Goin' To The Lake: Kylie & Kim Hit Spooner, Wis. (Day 1)

SPOONER, Wis. (WCCO ) -- WCCO's summer road trip has hit the road And we're kicking things off across the border this week, the Wisconsin border.

Our Goin' To The Lakes trips start two hours northeast of the Twin Cities in Spooner, Wis., with Kylie Bearse and Kim Johnson.

One of the best sites in town is just south of town, Veteran's Memorial Park. It's a beautiful setting on a perfect summer day!

One of the stops on the tour of Spooner involved taking a ride on the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad.

Kylie and Kim also got a look at the science behind the fishing industry in northwestern Wisconsin. They spent the afternoon at the Spooner Fish Hatchery.

Spooner is nicknamed the "Crossroads of the North." It used to be a railroad hub.

Now it's a great small town in northwestern Wisconsin that offers the perfect balance for a quick getaway from the cities. There are small shops to buy souvenirs, great restaurants to grab a quick bite and "Sconnie" bars that serve good, cold drinks for cheap.

This week, they're welcoming thousands of people for the Heart of the Lakes Rodeo.

There are 900 lakes in the area, but the main body of water through Spooner is the Namekagon River. It's a tributary of the St. Croix. It's a narrow, twisting river, perfect for canoeing or kayaking.

Kylie and Kim finished Thursday with a tubing voyage down the river.

The name Namekagon is derived from the Ojibwe language. It means "river at the place abundant with sturgeons." It's a beautiful place to relax and take in the scenery.