Cannon Falls | B&B Blog

Cannon Falls Chamber Dollars

Chamber Merchandise Certificates

…A Great Way to Support the Local Economy

Need a gift idea? Want to purchase something that will please anyone on your list? Want to do something good for the local economy and support local businesses at the same time? Why not purchase Chamber Merchandise Certificates this holiday season?

Chamber Merchandise Certificates can be ordered and purchased through the Chamber office. The certificates are done in increments of $5 or $10 and can be redeemed at ANY CF Chamber member business in exchange for goods or services. There is no expiration date on the Chamber Merchandise Certificates.

If you are planning to give Chamber dollars away as Christmas gifts, please purchase them prior to December 21st.

We are Chamber members and will be accepting these at the Quill and Quilt Bed and Breakfast. This is a fantastic gift idea for friends and family. Give them to your co-workers or where ever you are having a hard time thinking of gift idea. These keep on giving to the local community. So please support Cannon Falls!

Buy Local with a B&B Gift Certificate

“Give the gift of jobs and prosperity, Buy Local this Holiday Season.”

This holiday season, we are seeing lots of people trying help their local economy and “Buy Local.” This is a fantastic way to keep money in your local economy. Money that is then multiplied many times as it continues to circulate in the local economy. As an exampple, a stay at our B&B is then distributed to the Cannon Falls area such. We hire locals for our staffing needs. We purchase our chocolates from a local confections store in Hastings. We purchase our produce from the Ferndale Market right here in Cannon Falls. We use the local Hi-Quality Bakery for our snacks and treats. Our mortgage gets paid to the local White Rock Bank here in town. Add in all of the trades people that is takes to maintain a 100 year old home in the Minnesota climate, and you can be assured that the vast majority of your spent monies will stay local.Add in property taxes and utilities and we are probably around 90% of the money stays right here in Minnesota with over half staying in Goodhue County. It will be hard to beat that.

You can compare this to shopping in a large big box store. The only local thing is the store which was designed to be maintenance free for the most part. Then they hire locals to work there which is nice, and we would all hate to lose those jobs in our community but after that? The product is made over seas. The home office costs and profit all go off to where ever. The product cost is at least 50% or more of the total and that is for sure leaving not just the area but the country.These stores and products serve a purpose in that they keep the cost of raising a family and living in the USA down. But when it is extra money that you are looking to give to friends and family in the form of a gift then does this really make sense?

Quill and Quilt Gift Certificate

If you do find local products at your local stores then you are on the right track and more power to you. But for those who are stilling struggling to find a fast and easy way to assure that you are buying local then a gift certificate to your local B&B is the way to go. I am hoping for all the best for you and yours this holiday season. Buy local!

Fall Leaves in Cannon Falls

The timing of the perfect weekend to see the height of the change. First off, it is not possible. The trees with change at different times. The maples and some of the soft woods change at least a week if not two ahead of the harder woods like oaks and elms. I think this adds too and not detract from a good fall vista. You want to see the explsion of color against a back drop of green in my opinion. So the first part of October is my favorite. But the majority of people think the 15th is give or the perfect time to see peak color. This could be true but you will miss the truly amazing reds and yellows of the maples.

This was taken on the 6th in front of the Quill and Quilt. The color is just vibrant in my opinion. The hillsides surrounding Cannon Falls were still pretty green. The majority of the trees had not changed. We have had seasonally warm weather and dry. The trees have already started drop and it is the 12th. I think the weekend of the 15th will be the last chance to even see fall colors and chances are it will be over by the 22nd or so. My oaks have turned and are at least half fallen already. I have to blame the dry weather for this though. Normally the oaks can hold their leaves into the early part of November. They are not the prettiest in color but they do typify a Minnesota fall for most of us.

But you have to also remember Cannon Falls is South of the Twin Cities and that does give us just a bit longer before the turn. So if your yard is full of leaves in Minneapolis or St Paul, remember you get a few more days in Cannon Falls before it is the same. So come on down and take the drive out to Welch or the Cannon River Vineyard while you are here to get some decent vistas.

Chamber of Commerce Thank You Letter

The Cannon Falls Chamber of Commerce wrote a nice open letter to the residents of Cannon Falls. It mirrored our sentiments also. The President’s visit was a great day that showcased what a great little town, Cannon Falls is. It was also nice to see so many people putting aside some political differences to welcome the President. I too felt proud to be part of it all.

Thanks to the Cannon Falls Public Works Crew, the Cannon Falls Police Department, the staff at the Cannon Falls City Hall for their work in making President Obama’s visit here so successful.

Thanks also to You…Cannon Falls Business Community…You are the ones who had the welcome mat out for the hundreds of visitors, newscasters, reporters, White House Staff, Secret Service and the President of the United States this past Monday! Our community looked wonderful…lush flowers and flower baskets, flags, great looking store fronts…A perfect picture of small town America!! THANK YOU!

Patricia A. Anderson, Chamber President
Cannon Falls Area Chamber of Commerce
103 North 4th Street, POBox 2
Cannon Falls, MN 55009
Phone: 507-263-2289

President Obama’s Visit to Cannon Falls

President Obama visited Cannon Falls today on the beginning of his tour through the Midwest. He came in at about noon and gave a speech at the local park in a town meeting style and then went through downtown on his way out. He stopped at the Old Market Deli and had some lunch before leaving. A big congrats to Gary and crew over there as they do an amazing job and it was nice to see them rewarded in such a nice way.

The local and national press were all over Cannon Falls. Fox news had done some footage in the Cannon River Winery which aired this morning. I saw some live coverage of the event on CNN and it really made the Cannon River look amazing as a backdrop for his speech. Overall it was fantastic for Cannon Falls and the town responded in kind with cheering his bus as it rolled through downtown.

I personally was surprised at how emotional I felt upon seeing him. He is the President and thus commands our great country. It was a great day to be an American in Cannon Falls.

Frog Creek Pottery

One of the places in Cannon Falls that tends to get overlooked, but is truly unique and worthy of a stop is Lisa Dolezal’s Frog Creek Pottery. The studio and retail store is located just west of Cannon Falls and is open essentially every day, just follow the sign off MN Hwy-19 for Frog Creek Pottery… One reason I want to highlight Frog Creek right now is because their annual Harvest Festival is coming up the weekend of September 17-18. At this festival you can enjoy a delightful autumn day in the country… And, discover a cornucopia of clever ideas for Fall decorating or some early holiday shopping…This festival features some of the area’s finest artisans and growers. It starts at 10am and ends at 5pm on Saturday and 3pm on Sunday.You can stroll around the pond and enjoy pottery (of course), hand blown glass, metal work, painting, photography, massage, pumpkins, scare crows, corn stalks, squash, gourds, mums, apples, honey, bees wax candles, handmade soap, bird houses, bird feeders, yard art, handmade hats, clothing, jewelry, and (truly) much more! — Keep in mind that Frog Creek does more than just this one festival. Lisa offers a range of classes, does some demonstrations, and there are interesting group tours available. You can see all they offer at http://www.frogcreek.com I highly recommend paying them a visit next time you are near Cannon Falls!

Cannon Falls in the Winter

Some reasons to visit Cannon Falls in the winter… First, don’t forget about the excellent on-site massage & spa services right here in the house – you never have to go out in the cold after your massage. Plus all 5 of our rooms have a nice whirlpool & a fireplace – it is fun to watch the snow fall from inside a cozy place…The Cannon River Winery stays open most days all winter and provides music on the weekends….Welch Village is an easy 15 minute drive away, where they have great skiing & snowboarding and an outstanding chalet…The Cannon Valley Trail is groomed all the way to Red Wing for cross country skiing, or cross country ski in the Big Woods State Park… If you have snowmobiles, bring them, this area has some great trails! Hjermstad Hardware rents snowshoes and there are lots of places to snowshoe… And if you want to stay inside, 4th & Main Fabrics offers seminars in their studio…

Cannon Falls is a year around destination. As well as all the rooms at the Quill and Quilt are equipped with a fireplace or stove. Snuggle up in front of the fire while watching a DVD from our library and just stay out of the cold.

Obama is Coming to Cannon Falls

On Monday, President Barack Obama is going to do a town hall meeting in Cannon Falls, MN. The event will be held at 11:45 am at Lower Hannah’s Bend Park. Tickets are free and available to the public beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday at Cannon Falls City Hall. They are on a first come, first serve basis so don’t delay.

The meeting is part of a Midwest tour of meeting to discuss the economy. It is to start in Cannon Falls and then go on to Iowa and Illinois. The president will be discussing what can be done to grow the economy and strengthen the middle class.

Cannon Falls and the Minneapolis area should view this as an opportunity to see the president and hopefully get some of their concerns aired. if you plan to attend, avoid bringing lots of stuff. Security will be tight. ““For security reasons, do not bring bags and limit personal items. No signs or banners permitted. All attendees will go through airport-like security. Due to limited space at the event the White House will only be able to fulfill a limited number of requests for tickets.””

The event is a long walk from the Quill and Quilt Bed and Breakfast. We are currently full Sunday night but have plenty of openings for Monday. Make your reservation early if you want to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

This is the first Presidential visit to Cannon Falls in the last hundred year or so. When the Colvill monument was dedicated, we had a president Coolidge visit. I asked the Chamber of Commerce about how this visit came about. Pat responded, “I wish I could take some of the credit…but actually seems as though a couple of White House staffers were in CF (likely scoping out locations)…had lunch and liked what they saw…everything snowballed from there. Its going to be a wild ride! Tons of phone calls and emails already ”

Getting it made to display at the Quill and Quilt

Here is the actual banner which we got up last night. The Cannon River Winery also a similar one up so great minds must think alike. hahaha

Labor Day Weekend Special

Stay all 3 nights of Labor Day Weekend (Friday, Saturday & Sunday) and
we will refund you the value of your room for Sunday night. Or, stay
both Friday & Saturday night in any room and we will cover the cost of
kayaks or bike rental (for 2). PLUS, leave with a pair of handmade
pottery mugs OR enjoy a wine tasting & truffles during your stay. This
is a great deal!

Labor Day Weekend is September 3, 4, and 5th this year. Please sign up on the website for this deal.

Cannon Golf Club Patio

So we made it over to the Cannon Golf Club for dinner last weekend, in
part because I had been meaning to experience their patio. Well, that,
and we wanted a decent dinner on a Sunday night. If you are not
familiar, this patio is pretty nice – umbrella tables, which are wrought
iron and solid, and a beautiful view of the course from slight
elevation. I would suggest some flower pots or a little more color
somehow, but already (and this is not a huge achievement, but…) this is
the best outdoor restaurant/bar patio within a few miles of Downtown
Cannon Falls. I suspect they might invest more in it if it was
patronized. For reference, this was one of those perfect days, 75
degrees with low humidity, very light breeze, clear blue evening sky.
Plus, it was Sunday, so it might have been the only restaurant with any
patio that was open. And? No one was outside. All the other patrons
were inside. All of them. Sure, they were happily eating and drinking
in there. I find that quite bizarre. But enough about that. On this
visit, I discovered the walleye fingers – which were beautiful, large
pieces of walleye deep fried in a light and crunchy classic batter. I
know it’s simple, but this can get messed up pretty easy – plus it was
substantial. These were not those silly corporate restaurant fingers,
this is closer to what you get when you bring your Canadian fishing trip
catch back to grandma’s and she whips out a deep fryer from a back
cupboard and it gets to be a feast. I also discovered the cranberry
vinaigrette dressing, which was not only tasty but worked as an
interesting alternative dipping sauce for the fish. The bottom line is
this is a solid restaurant with a nice patio that is open on Sunday. I
urge you to recall this the next nice day you are looking for a nice
outdoor dining experience in Cannon Falls, ANY day of the week.