About this event
The Winona Driftless Tour
June 5-8, 2025
This event is open only to the Schonesland Porsche Cub members.
The Driftless Region is a unique geological area spanning parts of Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, distinguished by its rugged terrain, deep river valleys, and breathtaking scenic byways, custom made for Porsches. Unlike the surrounding Midwest, which was flattened by glaciers during the last Ice Age, this region remained untouched, preserving its ancient limestone bluffs, winding streams, and karst topography. The Mississippi River cuts through the heart of the Driftless Area, adding to its scenic beauty and ecological diversity.
We will begin on Thursday morning at 8 AM with a brief drivers’ meeting at the Casey’s located just off Oralabor Rd at 2601 SE Creekview Dr, Ankeny. Our morning route will take us to lunch for a return visit at Gus and Tony’s in West Union, IA. After lunch, the roads to Winona get much more interesting, sweeping us into our home for three nights at the Plaza Hotel & Suites, 1025 HW61 East. To reserve your room you may call the hotel at 507-453-0303, giving them our bloc code, “SPC”, or you may use this link: https://bit.ly/4kkhUuX
Thursday night’s dinner will be at Muddled Thyme in downtown Winona. https://www.muddledthyme.com/
Friday’s all-new tour will take us on a 220-mile drive all over SE Minnesota’s Driftless Region. Lunch will be at O’Neill’s Pizza & Pub in Elgin, MN. Dinner that evening will be back in downtown Winona at the NOSH. https://noshscratchkitchen.com/ This farm-to-table restaurant, owned by local legend and Chef Greg Jaworski, will host us in a private room to make for a memorable dining experience.
Saturday is all about discovering the Driftless Region's scenic higways in Southwestern Wisconsin. Leaving Winona, we'll jump across the mighty Mississippi for a 190-mile romp on all-new roads and a couple of familiar ones, only in the opposite direction from our prior visits. After returning to our hotel, we'll all meet again for our final evening together just a couple miles down County Road 17 at Signatures, located at the Bridges Golf Club. http://signatureswinona.com
Sunday morning marks the end of the organized tour, leaving everyone to return home on any route that their time will allow. A highly recommended morning stop would be to the Whelan Pie Shop in Whelan, MN. Just 30-40 minutes down the road from Winona, get a freshly-baked slice of pie and some ice cream before you trek on home.
Event requirements
This event is classified as a "driving tour" and will be conducted in accordance with the Porsche Club of America's Driving Tour Standards. We will be using Ride with GPS phone app for navigation. If you have not downloaded the app on your phone, please follow this link to do so and review the guides we have developed for the users.
https://schonesland.com/driving-tour-app/
If you have any questions, please contact Skip Hammerman at 515-419-8734 or Ben Nordman at 612-910-1699.