Pepin

Why: Hurry to hit the beloved Harbor View Café in Wisconsin’s quaint river town before HVC closes for the winter November 19. Calm fall nights with a chill in the air are the best time to experience this regional fave. 1st & Main Sts., 715-442-3893

How: It’s a ninety-minute sojourn. Down U. S. 61 to U. S. 10, then onto Wisconsin 35 at Prescott for about forty-five miles.  

Stay: The stately Victorian Harbor Hill Inn, right in town, has three rooms ($120 to $140 a night)—the Portsmouth room has a good view of Lake Pepin. 715-442-2324

Eat: The entire menu is written on the blackboard above the bar, and the wine list is carefully edited and a huge value. Local and seasonal ingredients are de rigueur, and everything’s made from scratch. Halibut in black butter, thick pork loin, and sautéed chicken in chipotle cream are three can’t-miss dishes.

Pack: The boat—you can dock it at the marina out front—and a jacket for predinner strolls while you wait.

P.S.: HVC doesn’t take reservations (hence the wait) or credit cards.