Stillwater is a unicorn.

It's this cute little touristy town where Minnesota goes to hang out for a weekend. Or go antiquing. Or shop at boutiquey stores and specialty shops. Or a biking or dining destination.

And then there are the treats.

No trip to Stillwater is complete without a gourmet ice cream store or the candy shop where you always get a bag of your favorite sweet confection. Or a bag of popcorn, flavored in that crazy, hard-to-find "cheffy" flavor or combination.

Truly, Stillwater does treats right.

And now the folks at DiscoverStillwater.com are capitalizing on that fact with their new "Treats Trail." Actually, "it" is not new -- the 9 stores on the trail have been around. But now they're being packaged together as a culinary destination. Great idea -- snack your way through Stillwater!

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Click to download the Treats Trail Map.
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There are 9 Stillwater shops on the Treats Trail. The Discover Stillwater folks even published a free downloadable map with suggestions for visiting all 9. But note -- some of the shops are seasonal, so if you're going to see all of them, summer is a great time to make the short trip to Stillwater.

 

(PHOTO: DiscoverStillwater.com)
(PHOTO: DiscoverStillwater.com)
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Visit the "Treats Trails" when you're visiting Stillwater, Minnesota.

 

(PHOTO: DiscoverStillwater.com Staff)
(PHOTO: DiscoverStillwater.com Staff)
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NELSON'S ICE CREAM
920 Olive Street West

With big ol' scoops of a wide variety of flavors, Nelson's is known for its heaping ice cream cones. (The child size serving -- the website says -- is the size of your head!)

 


 

(PHOTO: DiscoverStillwater.com Staff)
(PHOTO: DiscoverStillwater.com Staff)
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 STICKS, THE ICE POP SHOP
315 3rd Street South

Next up, artisinal popsicles in a wide variety of flavors. The website says some of them are "quirky." Nice.

 


 

(PHOTO: DiscoverStillwater.com Staff)
(PHOTO: DiscoverStillwater.com Staff)
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 BARBARA ANN'S FUDGE SHOPPE
317 Main Street South

Barbara Ann's is that old fashioned candy shop with trays and trays of old timey fudges and candies, just like Grandma had at her house.

 


 

(PHOTO: DiscoverStillwater.com Staff)
(PHOTO: DiscoverStillwater.com Staff)
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 TREMBLAY'S SWEET SHOP
308 Main Street South

Bring a pillowcase with you for all the candy you're going to want to take home with you. You like salt water taffy? Good! They have a whole wall of it.

 


 

(Photo: Antoinette Paulo)
(Photo: Antoinette Paulo)
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 LEO'S GRILL & MALT SHOP
131 Main Street North

Craving a ice cream malt like they used to have in diners and soda fountains? Leo's offers a long list of rich and creamy malts that are great for sharing -- or hog it for yourself!

 


 

(PHOTO: DiscoverStillwater.com Staff)
(PHOTO: DiscoverStillwater.com Staff)
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MN NICE CREAM
308 Chestnut Street East

MN Nice Cream is a great place to get a cool sweet treat that will get oohs and ahhhs on Instagram. Beautiful AND delicious, these cones have everything from edible glitter to all sorts of candies and toppings.

 


 

(PHOTO: DiscoverStillwater.com Staff)
(PHOTO: DiscoverStillwater.com Staff)
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GLORIA'S TO GO
314 Chestnut Steet East

Soft serve cones to keep you on the run during a busy Stillwater visit. Mmmmm...dipped cones are the best, aren't they?

 


 

(PHOTO: DiscoverStillwater.com Staff)
(PHOTO: DiscoverStillwater.com Staff)
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 GRANDPA JOE'S CANDY SHOP
314 Main Street South

Grandpa Joe's is your place for nostalgic candy -- vintage (and sometimes hard to find) candies that bring back happy memories.

 


 

(PHOTO: DiscoverStillwater.com Staff)
(PHOTO: DiscoverStillwater.com Staff)
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CANDYLAND
212 Main Street North

Shelf after shelf of your favorite candies and flavored popcorns. Grandpa Joe's has all sorts of chocolate goodies AND their famous Chicago mix popcorn -- an addicting mix of cheesecorn, caramel corn and classic popcorn.

 


 

Discover Stillwater suggests after eating your way down the trail, you hang out for a while and let your treats settle. "Explore historic sites, browse quaint shops, or take a scenic river cruise. Stillwater offers an unforgettable experience filled with sweetness and charm," suggests Discovery Stillwater's President Kelly Nygaard.

 

 

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