is very pleasant and has a large menu of pastas and entrees. 763-295-8898, www.crostinigrille.com.

Coffeehouses: Jam ’n’ Jo Espresso is on Broadway just above swan park; from there, turn right on Hart Boulevard. It serves many sandwiches and wraps, in addition to coffee drinks. Downtown, Sunlife Espresso is at 506 Cedar St. and has good pastries.

Albertville Premium Outlets: In winter, it’s open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Starting April 1, it’s open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. 763-497-1911, www.premiumoutlets.com.

Antiquing: Riverstreet Station is at 103 Pine St., on the river.

Lake Maria State Park: The park (pronounced ma-RYE-uh) has 22 kilometers of trails for classical skiing and five kilometers for skate skiing. There’s a lighted skating rink next to the warming house, which has restrooms and a wood stove. It’s eight miles west of Monticello on county roads 39 and 111.

In winter, it holds a Winter Fun Day, a snowshoe hike and candlelight skis in the park and in Sand Dunes State Forest (five miles north of Big Lake, across the Mississippi from Monticello), 763-878-2325.

Information: 763-295-2700, www.monticellochamber.com.

Last updated on October 26, 2008