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If this northwestern Wisconsin city is known for anything, it’s as the birthplace of indie-folk darling Bon Iver — not necessarily as a place to spend a weeklong vacation. But in Eau Claire, some 90 minutes from Minnesota’s Twin Cities, you can find great food, gorgeous trails, and — no surprise — a thriving live music scene.

The place to stay for easy access to all of the above is the Oxbow Hotel, with its walnut accents, local art, and river proximity. Book a King Flat, pop a record on the turntable, and settle in. The Oxbow is less than a block from the Chippewa River State Trail, a 30-mile path that follows the waterway through marshland, prairie, and bluffs. It’s best explored with a cruiser bike, courtesy of the hotel; or navigate the river itself with a canoe (discounted for hotel guests) from rental shop Eau Claire Outdoors. Want even more nature? Bike or walk a mile and a half to Mount Simon, a 100-foot sandstone bluff overlooking the river.

If you need caffeine before any sort of adventuring, start your mornings at Shift, a coffee shop a 15-minute walk away. It’s billed as a “creative space” (translation: lots of customers who look like they frequent Bon Iver concerts). For dinner, try the Informalist, inside the Lismore Hotel, a six-minute walk from the Oxbow, on the other side of the river. It serves wood-fired pizzas with a twist, not least the limited specials (a recent example: the Philly cheesesteak pizza, a hearty homage layered with mozzarella, strip steak, bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms). If you want the real local flex, though, drive 35 minutes south to Together Farms in Mondovi. Thursday through Sunday in the afternoon, there are “burger nights” (the place closes at 6), compliments of the grass-fed cows raised onsite. Return to the hotel for a nightcap at the Lakely, which serves up craft cocktails and live music most nights of the week.

Summertime brings music festivals. That includes, after an eight-year hiatus, the return this summer of Eaux Claires, the music and arts festival founded by Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner of the National. It will be held July 24 to 25 at Carson Park. Curated by Vernon, the lineup is an eclectic mix, headlined by alt-R&B singer Dijon, ’80s hitmaker Aimee Mann, rapper Lil Yachty, and an act billed as “Bon Dylan” that is expected to be Bon Iver playing Bob Dylan covers. Earlier in the summer, Blue Ox Music Festival takes over the Pines Music Park June 25 to 27, with a roots and Americana cast. Names like Charley Crockett, the Dead South, Kurt Vile & the Violators, and Valerie June anchor a lineup built for dancing on the grass.

The music scene here isn’t just festivals — it’s part of daily life. Phoenix Park, just outside the hotel, doubles as a summer concert site. At the center of downtown’s artistic ambition is the Pablo Center at the Confluence, perched at the meeting point of the Eau Claire and Chippewa Rivers. Opened in 2018, it houses a 1,200-seat performance space that offers a window into the local arts scene, from Eau Claire Children’s Theatre productions to national acts like Soul Asylum. There’s something about that kind of melting pot that mirrors the landscape itself: different currents coming together and carrying the city’s creative energy downstream.