Visit Bluff Country

A guide to Historic Bluff Country

Visit Bluff Country

Grizzly Cooler winner in August

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VBC August Winner
Photo by Jason Sethre

Alicia Minnis, of Pine Island, Minn., stood with her brand new Grizzly Cooler 40 she won in a recent contest sponsored by Visit Bluff Country Magazine.

On August 31, 2021, Visit Bluff Country Magazine conducted the fourth prize giveaway drawing of the summer, which was a brand new Grizzly Cooler. As the magazine celebrates 36 years as the premier tourism publication of Historic Bluff Country (a.k.a. The Driftless Area), they will be conducting prize giveaways each month from May through September. Prizes include kayaks, a Grizzly cooler, and a Green Mountain Grill.

Sarah Stensgard, of Rushford, Minn., won the third kayak prize giveaway drawing of the summer on July 31, 2021.

Garret Ashton, of Rochester, Minn., won the second kayak prize giveaway drawing of the summer on June 30, 2021.

Trista Rowland, of Chatfield, Minn., won the first kayak prize giveaway drawing of the summer on May 31, 2021.

The next drawing for a brand new Green Mountain Grill will be on September 30, 2021. Please to go www.visitbluffcountry.com/thebest to enter this drawing.

The Visit Bluff Country Magazine is delivered to more than 1,000 locations in 35 counties in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.  This magazine has a mission of promoting tourism in the Historic Bluff Country (Driftless) region.

For information on upcoming town festival and events in Historic Bluff Country, vacation ideas for lodging, recreation, dining and shopping, check out the magazine in print or online at www.visitbluffcountry.com.

Over the summer months, Visit Bluff Country Magazine will giveaway over $4,000 in gift cards and prizes with three different contests.

The Brewery, Distillery & Winery Contest runs on the Visit Bluff Country Magazine Facebook page.  This contest will include a weekly $25 gift card giveaway for 12 consecutive weeks.

Real Bites – Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery

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Caramel Macchiato Cake was the dessert of choice at Four Daughters Vineyard and Winery in Spring Valley, Minn. A wise person once said, “Always save room for dessert.”
Photo by Jason Sethre

This past weekend, a collection of relatives gathered at Four Daughters Vineyard and Winery, just outside of Spring Valley, Minn.
We celebrated Randy Reiter’s 50th birthday, a little earlier than usual, because the weather was perfect. This is my wife’s brother.
We selected Four Daughters Vineyard and Winery because we’ve all agreed that they serve one of the best wood-fired pizzas this side of the Mississippi River.
Our families enjoyed two pizzas on this beautiful Saturday: pepperoni and corn on the cob, and prosciutto and asparagus. It was a tough call on which one was the best. With either choice, we didn’t have much left over for the ride home.
Of course, Four Daughters is known for their award-winning wines, which is what gets us in the door. But, their desserts truly take the cake.
It’s best to always save room for dessert, right?!
Caramel Macchiato Cake. The menu describes it as follows, “Layers of caramel ice cream, Four Daughters Pinot Noir chocolate cake, espresso gelato, and our kitchen’s special toffee. All topped with house-made salted caramel, fudge, and whipped cream.”
It was a team effort. Collectively, it can take five or six people to eat this one gigantic mountain of deliciousness.
Highly recommended.
It was a perfect day to sit outside and watch the wedding-goers prepare for the main event between the vines.
Four Daughters hosts quite a number of weddings year-round. They have an incredible facility with the backdrop of a picture-perfect six acre vineyard that offers a priceless view.
For fans of the winery, they also offer a subscription-based wine club membership opportunity. With that program, subscribers can either pick up the quarterly wine packages at Four Daughters, or have them delivered to their home.
Blue skies, wine, pizza, dessert, and conversation with family made for a wonderful day full of memorie.
Owners Gary and Vicky Vogt, along with their four daughters, provide the right combination of food, service, and ambiance.
It’s all about creating memorable experiences.

Third kayak winner of the summer

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Visit Bluff Country third Kayak Winner
Photo by Jason Sethre
Sarah Stensgard, of Rushford, Minn., stood next to her brand new kayak he won in a recent contest.

On July 31, 2021, Visit Bluff Country Magazine conducted the third prize giveaway drawing of the summer, which was a brand new kayak. As the magazine celebrates 36 years as the premier tourism publication of Historic Bluff Country (a.k.a. The Driftless Area), they will be conducting prize giveaways each month from May through September. Prizes include kayaks, a Grizzly cooler, and a Green Mountain Grill.

Garret Ashton, of Rochester, Minn., won the second kayak prize giveaway drawing of the summer on June 30, 2021.

Trista Rowland, of Chatfield, Minn., won the first kayak prize giveaway drawing of the summer on May 31, 2021.

The next drawing for a brand new Grizzly Cooler will be on August 31, 2021. Please to go www.visitbluffcountry.com/thebest to enter this drawing.

The Visit Bluff Country Magazine is delivered to more than 1,000 locations in 35 counties in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.  This magazine has a mission of promoting tourism in the Historic Bluff Country (Driftless) region.

For information on upcoming town festival and events in Historic Bluff Country, vacation ideas for lodging, recreation, dining and shopping, check out the magazine in print or online at www.visitbluffcountry.com.

Over the summer months, Visit Bluff Country Magazine will giveaway over $4,000 in gift cards and prizes with three different contests.

The Brewery, Distillery & Winery Contest runs on the Visit Bluff Country Magazine Facebook page.  This contest will include a weekly $25 gift card giveaway for 12 consecutive weeks.

Every Friday, Visit Bluff Country Magazine will giveaway $100 in gift cards with the Choose Your Adventure Contest, accessible at www.visitbluffcountry.com/adventure.

Second kayak winner of the summer

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Photo by Jason Sethre

Garret Ashton, of Rochester, Minn., stood next to the brand new kayak he won in a recent contest.

On June 30, 2021, Visit Bluff Country Magazine conducted the second prize giveaway drawing of the summer, which was a brand new kayak. As the magazine celebrates 36 years as the premier tourism publication of Historic Bluff Country (a.k.a. The Driftless Area), they will be conducting prize giveaways each month from May through September. Prizes include kayaks, a Grizzly cooler, and a Green Mountain Grill.

Trista Rowland, of Chatfield, Minn., won the first kayak prize giveaway drawing of the summer on May 31, 2021.

The next drawing for a brand new kayak will be July 31, 2021. Please to go www.visitbluffcountry.com/thebest to enter this drawing.

The Visit Bluff Country Magazine is delivered to more than 1,000 locations in 35 counties in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.  This magazine has a mission of promoting tourism in the Historic Bluff Country (Driftless) region.

For information on upcoming town festival and events in Historic Bluff Country, vacation ideas for lodging, recreation, dining and shopping, check out the magazine in print or online at www.visitbluffcountry.com.

Over the summer months, Visit Bluff Country Magazine will give away over $4,000 in gift cards and prizes with three different contests.

The Brewery, Distillery & Winery Contest runs on the Visit Bluff Country Magazine Facebook page.  This contest will include a weekly $25 gift card giveaway for 12 consecutive weeks.

Every Friday, Visit Bluff Country Magazine will give away $100 in gift cards with the Choose Your Adventure Contest, accessible at www.visitbluffcountry.com/adventure.

First kayak winner of the summer

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Visit Bluff Country Kayak Winner
Photo by Jason Sethre

Trista Rowland, of Chatfield, Minn., stood next to her brand new kayak she won in a recent contest.

On May 31, 2021, Visit Bluff Country Magazine conducted the first prize giveaway drawing of the summer, which was a brand new kayak. As the magazine celebrates 36 years as the premier tourism publication of Historic Bluff Country (a.k.a. The Driftless Area), they will be conducting prize giveaways each month from May through September. Prizes include kayaks, a Grizzly cooler, and a Green Mountain Grill.

The next drawing for a brand new kayak will be June 30, 2021. Please to go www.visitbluffcountry.com/thebest to enter this drawing.

The Visit Bluff Country Magazine is delivered to more than 1,000 locations in 35 counties in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.  This magazine has a mission of promoting tourism in the Historic Bluff Country (Driftless) region.

For information on upcoming town festival and events in Historic Bluff Country, vacation ideas for lodging, recreation, dining and shopping, check out the magazine in print or online at www.visitbluffcountry.com.

Over the summer months, Visit Bluff Country Magazine will giveaway over $4,000 in gift cards and prizes with three different contests.

The Brewery, Distillery & Winery Contest runs on the Visit Bluff Country Magazine Facebook page.  This contest will include a weekly $25 gift card giveaway for 12 consecutive weeks.

Every Friday, Visit Bluff Country Magazine will giveaway $100 in gift cards with the Choose Your Adventure Contest, accessible at www.visitbluffcountry.com/adventure.

 

Noticing More

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By Wanda Hanson

Kristi Danielson-Vreeman notices more and sees more than she used to — not because of glasses or surgery — but because she’s a photographer! Small details that might have previously gone unnoticed now become subjects of her photographs; close-ups of spiderwebs become crystal creations.

Kristi’s dad bought her a 110 flash camera when she was 12 years old, thus nurturing a lifelong interest in photography. In college, Kristi took a class on developing her own film which she enjoyed. Shortly after that she got her first digital camera, no longer needing to develop film then.

When her kids were small, and life was busy, she got out of photography for a while. At that time cell phones had good cameras, so she used her cell a lot for taking pictures of her kids.

Her husband Seth bought her a “pretty fancy” Nikon D500 about three years ago. They would go driving around taking photos. After a year of this, Seth wanted to get in on the fun. He bought himself a Sony Mirrorless camera and began taking his own photos as well.

Kristi shared that Seth enjoys researching places to go and explore with their cameras. Seth enjoys taking wildlife and night sky photos, while Kristi likes landscapes and animals. Kristi also does some family photography on the side as a hobby, using any profits to further her photography.

Kristi’s job is as a domestic violence victim advocate in northern Iowa; photography is a stress reliever for her. She enjoys sharing her work with friends on Facebook. She and Seth were asked to take pictures of the local Canton Santa parade. They often just go and do these acts of kindness, such as at benefits. A photo taken of the Garness Trinity Church outside of Mabel will be printed and given to the church.

Kristi has started to enter some contests; the Garness Trinity Church photograph recently won a cash prize for Kristi. She humbly added she’s actually won quite a few contests on FanArt social platform. She shared that it’s fun to find out she’s won and uses the cash for her photography hobby.

During the pandemic, Kristi has been taking an online photoshop class. The class is teaching her to do composite photos in which she puts one photo into another.

While her children may greet the news of their parents’ weekend plans with eye rolls, Seth and Kristi enjoy taking off for a weekend in their vehicle or on the motorcycle to find new photography subjects and locations. Kristi is looking forward to their planned trip after Christmas. The couple is heading up north to Sax Zim Bog. The Bog, 45 minutes north of Duluth is frequented by birders. Seth and Kristi are hoping to see the Great Grey Owls there.

Eagles and owls are favorites for the couple. Kristi noted that they see eagle nests everywhere now. Both Kristi and Seth take their cameras everywhere, even when heading out to work. They’ve learned that if they leave their cameras behind, they are sure to see something they want to photograph! Kristi confessed she takes her camera kayaking. Yes, it’s housed in a water-proof bag, and she gets some awesome shots of eagles above her. Kristi is interested in trying snowshoeing — of course she plans to take her camera along if she does that!

An extended car loan helped Kristi to purchase her Tamron 150-600 mm lens. This lens can take good close-ups from far away, a useful tool in photographing her favorite owls and eagles. While it’s fun to use, Kristi said a drawback is that it’s heavy and she often forgets her tripod.

Kristi is quick to point out that you don’t need a fancy camera or lenses to get started, however; she confessed she bought her last cellphone in part because of its camera. She takes her cell on photo shoots and uses it for landscapes. “I don’t think it’s the camera; you can get good pictures with anything!”

Her advice to beginning photographers is to use their cellphone and just get out and start doing it! Cell phones can take good pictures; the only drawback is that you can’t get quality enlargements larger than 5×7.

There are lots of photography groups on Facebook you can join for all levels of photography, where you can ask questions, get your photos critiqued, get ideas for composition, or just post your work for feedback from others. YouTube has lots of tutorials as well, an easy and convenient way to learn.

Kristi finds editing fun as well. She uses Lightroom app on her computer for this. Snapseed is another app she recommends for the phone.

If you decide to invest in a DSLR camera, Kristi advises you to read your manual and learn all about the multitude of functions your camera has — or just use it and then learn from your mistakes. With immediate ability to see your photos, it’s easy! A caution from Kristi, be sure to take your camera’s memory card along when leaving for a shoot! Kristi learned that the hard way and now always has spares.

Kristi’s oldest child has gotten interested in photography with her phone. Kristi bought her four-year-old granddaughter a Fisher-Price camera, and she has caught the photography bug. Her favorite, taking selfies! It appears Kristi’s enthusiasm for photography is contagious! Maybe it’s something you’ll want to catch as well!