Things to Do in Eau Claire

For 53 years, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra has engaged eardrums with a vast repertoire of classical masterpieces and 128 newly commissioned works, earning 15 ASCAP awards for its adventurous programming. This season, the distinguished troupe hosts a quintet of internationally acclaimed artistic partners, a group that consists of visiting conductors, singers, fog horns, and musicians whose varied styles diversify the orchestra's huge selection of performances. During a marathon concert season, the orchestra's nimble bows and lusty horns leap and dash through the notes of Mendelssohn, Schubert, Haydn, and Mozart in dozens of concert dates. Awe strikes audiences during a rousing performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 (November 25–27), and Dawn Upshaw—recipient of a rare MacArthur Genius Award—sings sweetly in "Upshaw Sings Ravel and Debussy" (February 16 and 18). Many Friday and Saturday performances also include free preconcert discussions, which bring scholars, guest artists, conductors, and musicians to chat with audiences about the upcoming performance and their favorite mac 'n' cheese recipes.

Held aloft by 35 years of family tradition, Stillwater Balloon sends intrepid explorers skyward from a port just off the scenic St. Croix River. Friendly FAA-certified pilots operate each craft and readily answer any questions that passengers may have as they float through gorgeous views of the surrounding valley. The billowy, multicolored behemoths cruise at treetop level, allowing travelers to shake hands with monkeys. Private and semiprivate flights are the business's forte, but Stillwater Balloon also accommodates custom flights for backyard surprises or ultimate school pickups.

Glacier-carved canyon walls framing the falls of the Willow River. Great blue herons stalking the wildflowers along the Kinnickinnic River. Owner and lifelong outdoorsman Mike Kealy and his guides lead kayaking trips past these and more dramatic sites, which typify the undeveloped riverbanks throughout eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Each outing begins at a select meet-up point, from which guides provide shuttle service to and from the launch sites. Along with unveiling the rivers’ untouched scenery, River Guide’s team can also add a fishing guide to each trip, taking guests into streams teeming with brown, rainbow, and zebra-striped trout.:m]]

Tucked in the cool shadows of old, forest oak trees, St. Croix Valley Golf Course's nine-hole layout invites golfers to swing across 133 acres of rolling topography. Originally sculpted into the woods in 1925, the 3,060-yard course eschews sand traps and favors natural obstacles including ponds, trees, elevation changes, and indigenous photographers who snap their shutters during players' backswings. The golf experts that preside over the pro shop can sharpen swings with lessons, ensure trustworthy equipment with club regripping services, and offer rental clubs so players don't have to hit with the oversized gavel normally used to settle remote control disputes at home.

Course at a Glance:

• 9-hole, par 36 course
• Length of 3,060 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 34.7 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 122 from the farthest tees
• Four tee options

Tandem means you jump tethered to an instructor; since you're in front and have your own altimeter and ripcord, it feels like you're diving on your own. The ride starts with a 10-minute instruction on safety and procedures, and then you board the new PAC 750 XL aircraft and ascend 10,000 to 13,000 feet for a brief plane ride. You and your trained tandem partner leap into the open sky to confirm that a gypsy didn't invent gravity at last year's state fair. For about 60 seconds, you're free falling, then the ripcord is pulled, the safety canopy opens, and you float, with bird-worthy views, securely to the soft landing zone.

Designed atop a moraine left by glaciers thousands of years ago, Spring Valley Golf Course showcases two distinct front and back nine sides featuring significant elevation changes due to the landscape's ancient terrain. The front nine is designed over a deposit of debris, rocks, and the scribbled wills of melting icebergs, a tricky track of holes where wind becomes a factor due to the scarcity of trees. As soon as players make the turn to the more challenging back nine, towering pine trees crowd the narrow fairways and demand extremely precise course play.

Players can browse the latest equipment or rest weary legs on the Pro Shop's welcoming porch, a prime vantage point for watching players take aim at the green of the par 3 seventh hole or swordfight with sand wedges over a disagreement concerning maximum gimme distance. The grounds also encompass a restaurant and full bar area.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Total length of 6,053 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 70.4 from the back tees
• Course slope of 124 from the back tees
• Four sets of tees per hole
• Scorecard