Hard to do right now.
Lutefisk is a winter dish, not normally served in summer, when the OP will be visiting.
You can find places that serve it in the summer, or you can buy some to cook for yourself (like at . Ingebretsen’s), but it’s reallybetter as a winter dish. (That’s the point – the lye-soaked freezing was a preservation method; in summer you just cooked the fresh fish.)
We recently had a great trip there ( The Fella’s company in HQ’d there).
We decided to take a vacation after he was done at his work thing.
Seriously, fun. (also while you’re there, check out a place called Tastymaid? It’s a loose meat place–I’d only ever heard of such things from Roseanne.)
If you can make it to Wisconsin, there is a place: The National Mustard Museum.
We ended up calling it “Our Sandwich Tour”–Spam and Mustard museums. One town had a Mayo clinic in it. And we did the Mill museum thing in Minneapolis (great! Plus bread!)
I spent a week canoeing on the Boundary Waters. Beautiful place.
But here’s something that needs to be mentioned:
Minnesota + summer + woodsy area = mosquitoes. LOTS of them. Bring a head net and mosquito repellent made with 100% DEET.
Crafter Man speaks truth - it’s our state bird.
If you like picturesque small towns, Stillwater is nice. There will be lakes everywhere, if you like lakes.
Regards,
Shodan
Iconic Minnesota:
The Paul and Babe Statues
Minnehaha Falls
The Mall of America (I hate the place but everyone will ask how it was)
That spoon and cherry thing (if it’s open yet, it’s closed now for renovations)
The Stone Arch / Hennepin Ave Bridge / Minnehaha Falls.
Split Rock Lighthouse / Gooseberry Falls
The Aerial Lift Bridge and Duluth Waterfront
Calhoun / Harriet / Isles parkways (rent a bicycle or walk around one of them.
Itasca State Park
Soudan Underground Mine
Lesser Known things I liked
St. Paul Cathedral
State Capital building
Minnesota History Center
The 24th pedestrian bridge (near the Minneapolis institute of arts) is where all those photos of the skyline over the freeway are taken. The neighborhood isn’t that bad, but use a bit of caution.
The St. Croix Crossing, a massive new bridge being built.
A few hours away in Wisconsin, the Elroy-Sparta Trail is one of the first and one of the best converted rail trails, including three tunnels. The Root River Trail, particularly from Lanesboro west, is also nice.
The Pavek museum of broadcasting (old radio collection)
Day Hikes:
Eagle Mountain into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (quite rocky)
Tettegouche State Park to Mount Trudee on the Superior Hiking Trail
Things I could take a pass on
Ironword Discovery Center (there’s more places to see an open pit mine)
The Minnesota Museum of Mining
Most of the historic house tours.
Fort Snelling (what you is mostly reconstructed)
Place to stay out of
The ususal advice is anywhere a tourist would want to be is safe. In particular stay out of North Minneapolis (anywhere west of I-94 and north of MN 55, excluding the areas adjoining the suburbs- Victory Parkway is safe) There’s an escalating gang feud that’s claimed a few random people caught in the crossfire, unless you’re trying to buy narcotics there’s no reason to be here
The western part of the state there’s nothing much to see
Cute Small Towns.
Stillwater
Hopkins
Anoka
Northfield
Lanesboro
St. Peter
Red Wing
New Ulm
Chaska
I’ve been to most of the State Parks.
State Parks I really liked:
Gooseberry Falls
Split Rock Lighthouse (see also: iconic Minnesota, this is where the lighthouse you see on all the calendars is.
Banning
Itasca
Mille Lacs Kathio (fall only)
Bear Head Lake (a bit like the Boundary Waters without the expense and work)
Soudan Underground Mine
Scenic
State Parks I liked:
The other North Shore parks
Frontenac
Big Woods
Sibley
Father Hennepin (one of the nicer beaches)
Crow Wing
Hill Annex Mine
Glendalough
Minneopa
Whitewater
State Parks I could take a pass on
Moose Lake
St. Croix
Camden
Monson Lake
Lake Louise
Lake Bemidgi
Maplewood
Fort Snelling
Afton
John Latsch
William O’Brian
Carley
Myre-Big Island
Lake Shetek
Flandrau
Fort Ridgely
Lac Qui Parle
Sakatah Lake
Charles A Lindbergh
Lake Carlos
Buffalo River
Rice Lake
Glacial Lakes
Forestville
Possibly the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.
I have no idea how good it is, but my parents took their honeymoon in Minneapolis (I think because it was nearby and they were too broke to do anything more glamorous) and visited the art museum while they were there. They had a framed poster they’d bought there, so I always remembered it.
I see other people have mentioned this, but I remember as kid going to the Tower Soudan mine and enjoying it. At that time, the tour guides were old miners - but I imagine that isn’t true any more (been at least 40 years).
If you’re into outdoors activities, you could hire a fishing guide up north. They’ll take you out for half a day and provide all the equipment. All you have to do is show up in the early morning.
Lived in MN all my life. In my mind, the absolute gem of this state is the North Shore of Lake Superior - particularly Gooseberry Falls State Park - #1 - must see.
It would help to know in what area you’re staying. It’s a big state - 10 hour+ drive from Iowa border to Canada.
I know some church ladies; I could call in a favor.
If you call lutefisk a favor. 
(The worse is college cafeteria lutefisk. <shudder>)
I’d call it attempted murder.
Whoever wrote The Godfather didn’t know the dangers of calling in a favor from Minnesotan church ladies armed with lutefisk.
Which reminds me. A viking longship from Norway landed in Newfoundland a couple of days ago, via Iceland and Greenland. They will be making their way to Duluth for the Tall Ships Festival later this summer.
I’m not missing it! http://tallshipsduluth.com/
The Tendermaid, but I think in other places there’s a chain of restaurants called Maid-Rite that does a very similar sandwich.
I stayed at both Charles A Lindbergh and Maplewood state parks.
CAL has a pleasant enough stream, and you can see where CL landed his plane (though it isn’t a field anymore), but I agree it isn’t spectacular (it is near the museum and home though)
I found Maplewood quite nice – several glaciery features. I really liked my campsite in the Knoll loop. Right on the water but large and private (well, could see the main campground across Grass Lake). But definitely not a must see.
Brian