Winona

Winona, known as the Island City, is a historic river and college town in Southeastern Minnesota, located on a large sandbar among the bluffs along the Mississippi River. It is about 110 miles southeast of the Twin Cities.

Understand
Home to Winona State University, St. Mary's University, and MN State - Southeast Technical College, Winona has a large student population. It is also central to five state parks: Great River Bluffs, John A. Latsch, and Whitewater, in Minnesota, and Merrick and Perrot in Wisconsin; and two wildlife refuges: Upper Mississippi Nat'l Wildlife and Fish Refuge, and Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge.

Winona has a Continental climate, with hot, wet summers, and cold, dry winters. Average January temperatures are 26°/9°F (-3°/-13°C) and can reach as cold as -20°F (-29°C) on the coldest nights, while average July temps are 85°/66°F (29°/19°C) but can reach up to over 100°F (38°C).

By car
If you are travelling by car, from the north (Twin Cities), travel along the Mississippi River on US highway 61 through the picturesque Hiawatha Valley. About 110 miles from the Twin Cities. From the west (Rochester), take Interstate 90 east about 45 miles, then head north on state highway 43 about 6 miles. From the east (La Crosse, Madison), take Interstate 90 west about 10 miles into Minnesota then continue north on US highway 61, another 15 miles.

By train



 * Route stopping at Winona:
 * Empire Builder operating daily between Seattle/Portland and Chicago including stops at Spokane, Glacier National Park, Fargo, Saint Paul, and Milwaukee. The trains split into separate branches between Seattle and Spokane, and between Portland and Spokane, while operating as trains consisting of train cars from both branches between Spokane and Chicago.
 * Empire Builder operating daily between Seattle/Portland and Chicago including stops at Spokane, Glacier National Park, Fargo, Saint Paul, and Milwaukee. The trains split into separate branches between Seattle and Spokane, and between Portland and Spokane, while operating as trains consisting of train cars from both branches between Spokane and Chicago.

By plane
There are several nearby airports, including La Crosse (LSE, 25 miles), Rochester (RST, 45 miles), and the Twin Cities (MSP, 110 miles).

See
Winona's historic downtown hosts a variety of interesting architectural styles...including Italianate, Queen Anne, Victorian, Egyptian Revival...the list goes on. The city's Heritage Preservation Commission and Visit Winona have walking and driving tour brochures to assist in exploring downtown. Be sure to visit Levee Park, and talk a walk on Third Street from the Courthouse to Watkins, then head back west on Second Street. It is also a nice walk from City Hall west to the Courthouse on Fourth Street. Sandwiched between downtown and WSU is a wonderfully walkable historic residential neighborhood along Seventh Street from Franklin to Huff. You'll find interesting spots everywhere. There are scores of churches in Winona, offering a diverse selection of size, age, and denomination. Some of architectural interest include Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (Diocese of Winona; on East side of Main Street, between WSU and Downtown), United Methodist Church (intersection of Broadway and Main Streets), Church of St. Stanislaus Kostka (Polish Catholic, 625 Fourth Street, in the East End), and First Congregational Church (historically, now United Church of Christ, 161 W. Broadway). If you are looking for a different place of worship to go when in Winona, search for one here.



Do

 * Hike, bike, or ski on Winona's paths around the lakes, on the 16 km of mountain biking trails behind Holzinger Lodge (cross highway 61 on Huff street to the frontage road, turn right and follow past the cemetery, the lodge is on the left and has ample parking) or the 17 km of cross-country skiing trails around St. Mary's University (in Gilmore Valley, on highway 14).
 * Swim at one of the many sandbars in the Mississippi around Winona, or particularly at the Latsch Island Beach (from Winona, cross the bridge and take an immediate right; also leads to several houseboat communities), the LaCanne Park Beach in Goodview (head Northeast on 61/14 through Goodview, on the right), or the city-owned Bob Welch Aquatic Center (from downtown go West on 5th Street to High Street, turn right; $4 adult, $3 under 18), which includes an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a 200-ft waterslide.

Fairs and festivals
Winona has a variety of festivals throughout the summer, along with a few sprinkled here and there the rest of the year. Some of the best include:



Buy
There are two main shopping areas in Winona: Downtown, and along Highway 61.

Downtown
Winona's historic downtown has a number of boutique shops.

Highway 61
Most of the retail development of the big-box type occurs along or near this highway which traverses Winona east-west. In and around Riverbend, under Sugarloaf, are Target, Wal-mart Supercenter, and Fleet Farm, as well as a variety of smaller, mostly chain stores.

Furthur West, is the Winona Mall, which, despite its name, includes very little shopping. Then comes the area around Hy-Vee Grocery, which has many smaller businesses, particularly fast-food places. Nearing Goodview, you'll encounter another cluster of stores and restaurants where the highway intersects Highway 14/Pelzer Street. Unless you like Big-box retailing, stick to downtown.

Drink
Winona boasts the most bars per capita in the state of Minnesota. Each bar offers a different personality and atmosphere.



Stay safe
Being small, Winona is a quite safe community. Other than staying away from unlit and untravelled areas at night, you should remain safe just taking basic precautions. If you have a problem, just remember the number for 911 is 911.

The local hospital and clinic are located in the same building, off of Highway 61 on Mankato Ave in the East End, across from Target. The East End is where Sugarloaf is.