Minneapolis to Milwaukee road trip: 23 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.

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 Madison favorite, longtime maker of Fantasy Factory IPA

Family-run University Avenue Thai spot open since 2010. (Hamline-Midway)

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.

Seasonal Minnehaha Park counter serving fresh affordable seafood, po'boys and oysters in a family and dog-friendly patio setting. Order: Fish tacos.

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

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

The Dakota call this spot Bdote -- 'where two waters come together' -- and it's literal: walk the Pike Island trail and watch the muddy Minnesota River visibly merge into the clearer Mississippi, one of the few confluences in America where you can see two rivers' colors mix in real time from dry land.

East African and Ethiopian mainstay on Willy Street since 1992, known for its Friday Ethiopian fish fry. Order: Ethiopian fish fry.

A classic Milwaukee County muni that hosted the PGA Tour for years, where Tiger Woods made his pro debut in 1996. Mature trees and history at a public price.

a German-style brewery with a popular Bier Garten near Madison

A treeless glacial-terrain course that hosted the 2017 U.S. Open.

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.

An elevated public observation deck puts you at eye level with towboats being raised and lowered more than 10 feet through the lock chamber, while bald eagles, American white pelicans, and cormorants work the churned-up tailwater below year-round.