Sandy

Any vacation ideas for central or southern Minnesota? Resorts, campgrounds, or bed and breakfasts? Activities, things to see and do?

Paul Rabe

Some interesting places in southern Minnesota, depending on your interests:

Twin Cities -- Mall of America, Art Institute, Fort Snelling (wonderful living history), murals at Saint Thomas Aquinas College, walking around downtown Saint Paul, ValleyFair, Minnesota Zoo. I have been there over ten times and gone just about everywhere; feel free to e-mail me if you have specific questions on places to see.

Northfield -- walk through the bank that Jesse James and his gang tried to rob, it's been restored to the look of that very day.

New Ulm -- Glockenspiel with moving announcements of the time.

Walnut Creek -- this is where Laura Ingalls lived in a "Little House in the Big Woods" and "By the Banks of Plum Creek." The "Little House on the Prairie" and "Little Town on the Prairie" were in DeSmet SD.

Taylor Falls -- scenic vistas on the Missippi River

Jan

When are you planning to come to MN? You might try Stillwater, which is right on the St. Croix River and has several very nice bed and breakfasts, antique shops, and restaurants right by the river. If you continue a bit further north you will come to Taylor's Falls where there is a state park, and a guided riverboat trip that is not very expensive. Wild River State Park is very close to Taylor's Falls where there are numerous hiking trails, right on the river, plus an interpretative center and is very nice. They have camping there and also camper cabins. There is also a cabin that can be rented that is very nice with two bedrooms, a kitchen, livingroon, large deck, inside and outside fireplace, and is very private. We stayed there last winter for crosscountry skiing. The cabin is not too pricey for what you get, but you have to book it far in advance....I think they take reservations up to 355 days in advance, but it is worth it!! Very close to Wild River State Park is Wild Mountain, which in the winter is for skiing, but in the summer has water slides, etc. Stillwater, Taylor's Falls, and Wild River State Park all have historical interest as being close to where the Swedish immigrants first came to Minnesota and with the logging on the St. Croix River. I live about 30 minutes from this area so if you have any other questions E-mail me. Have fun!

Jan

When are you planning to come to MN? You might try Stillwater, which is right on the St. Croix River and has several very nice bed and breakfasts, antique shops, and restaurants right by the river. If you continue a bit further north you will come to Taylor's Falls where there is a state park, and a guided riverboat trip that is not very expensive. Wild River State Park is very close to Taylor's Falls where there are numerous hiking trails, right on the river, plus an interpretative center and is very nice. They have camping there and also camper cabins. There is also a cabin that can be rented that is very nice with two bedrooms, a kitchen, livingroon, large deck, inside and outside fireplace, and is very private. We stayed there last winter for crosscountry skiing. The cabin is not too pricey for what you get, but you have to book it far in advance....I think they take reservations up to 355 days in advance, but it is worth it!! Very close to Wild River State Park is Wild Mountain, which in the winter is for skiing, but in the summer has water slides, etc. Stillwater, Taylor's Falls, and Wild River State Park all have historical interest as being close to where the Swedish immigrants first came to Minnesota and with the logging on the St. Croix River. I live about 30 minutes from this area so if you have any other questions E-mail me. Have fun!

Jan Kopp

When are you planning to come to MN? You might try Stillwater, which is right on the St. Croix River and has several very nice bed and breakfasts, antique shops, and restaurants right by the river. If you continue a bit further north you will come to Taylor's Falls where there is a state park, and a guided riverboat trip that is not very expensive. Wild River State Park is very close to Taylor's Falls where there are numerous hiking trails, right on the river, plus an interpretative center and is very nice. They have camping there and also camper cabins. There is also a cabin that can be rented that is very nice with two bedrooms, a kitchen, livingroon, large deck, inside and outside fireplace, and is very private. We stayed there last winter for crosscountry skiing. The cabin is not too pricey for what you get, but you have to book it far in advance....I think they take reservations up to 355 days in advance, but it is worth it!! Very close to Wild River State Park is Wild Mountain, which in the winter is for skiing, but in the summer has water slides, etc. Stillwater, Taylor's Falls, and Wild River State Park all have historical interest as being close to where the Swedish immigrants first came to Minnesota and with the logging on the St. Croix River. I live about 30 minutes from this area so if you have any other questions E-mail me. Have fun!

Flo Buehler

There is an interesting small Czech town ,New Prague that is about 55 min. from Minneapolis. If you enjoy fine dining you must eat at Schumachers Hotel. The food is devine and John and Kathleen Schumacher are delightful people. We were just there a month ago and spent 2 nights at the hotel. Also very close to town was a large craft barn if you are interested in that sort of thing.

Angela

I live in Kansas City and was curious if anyone has seen both kc. zoo, after the renovation, and the Minn. zoo. We have kids, should we take the time to see the zoo or would it be similar our zoo?

Also, thanks for all of the ideas, I have written them down for our vacation.
We were thinking of driving on up to Lutsen Mountains and staying in a cabin, two bedroom, with a heated indoor pool, in late May to early June. The alpine slide looks fun as does the lighthouse. Does anybody have any ideas as to the good or bad. Or should we just hang out in the twin cities. We have a week. I heard there is some kind of kid theater??? I don't ski, but would love to see the mountains. One note on any suggestions you all might have, we don't want to waste a lot of time driving. And I have a two and five year old.

Thanks

Duke

I haven't spent a lot of time in Minnesota, but if you have kids, The Mall of America is a must. We traveled to Minnesota a few years ago and stayed in Eden Prairie, a suburb of Minneapolis-St. Paul and went to The Mall. It was fantastic. There is so much to see and do, you have to at least put aside two days. The amusement park inside The Mall is a lot better than I thought it would be, although it can be expensive. I don't know anything about campgrounds or bed and breakfasts, but I also think you should plan a trip to the Metrodome. We went there to catch part of a baseball game between the Twins and Boston Red Sox. It is certainly worth seeing. Hope this helps you out. [email protected]

Amy

Author: Angela
([email protected])
I have lived in the Twin Cities for 26 years and believe there is a lot to offer here. I have not been to the KC zoo, so can't compare, but do spend quite a bit of time at the Minnesota zoo with my four year old son. One exhibit that I think may be unique for a midwestern zoo is the Discovery Bay. There is a Dolphin show, shark exhibit, and a tide pool to name a few. There is an Imax theatre here, also. My son found it a little frightening, because the animals appear so large and it is quite loud. The movies are excellent, though. Another option is the Como Zoo which is a free zoo in St. Paul. There are so many wonderful things to do with children in this city that I could probably write all day, but I will highlight a few more of our favorites. In St. Paul there is a great children's museum. There is also a science museum that has an Omni theatre. In Bloomington there is the Mall of America which others have mentioned. In MPLS there is the Children's Theatre which puts on wonderful plays. There are many lakes with beaches and many state parks that are close by. If the weather doesn't cooperate the Shoreview communtity center has a gratuated pool that is great for small children. It has a small slide in the shallow water and a big slide for those that can swim. A drive up the North Shore is one of my favorite things to do. The shores of Lake Superior are beautiful. The state parks along the drive have a lot to offer, including many waterfalls. I always enjoy stopping at Split Rock Lighthouse. As for Lutsen I hope you won't be dissapointed. I have skied there in the winter and the views of Lake Superior are splendid, but it is a very small mountain as far as mountains are concerned. The resorts are nice there and I am sure that you would enjoy yourself. If you decide to take the drive you may want to stop at our favorite resting stop just as you enter Duluth (there are a lot of diversions in Duluth). We always stop at the outdoor play ground just off the Lake drive exit. It is a wooden structure that resembles a fort. Lot's of fun. Whatever you decide to do I am sure you will have a great vacation here in Minnesota.

Angela

Thanks for all of the info. Here's what we decided on: see Royals at the metrodome in early May, science museum, children's museum, Mall of America, and hopefully children's theater, and the zoo. We decided not to drive up to Lutsen since the lighthouse etc. isn't open at that time and it's an awful long drive. I am very close to booking a room at the Arrowwood Resort in Alexandria. Any comments on the resort? I also thought Cragun's in Braiden (sorry, forgot how to spell it)looked good. We hope to take it easy, my husband to fish, swim indoors, and ride horses. Wow, do you Minnesota folk have a lot of lakes!!! I thought we had a lot here in MO.

Diane

When I was a little girl, my family used to go to a lake in Babbit, Minnesota, near the iron range. It was a summer vacation lodge with cabins and a main house where they baked bread and rolls everyday. You could cook in your cabin, but the food there was so good, it was hard to pass up. My aunt, uncle and cousins would also go and we all had a fabulous time sailing, swimming and fishing. Minnesota is a gorgeous state.

Sara CushmanA

I also live in Minneapolis. If you are in the city, you should not miss walking around the chain of lakes also. Personally i think the mall of America is a waste of time. I have heard good things about Arrowood, but was not impressed with Cragun's. Actually a great resort 21/2 - 3 hrs from Mpls is Lakewoods. It is actually located in Northwestern Wisconsin, but is on a great lake in a beautiful area.

Dii

Hi Angela, Are you sure the Split Rock Lighthouse isn't open in late May or June? We have gone there many times and at different times of year and that is tourist season in N. Mn. It is really interesting, as is the Ship Canal Museum in Duluth. I think you would like Lutsen Mtn. in early summer with kids. They have several different lodges and lots of activities for kids and families. WE have been there both in summer and winter (we live in Calif.) and love it. It isn't Mtn. skiing but then you won't be skiing in May or June anyway. Also check out Grand Marais - about 15 miles from Lutsen. It's charming. I agree with the others who urge you to see Mall of America and the Minesota Zoo. Both are fun and a surprise to us too. Have a great trip.

Vicki

Try Stillwater for B & B's - lots but book early. And you must go to the Mall of America. It's amazing there are like four American Eagles, three Victoria Secret's, three Nine WEst shops - you get the picture. There is also the Underwater World - the lower level of the mall. Lots of underwater creatures found in the MN area. So much to do start early. Then there is the Camp Snoopy Amusement Park in the mddle of the mall with about 12 rides - it's really neat...even for adults! Have fun.

Vicki

Angela - besides lakes MN has so many trees - it's amazing even in downtown Saint Paul and te surrounding areas.