Minneapolis to Chicago road trip: 19 stops worth the detour

A Dells mainstay co-designed by Wisconsin native Andy North, with rolling glacial terrain. The pick of the family-vacation golf in the Dells.

A dramatic course built around an old quarry and pine woods at the Wilderness Resort in the Dells. The most striking layout in the area.

Logan Square neighborhood pioneer since 1999 serving seasonal market-to-table cooking that earned a James Beard hospitality award. Order: Farmer's breakfast.

Romantic French-Vietnamese restaurant with an open interior and patio, known for house pho and locally sourced ingredients. Order: Grande Soupe pho.

Intimate no-frills St. Paul dining room seating roughly thirty, an authentic longtime local pick for pho and beef noodle soup. Order: Pho tai.

A links-inspired public course east of St. Paul.

Karyn Tomlinson's Best Chef Midwest winner in St. Paul, a grandma-chic tasting menu celebrating Minnesota farmers with precision. Order: Tasting menu.

a city-park fall made famous by Longfellow’s poem

All-Wisconsin tavern named for the state cocktail, steps from the Capitol and the Dane County Farmers' Market. Order: Beer-battered cheese curds.

a fun, flowy network near Madison

a wide multi-tier fall in Willow River State Park near the Twin Cities

a clifftop over the Wisconsin River

a hidden slot gorge and falls near Baraboo

a steep climb past a famous balanced quartzite boulder

A Robert Trent Jones Jr. course split between open prairie and wooded glacial terrain near Madison, home of the Badgers and a Champions Tour stop.

A polished 27-hole public course on a former estate.