Wander Minnesota: Road Trip To St. Peter

South of the Twin Cities, along the Minnesota River, is the town of St. Peter. St. Peter's earliest claim to fame is that it came close to being the capital of Minnesota, but thanks to the machinations of Joe Rolette, who stole the bill that would have designated St. Peter as the capital and hid with it until legislators had voted in St. Paul instead.

The entire downtown of St. Peter is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the several-block-long expanse makes for a good amount of strolling, shopping, and dining. The buildings along the main street are well preserved, giving visitors a wonderful glimpse into the city's past. And it's not everywhere that even a chain restaurant gets in on the historic action:

There are all kinds of shops here, from home accessories to clothing to antiques.

You can also get an excellent meal at River Rock Coffee, which has a limited but thoughtful menu accenting locally grown, in-season ingredients (and the baked goods are amazing).

You can even get your clock repaired.

Stop by the Arts Center and visit the galleries, then duck next door to pick up some goodies to go at the Cheese & Pie Mongers.

The county courthouse is a beautiful old building, and still in use today.

The main street in St. Peter (also known as Highway 169) is surprisingly wide for a small town, which can be attributed to early plans for it to be the capital. Even if it didn't become the center of state government, the wide streets make it easy get around by car, but take advantage of the ample free parking and just get out and explore by foot. There's also a municipal campground by the river, just on the edge of downtown.

What else is happening in our state? Be sure to check out the 10 p.m. Tuesday night WCCO newscasts, where you can learn more in the weekly segment, Finding Minnesota.