Our last port stop has arrived...on a wing and a prayer

 Red Wing, Minnesota - We're more than just shoes

Our final port stop of this itinerary brings us to Red Wing, Minnesota for an overnight stay. Our itinerary also had built in hotel stays post cruise after a bus transfer to St. Paul but we'd talked to several people who were choosing to bail on those last days and lose money leaving from Red Wing instead. 

There was only one included tour offered for today, Downtown Red Wing and the National Eagle Center. It was also the most popular choice of excursion.

Other options included the Red Wing Pottery Experience at the Pottery Museum (3.5 hour duration/easy activity level) that featured a guided tour by a local artist, a demonstration, and a hands on lesson. The Maiden Rock Apple Cidery Tour and Tasting (3.5 hour duration/easy activity level) featured a welcome presentation on the history of apple production followed by a cider tasting with cheese and crackers. Then you get a guided tour of the orchard and a lesson on how apples unique to the Lake Pepin area are grown and pressed for cider. Afterwards, you have the opportunity to get lost in the woods, err..I mean explore the orchard on your own and as always visit the gift shop. Lastly, Historic Red Wing (2.75 hour duration/easy activity level) combines a visit to the Pottery Museum and the Goodhue County History Center. 

While the above excursions are the only ones on Viking's page for Red Wing, even with the renamed itinerary, a few supposedly "sold out" options appeared on the app as early as dinnertime the night before.

With a 10AM arrival into Red Wing, we had time for a filling breakfast from The River Cafe. Nice balanced breakfast and not just because that biscuit is balanced on top of everything else on the plate.

We chose the included Downtown Red Wing and the National Eagle Center. Animal and food based excursions are always going to be of big interest to me so we would have chosen this one regardless of cost. Our local tour guide started out our bus ride talking about the history of Red Wing and mentioned how they'd be alternating with the other buses so that some of us would be seeing places on the city tour while the other half visits the National Eagle Center. Our bus had the first turn at the National Eagle Center and the bulk of the drive included references by our guide of "the other places we'd be visiting after the center." 

The center was open to the public and quite busy with a different tour group and lots of families already in attendance. The cost of admission is $12 for adults and $10 for military/veteran/seniors 65+. Our admission was covered by Viking. There are stairs and elevators making the entire center accessible. Unfortunately, the only non poster on the wall style exhibit (aside from a telescope on the upper level patio to help you scan the trees looking for eagles) was a small viewing area in front of where a handler had brought out two live eagles to meet the crowd. These two eagles were blind and/or otherwise disabled therefore completely under the care of the center's medical team of caretakers. Visitors were not allowed to view where the eagles were tended to and housed. 

This was the most popular exhibit with at least 30 people cramming into this small viewing area in a glass enclosed room at any given time. Everyone fought their way to the front railing to get their pictures yelling at these poor eagles to look this way or that. I'm sure the eagles are used to the noise having been at the center for a while but it made me feel uncomfortable for them with the noise echoing around the small space. From the time we spent outside waiting for a break in the crowd before finally going in, there was never any sort of demonstration. The handlers simply introduced the eagles, explained what disability has brought them to live out the remainder of their lives at the center, and stood around unless someone asked a question. 

Is there such a thing as an eagle giving side eye?

His buddy across the room was having none of the noise and giving everyone the cold shoulder.

We quickly made our exit from the enclosure and toured the other displays.

Dad testing his strength to feel how much it takes to lift an eagle while they're perched on your arm.

We finished our visit with the obligatory stop in the gift shop. Dad picked out a shirt that said Minnesota down the side and included a picture of a flying eagle. Every time he's worn it since this trip he gets asked if he's from Minnesota. We noticed several souvenir items featuring the same funny caption as the eagle shirt Dad picked up while visiting Ketchikan. 

I had to pick up the magnet version for my growing collection. 

The viewing platform on the upper level as seen from ground level.

I'm not sure what other places our guide was referring to because as soon as we boarded the bus at the requested meeting time to leave the center, we went nowhere but straight back to the ship. The entire ride back was spent listening to a talk from a college aged gentleman who worked at the center. He had joined us on the bus at the guide's request to give us all a lesson passing around pictures, eggs, and fossils. While the most interactive experience we'd gotten from the center, the information covered seemed redundant and lots of my fellow passengers were rolling their eyes as they'd rather be napping then having to pass along the latest picture. It gave the impression like this speech was the cover for the lack of going somewhere else we were supposed to visit. 

I made a point of getting back onboard for lunch so I could see Aaron at the grill. He was nowhere to be found and while the rest of the crew we asked knew who we meant, they had no clue where he was either. I settled for a quick lunch of the club sandwich that never was before heading back out to explore the port area.

I think this statue of a joker is trying to give me his opinion about our cruise

This sculpture also at the dock area was really cool. If you looked at it facing toward the street, it showed the silhouette of a soldier going off to war. The other side if you looked at it facing the ship showed the silhouette of a soldier returning home to his family as a civilian. Looking through the latter silhouette allows you to still see the former soldier silhouette showing that even though in the past, their time as a soldier stays with them.

Snapped this shot from the dock to show what our balcony looks like from the outside.

Walked around a bit once back onboard and found the Viking Mississippi's ship coins.

Kicked off our evening attending Cruise Director Tim's final trivia game of the cruise. We will forever remember not to wash our donkeys in the bathtub on Sundays. 

Returned to the Aquavit Terrace Grill in one last chance to find Aaron but apparently like Elvis, Aaron had left the building. Settled for (half) a steak and mashed potatoes for dinner.