The lion’s share of our travels in Minnesota point us north. And while we will likely remain true in our hearts to the lakes and pines of du Nord, it was lovely to mix things up with a trip south this past weekend. The rolling hills and alpine corn fields of bluff country were a nice change of scenery while the placid Root River weaved its way around our touring destinations. Home base for the weekend was Valley View Campground just outside of Preston, Minnesota.

The impetus for the trip was making our way to nearby Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park. But we very much enjoyed our time spent at the campground – Andy was welcomed into the fold of a volleyball team, there was play equipment for the girls, and as much free coffee as I could drink at the lodge.

The campground is arranged in tiers – top tier in the cornfields and the bottom tier a tributary of the Root running behind our campsite. We grilled out, enjoyed a wagon ride in the crops, then Mom & Dad had a rare bit of relaxation by the fire (usually we spend so much time begging the kids to pipe down that we crash ourselves soon after).

That alone makes Valley View memorable in my book.

For the Files: Valley View Campground is located at 23750 US 52, Preston, MN 55965. Campsites start at $30 per night. Attractions in the area include Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park (about 17 miles), activites on the Root River State Trail, dinner/golf/camping at Old Barn Resort, and museums in the Fountain/Wykoff area.

About the Author: Anne Kingston is the Owner and Founder of Tourmoms.com.

Tags: forestville mystery cave state park, fountain minnesota, minnesota bluff country, old barn resort, preston minnesota, root river state trail, valley view campground, wykoff minnesota