For those of you who are traveling to Eau Claire from a distance that means you need to take an airplane or stay overnight, here is some general information.
Getting There: The way we like to get to Eau Claire by plane is to fly into MSP (Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport) and rent a car to drive the last 90 miles east on I-94. We like to fly Sun Country into Terminal 2 and rent cars from Alamo. Your access and preferences may vary.
If you don’t wish to rent a car, you can reserve a seat on a shuttle bus that will drive you to Eau Claire from MSP and back again. However, you may have some difficulty getting around the city without a car after you arrive by shuttle. There is a city bus, but I am not sure how comprehensive its coverage of the city is. I just tried to plan a trip from the shuttle terminal to the venue on the wedding date and this is what it said: “Sorry, your search appears to be outside our current coverage area for transit.”
Eau Claire does have a regional airport into which you can fly via Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. The ground transportation available at Chippewa Valley Regional Airport is outlined here.
Accommodations: In case you want to know about accommodations and eateries in Eau Claire, here’s where we are staying and eating while we’re in town.
We are staying at The Oxbow Hotel in downtown Eau Claire. We toured a room there late last year and were charmed by the fact that every room comes equipped with its own record player. There’s a lending library of vinyl in the hotel lobby. There is free parking for hotel guests.
We also wanted to stay downtown because it’s close to the places we like to eat: The Lakely, which is inside The Oxbow, Galloway Grille, Grand Avenue Cafe, Acoustic Cafe, and Mona Lisa’s.
The closest hotel to The Florian Gardens where the wedding is taking place is Metropolis Resort. It’s literally next door and has a huge parking lot.
Our venue recommends Baymont Inn & Suites, which is a 7-to-10-minute drive away from the venue.
There are a couple dozen hotels/motels in Eau Claire, so you have options. Please let us know if you have questions about particular aspects of travel to, within, and from Eau Claire.
Looking forward to seeing you soon!