Blog - Just Around The Bend Travel

December 29, 2025December 29, 2025

Holiday Lights Make for a Magical Night

The Christmas season comes alive at the 22nd annual Holiday Lights display in scenic Decorah, Iowa.

Drive through the lighted display at Pulpit Rock Campground, 505 Pulpit Rock, Decorah, Iowa, throughout the holiday season from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and create new memories while enjoying over 70 light displays sponsored by area businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Visit nightly from November 26 through December 25 from 5-9:00 p.m.

Enjoy a visit with Santa Claus and have your picture taken with Santa during the Walk Through Night on November 25. He will also be visiting Holiday Lights on weekends through December 20. Bring your letters to mail to him. Santa promises to promptly reply to all letters.

Helping Services for Youth & Families

Holidays Lights, is Helping Services for Youth & Families major fundraiser of the year. The non-profit organization “has been providing children, teens, and adults with the skills and knowledge to bring about positive change in their own lives and in their communities” in Northeast Iowa.

Freewill donations benefit Helping Services for Youth & Families.

Holiday Lights Walk Through Night-November 25, 2026

Save the date, as you don’t want to miss the Holiday Lights Walk Through Night. The popular walk-through event is scheduled for Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday, November 25, from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. It is the only day that visitors can enjoy the light display on foot. An estimated 3,000 visitors enjoy the walk-through every year. Traditionally, the sky is clear, and the weather is pleasant, with some years even seeing snow on the ground, making it the perfect event to kick off the Christmas season with family and friends of all ages.

Stay warm with a bowl of soup. Visitors will enjoy a variety of soups prepared and donated by local restaurants. The yummy soups served in 2025 include: chicken noodle, chicken and rice, tomato basil, French onion, pumpkin and roasted sweet corn bisque, homemade chili, steak soup, and broccoli cheese.

There is even ice cream from the local ice cream shoppe, Sugar Bowl, to enjoy with cookies donated by area businesses and served by Girl Scouts.

Enjoy a cup of steaming hot chocolate or apple cider!

Other highlights include the live nativity scene, Christmas carolers, and a photo with Santa.

New this year! Pulpit Rock Road will be closed to all traffic starting at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 25, in Decorah, Iowa, for the Holiday Lights Walk Through Night.

For a list of tips to make your evening memorable, visit FAQ

Check out the parking map below to make your visit safe and enjoyable. Note: the map is from 2025.

Extend your visit with dinner at Twin Springs Supper Club and stay the night at Hotel Winneshiek when visiting Decorah.

Dinner at Twin Springs Supper Club

Made sure to make reservations! Your next stop is Twin Springs Supper Club. It is a light display all of its own. The supper club is located just minutes from the light display in the serene woods along the Twin Springs Trout Stream.

The food is as delicious as it looks, and a selection will satisfy any palate. The location and service will exceed your expectations. Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends.

Oh, so good! 8 oz. cedar roasted salmon covered with BBQ sauce and garlic aioli.

BBQ Bacon Wrapped Shrimp made with four Tiger Prawns, Polashek’s bacon and sweet BBQ Sauce

The selection of wine at Twin Springs Supper Club is exceptional. Thanks to the owner, Roumel Reynon, who is an accomplished Sommelier. You can’t go wrong with a bottle of Gruet sparkling wine from New Mexico, the oldest wine producing region in the U.S.

They also offer a wide selection of specialty drinks, such as a Aloha-tini, Very Berry Martini, Chocoholic Martini, Peachy Keen, Burnt Orange Manhattan, Lemon Drop, Cosmo, Berry Mule, Prairie Mule, or Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet. Take your pick!

For up-to-date information and to review the menu, visit Twin Springs Supper Club. .

A Night at Hotel Winneshiek

End the evening at the Hotel Winn Bar, located in historic Hotel Winneshiek in downtown Decorah. Hotel Winn Bar features Iowa craft beers, including Decorah’s Toppling Goliath and Pulpit Rock. Make sure to try the appetizers as they are mouth-watering delicious.

Hotel Winneshiek feels like you have walked into a Hallmark Christmas story. The hospitality is five-star, and you will not be disappointed in the historic sleeping rooms. The hotel is decked out in its finest Christmas attire during the holiday season. A brightly lit Christmas tree takes center stage in the lobby, with garland and poinsettias adding to the festive atmosphere.

The holidays have always been special in Decorah.

May 4, 2024July 5, 2024

It’s A Perfect Day For A Trip

Sara Broers, a native of Iowa and accomplished author, once again captivates readers with her latest work, Perfect Day Iowa. Through her insightful books, Sara effortlessly bridges the gap between visitors and communities, crafting the quintessential Iowa experience.

In Perfect Day Iowa, her third book, Sara shares 174 recommendations for day trips and weekend getaways in her home state of Iowa. Sara aims to dispel Iowa’s unpopular label as a “flyover” state as she challenges readers to discover the hidden gems and breathtaking vistas scattered across the Hawkeye State.

Perfect Day Iowa is an immersive journey with detailed insights and vibrant photography that vividly showcases each destination. Sara’s engaging writing style transforms the book into an entertaining companion for armchair travelers and adventurers alike.

Navigating through this travel guide is a personalized experience; whether you prefer to flip through the pages, immerse yourself in colorful photographs, or dive straight into the narrative, the book accommodates every reader’s preference.

Fort Museum & Frontier Village, Fort Dodge, IA Page 82

With its user-friendly layout, you can explore the contents at your own pace, whether you read from front to back, back to front, start in the middle, or follow your curiosity from chapter to chapter. You can also start your journey by first reading the table of contents or the index. The order does not matter, as both features will direct you to the destination of your choice.

Decorah Fish Hatchery, Decorah, IA Page 27

Embark on an adventure through “Perfect Day Iowa,” where every page promises a new revelation and every destination beckons with its unique charm.

So, are you tempted to explore? Let Sara’s captivating narratives and expert recommendations inspire your next getaway, whether it’s this weekend or any day you crave an unforgettable adventure in the heart of Iowa.

March 1, 2024March 30, 2024

Discover the Secrets of Wisconsin with Tom and Kristi Flick Manus

Join travel writers Tom and Kristi Flick Manus as they lead you on a journey through their home state of Wisconsin in a quest to find the “weird, wonderful, and obscure.”

Tom and Kristi share their excitement and love of travel with fellow adventure travelers in in Secret Wisconsin, A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure.

The couple share 168 stories of some not-so-common attractions and some popular attractions that will drive road warriors to get out and explore the two-lane roads of Wisconsin.

You will have to read Secret Wisconsin, A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure more than once because it contains hundreds of tidbits about Wisconsin. Trivia players will not be disappointed with all the information in this book. There is plenty to add to their repository of knowledge.

Following are some questions, that the book answers.

What is the name of the school Laura Ingalls Wilder and her sisters attended when they returned to Pepin, WI in 1871?

Where is the world’s largest musky fish hatchery located?

In what year did John Schrank shoot President Theodore Roosevelt in Milwaukee?

What Wisconsin city is home to the Riverside International Friendship Gardens?

Tidbits

The writers also included an additional tidbit of information for each of the 168 stories in the book which in itself is very interesting. For example, on page 110, readers will learn that the map used by Charles Lindbergh to plan his route for the 1927 flight from New York to Paris is located in the rare room at The American Geographic Society Library.

Pro Tips

Each story also includes a helpful summary of information to make visit’s convenience – what, where, and cost – for visitors. Tom and Kristi even share a pro tip with every story. For example, story number 158, A Lake Superior Treasure, the pro tip is Don’t worry about looking like a tourist. Bayfield’s motto is, “Real Tourists Eat Whitefish Livers.”

In addition to all the information, the book is filled with many pictures. Plan your trip on the back roads of Wisconsin now. Maybe you will cross paths with Tom and Kristi.

Where Can I Buy Secret Wisconsin A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

Secret Wisconsin A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure is one book in the Secret series, written by travel experts and published by Reedy Press. The softcover is 6” x 9” is 192 pages, and costs $19.95. The book can be purchased through Reedy Press, Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, and independent book stores. ISBN 9781681064949

Small Town Plus Size

Whether you are a seasoned traveler or just starting out on your journey, there is something for everyone in Secret Wisconsin A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. For more travel adventures by Tom and Kristi, visit their website, www.smalltownplussize.com. Also follow Tom and Krisiti on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/smalltownplussize.

February 25, 2024April 1, 2024

31st Annual Grumpy Old Men Festival

It is never too late to see the movie, Grumpy Old Men. I am sure it is as funny today as if I had seen it in 1993. I had no idea what to expect as I do not follow celebrities and never thought about seeing until an impromptu visit to Wabasha to visit the National Eagle Center last year for a travel book project I am working on where I heard about the Grumpy Old Men. At that time I had no idea what they were talking about.

A year later and I had the opportunity to attend the 31st Grumpy Old Men festival in Wabasha, Minn.

If you don’t want to experience every a day trip works but I recommend arriving the day before to truly experience the festivities. I feel like we did not which means I will be going again next year.

I must admit it made for the perfect day tour. Tony and I had a great outing plus the weather was perfect for a day trip in the midst of a Midwestern winter. The community made the most out of a lack of snow and ice. It was a great day!

What first stuck out at me which I am glad it was was the red buffalo plaid attire including doggie sweaters.

Second, the churches hot dish lunch rated at the top of the list. I live church meals because they are raising fun’s for the community and church. Second, the food is like what my mom made. The cost was $15 a plate and include a selection of 15 hot dishes, roll, drink and dessert plus pickles. So Midwestern.

Since we had never seen the movie we went to watch a free showing of the movie. We laugh and enjoyed popcorn a drink and Tony had a hotdog.

We enjoyed the fires in the barrels. Boy were they hot and made for the perfect source of heat for roasting marshmallows for s’mores. A few seconds the marshmallows was born all around. Yummy!

Then it was time for a horse drawn buggy ride.

December 29, 2023July 4, 2026

Poppy Seed Chicken, the Only Way To Enjoy Chicken Breast

Growing up on a small family farm in Northeast Iowa, whose family raised chickens, you would have thought I would have tasted Poppy Seed Chicken before now, but nope, that is not the case. I have only eaten Poppy Seed Chicken twice in my life. The first was this past September 2023 at the home of an Amish family in Shipshewana, Indiana.

Shipshewana, Indiana, boosts the third-largest Amish community in the United States.

Poppy Seed Chicken is a simple casserole dish. It is a delicious creamy chicken dish made with white chicken meat. It is so good that you could easily eat more than one serving.

Yoder’s Homestyle Cooking

Henry and Carolyn Yoder, Yoder’s Homestyle Cooking, graciously open the doors of their beautiful home to visitors. The night I had dinner at the Yoder’s there was a bus group from Wisconsin, two individual travelers, the grandparents, and myself.

The main course was Poppy Seed Chicken served with mashed potatoes creamed peas, and noodles.

It should come as no surprise that we had pie for dessert. The Amish are well-known for their pies. My favorite is the cream pies.

Everything was delicious, but the Poppy Seed Chicken was out-of-this-world. It seemed to melt in my mouth, and now, I can say with confidence that I really like eating white chicken meat.

After enjoying dinner and friendly conversation, we all went outside to watch the sun set over the lake. Stunning!

To make reservations, call 260-768-3078.

Recipe

If you Google Poppy Seed Chicken recipes, you will find variations, but all contain sour cream and cream of chicken soup. These two ingredients are the key to the creamy white sauce.

Now for the recipe that the Convention & Visitors Bureau shared with me. You will want to try it immediately. There are only six ingredients, and it only takes approximately one hour to make.

Ingredients

2 pounds white boneless chicken, 1-10 oz. can of cream of chicken soup, 1 cup sour cream, 1 stick butter, and 1 1/2 cup Ritz crackers crushed.

Directions

Cup up the raw and boned chicken meat. Fry the chicken a little and put in 8″ X 8″ baking dish. Mix together the soup and sour cream. Pour over the chicken. Melt the butter and mix with crushed crackers. Put on top of the soup. Generously sprinkle with poppy seeds.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

The Farmhouse Eatery and Gifts

Attending a women’s retreat in Spring Grove, Minn., I couldn’t help but mention to anyone that would listen just how delicious Poppy Seed Chicken is.

During the workshop, I was surprised to learn that a popular restaurant, The Farmhouse Eatery and Gifts, in Caledonia, Minn. serves Poppy Seed Chicken. Their menu changes weekly, so I started to follow them on Facebook, and it wasn’t long before Poppy Seed Chicken was on the menu. It tasted the same and was as good as the Poppy Seed Chicken I enjoyed in Shipshewana.

At The Farmhouse Eatery and Gifts, the mouth-watering entrée comes with a fresh green salad, burgundy poppy seed salad dressing made in-house, and a freshly made oat bun can’t be beat.

A popular feature is the gift shop on the second floor of this quaint restored farmhouse. The inventory changes according to the season.

The Farmhouse Eatery and Gifts is located at 219 N. Kingston St. Caledonia, Minn. Follow them on Facebook or call 507-725-8581.

I highly recommend both Yoder’s Homestyle Cooking and The Farmhouse Eatery and Gifts.