Finding Faith ... in what I think is my favorite hotel

If you pressed me to tell you my most favorite Minnesota town, it'd be a toss up between my spiritual home in Bemidji, where I grew into adulthood; Duluth, which captured my outdoorsy heart decades ago; and Red Wing, which has held my fancy for years because of its deep history, its ties to the Mighty Mississippi and its small town quaintness.

The other thing that Red Wing has, that neither of the other two towns does, is the St. James Hotel, which bar none, is my favorite hotel in which I've ever stayed. Yes, my national travels over the past year has allowed me to stay in fancier hotels and more upscale hotels, but few hotels I've stayed at can match the character, history and uniqueness of the St. James. ... But more on that later.

I first started going to Red Wing as part my work about a decade ago. The media company for which I work has owned a publication there, and my responsibilities have taken me there at least once or twice a year for the past decade. In my early years, I booked most of my stays at chain hotels in town because it was easy to rack up points on my various hotel perks accounts. And a lot of the time I was bringing multiple team members with so economy was important.

But several years back, I was booking a trip to Red Wing in which a group of us corporate folks were going to be in town for a couple of days to host a training retreat. And we were looking to splurge on some digs. And that is when I stumbled upon the St. James. The group of us had been doing on-the-road training retreats like this for a few months, and so finding a place of comfort to stay was a higher priority this time.

With a few clicks of the keyboard, I found the St. James, the search was all over in an instant. ... A few minutes on their website, and I was on the phone booking rooms.

And the St. James did not disappoint.

Since that visit, I've had the pleasure of going back to the St. James a couple of times, some for business, and once when I took my wife, Shelley, there for a long weekend to celebrate her birthday. And again, none of those times did the hotel disappoint.

So what is it about the St. James that is so remarkable. ... Well, how much time do you have?

The original front entrance to the St. James Hotel.

First, it's that the hotel's exterior and interior still contain much of the original charm of the building when it was opened as a luxury hotel in 1875. And because the hotel has only had three owners in its 140 years, they've been able to stay true to the original dream.

As its website declares: "Endless as the river, they range from past presidents and riverboat captains to world-class ski jumpers, Mark Twain, Bob Dylan and a vaudevillian or two. But the best stories are those of romantic proposals made, family traditions honored and business relationships forged. For almost 150 years, the St. James has had a way of making history happen."

As a history buff, what I love most about the hotel is that while the owners have tried to upgrade and improve amenities over the years, they have not destroyed the original character of the building. And, yes, that even means that there are some portions of the hotel that look like they haven't been made over in 80 years. ... And I am completely fine with that! ... Whereas, I know that may turn some other travelers off.

But it's not just the charm of the building that draws me back. It's also the staff. When I arranged for a four-day weekend to celebrate my wife's birthday, the staff went out of their way to provide champagne, chocolate covered strawberries and big, fluffy bathrobes to spoil her. And then right on site on the main floor, there are two different salons, a coffee shop, a clothing boutique and a flower shop in which I was able to arrange for my wife to spend the day while I sauntered off to a reading room with a live fire.

There's also multiple dining options right there in the hotel, including a top floor lounge that is almost brand new but looks like it could have been built at the turn of the century; a fine dining restaurant housed in the hotel's historic basement, and which serves some of the best food in Minnesota; and a main floor, modern upscale casual dining restaurant, complete with an outdoor veranda.

Finally, there is the historical aspect of the hotel. The St. James is an Italianate building built in 1874 to 1875. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. The hotel was purchased in 1977 by the Red Wing Shoe Company and renovated. It was also given two additions, a shopping courtyard and a new section for offices and hotel rooms. Until recently, the hotel had 61 guest rooms, each with its own unique decoration and bearing the name of a riverboat that used to travel up and down the Mississippi River. In early 2010, a new suite housed in the old Red Wing Iron Works Building was added to the hotel, bringing the number of rooms to 62.

Frankly, there's too much history to be covered in a small blog post, but do a quick Google search and you'll find all the history about the St. James that you could want. And search hard enough and you'll even find all that is written about supposed encounters with spirits and the like, which shouldn't be a surprise because of the hotel's history nature.

So, just to be straight with you: No, I have not been paid to write any of this. I'm just enamored with the St. James and its staff. So, if you ever get town, or if you even want a destination hotel that isn't part of a chain, then check them out. ... You won't be disappointed!

And while you're at it, you might as well make it a weekend in Red Wing because there is a charming downtown filled with all kinds of locally owned boutiques that specialize in everything from clothing to Scandinavian goods to ... of course ... shoes.

But, I must insist that you put on your list a visit to the Staghead Gastropub, which is Red Wing's only source for fresh, locally sourced food and craft beers. As the pub's website boasts: "It’s traditional American food at its finest, coupled with urban influences. We stray away from any kind of processed ingredients, focusing on sustainable sources, leading to a higher quality, and better tasting assortment of menu items."

Additionally, Staghead is located in a turn-of-the-century, brick downtown building that has been repurposed to become a gem. And, one of my favorite aspects of the place is that you can buy a beer forward for a specific individual or someone in general, such as a police officer. Above the Staghead's long bar, there runs a long chalkboard that is filled with people for whom beers have been purchased in advance. And if your lucky enough to find your name or a description of who you are on that board, then you're entitled to a free beer. ... But, I would suggest it would only be proper that you then pay it forward! ;-) ... And, as you study the board, why don't you try to guess just who it was that I paid forward a beer too!

Friends, there are a number of other places in Red Wing to which I'd like to direct you, but that'll have to hold for another day. ... But, I am curious what your favorite Red Wing attractions and destinations are. Please share!