Winona featured on Minnesota Monthly’s Ultimate Fall Bucket List

Minnesota Monthly just published its annual fall bucket list, rounding up the state’s best autumn experiences — everything from North Shore gondola rides to haunted hayrides. Out of dozens of entries spanning the whole state, Winona earned its own spot, framed as the kind of cozy, storybook fall escape fans of shows like Gilmore Girls would love.

Here’s what the feature had to say, and why it lines up with everything we already love about a Winona fall.

The pitch: bluffs, river, and a walkable downtown

Minnesota Monthly frames Winona as an easy, complete day trip, built around its setting between the river and the surrounding bluffs. The suggested itinerary is simple: head up to Garvin Heights for the view, spend some time browsing downtown shops, grab coffee and lunch, and finish with a stop at Bloedow Bakery, a local favorite known for its doughnuts.

It’s a good blueprint if you’re building your own day around it:

• Garvin Heights — the classic in-town overlook, a short drive up for a wide view over the river valley without committing to a full state park hike.
• Downtown Winona — historic storefronts, local shops, and plenty of spots for coffee or lunch between stops.
• Bloedow Bakery — a Winona institution, and the kind of stop that turns a scenic drive into a proper outing.

It says something that out of a statewide list covering the North Shore, the Twin Cities, and bluff country towns all across southern Minnesota, Winona is one of the few singled out as a complete fall day trip on its own. Bring layers, budget time for at least one overlook beyond Garvin Heights, and save room for doughnuts.