I will have two weeks in the summer during which I’m off work and my family will be visiting relatives elsewhere. I’ve decided that the best way to use that time is to explore the great state of Minnesota by myself. I am now soliciting ideas for where to go.
Generally I prefer staying away from the biggest and most touristy places. I am willing to take in cheesy roadside tourist attractions. Mostly I’d prefer to find picturesque small towns, lakes and lakeside resorts, state parks, campgrounds, and that sort of thing.
The Commonweal Theatre is a bit of a hidden gem down in the southeastern part of the state.
Since you said cheesy, I’ll also add The Spam Museum. For what it is, it’s actually an interesting hour or two of browsing, though I haven’t toured the new building yet. There’s also the largest ball of twine made by one man as immortalized by Weird Al Yankovic in that song about the biggest ball of twine in Minnesota.
Lake of the Woods is pretty popular for fishing, boating, etc. It’s also gorgeous as is pretty much all of the BWCA.
The North Shore is beautiful. Lots of waterfalls, hiking trails.
Stillwater is a fun small town close to St. Paul.
There is the only gas station Frank Lloyd Wright ever built in Eveleth. You’ll be close enough to swing by (you might even drive by) on the way to Ely. And the headwaters of the Mississippi is up that way. Touristy in that natural sort of way.
Ely and Grand Marias are tourist towns - if your idea of being a tourist is camping in the BWCA/
Its a big state, or bigger than you think it is. Twin Cities to Ely is five hours - maybe six.
Lake Pepin is really nice. Lots of charming restaurants, hiking opportunities, friendly locals–My cousin lives there–and you can swim in the “lake” (actually just a really broad part of the Mississippi). It even has a monster! The terrain is prettier than a lot of Southern Minnesota, which tends to flat farmland.
We’re going to be in the Brainerd Lakes for a family reunion in August, so I’ll keep an eye on this thread! I’m particularly interested in birding spots, and other places to see awesome wildlife.
The gas station is in Cloquet. I’ve driven past two or three times but never stopped.
I enjoyed the wolf center but Ely is really remote and there doesn’t seem to be much else to do up that way unless you’re planning to visit the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. There’s a park (new since my last visit to the area) that’s not too far from Ely where you can take an underground tour of a former iron mine: Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park. Ely is about a 2 hour drive from Duluth.
I really liked my brief visit to Jay Cooke State Park just west of Duluth. The centerpiece of the park is the gorge of the St. Louis River with rapids and waterfalls. There are lots of hiking, biking, and camping opportunities. I hope to get back there for a longer visit sometime.
The Munger Trail is a 70 mile long biking and walking trail south and west of Duluth running parallel to I-35, much of it paved. The section from near Jay Cooke State Park to Duluth is pretty scenic. The southwestern section is also nice but less scenic.
I found Two Harbors (40 minutes east of Duluth) to be a pleasant town and a good base for exploration of the North Shore and Arrowhead country. Gooseberry Falls state park is nearby. The park is not very large but scenic with three waterfalls within about a mile of the Lake Superior shore. The impressiveness of the falls depends on recent rainfall; it’s sometimes just a trickle in summer. Split Rock lighthouse is nearby and photogenic but I never made it there.
The North Shore Trail is a relatively new hiking trail running parallel to the Lake Superior shoreline several miles inland. I haven’t hiked it but it’s on my bucket list.
Charles Lindbergh’s childhood home is in Little Falls and is now a museum. I haven’t made it there yet.
I have been to Pannekoeken Huis in Rochester, MN, home of the Mayo Clinic. Their website doesn’t seem to have a good picture. At least not one that I can get to. Mmmmm. Pannekoeken.
It’s a mall, just like the ones you can find all across the country. Just a bit bigger, meaning there are 20 places to buy overpriced T-shirts instead of 10.
I live less than 3 miles away, and haven’t been there more than a half-dozen times.
A better location in that vicinity is Minnehaha Falls. And it’s free.
I would LOVE to spend more time in Minnesota. Such a huge, weird state.
I always recommend the Cathedral of St. Paul in, well, St. Paul.
Immense free-standing building with insane Gothic touches and bizarre colossal statuary. Overhanging, overbearing giant Jesus as you enter the main door. Huge veiny Gospel Writers in each Cardinal coner. Possibly the SCARIEST building in the U.S.
Do not take psychedelics before your tour. I repeat: DO NOT TAKE PSYCHEDELICS BEFORE YOUR TOUR.
