So Much to See and Do In Hudson

The first time I remember paying attention to Hudson was when I had just turned 21, and my cousin was telling me about the cool places to grab a drink “just across the river in ‘Sconnie.”

Since that time, I have explored more than the watering holes: I have gone shopping in the downtown area, and admired the Victorian-era Octagon House Museum and The Phipps Center for the Arts—a brick and glass building overlooking the St. Croix—offering a broad variety of classes, theater performances, concerts, and visual art exhibitions. Located on the St. Croix River—a protected natural waterway—Hudson also is a hotspot for boating, swimming, fishing, observing bald eagles and swans, hiking, biking, and camping, and enjoying some of the finest views of the Valley from historic Birkmose Park.

Hudson WisconsinA few years ago my family also took a dinner cruise on the Afton-Hudson Cruise Line, an adventure I would recommend to anyone. How often can you enjoy a good meal with your family, while eagles fly overhead and you feel a warm breeze as you cruise past beautiful riverbluff scenery? (Plus, the captain was especially entertaining.)

Hudson is only about a 30-minute drive from the Twin Cities metro, and I  plan on returning to “just across the river in ‘Sconnie” this summer for two of the city’s festivals—the Yellowstone Trail Heritage Day June 1 on the historic Yellowstone Trail and the infamous North Hudson Pepper Festival during the weekend of Aug. 16-18.