We are flying into Minneapolis in late March, renting a car and then driving to Mason City the following day. Looking for suggestions of best location to stay in the Minneapolis area before heading to Mason City the following day and 1/2 day activities for Minneapolis or along the way to Mason City.

Twenty minutes south of Mnpls. is Northfield which is a quintessential college town (with Carleton and St. Olaf Colleges). It has a lively historic downtown lined with restaurawnts, coffeehouses, art galleries and boutiques shops. There is the 3,600-acre Clear Lake State Park west of Mason City. https://www.traveliowa.com/places/cl...tate-park/989/

Thanks, Northfield sounds like a great choice.

If you are arriving at rush hour there are chain hotels just south of the airport, although the airport is already on the south side of town so it won’t be too terrible. You have to immediately do a river crossing which backs traffic up a bit.

This is about a 1-1/2 hour drive so not a whole lot to see.

In Owatonna there is a small Louis Sullivan designed bank.

West of Mason City is the Surf Ballroom and the Buddy Holly crash site.

It’s a detour but in Austin is the Spam Museum.

There is a Frank Lloyd Wright hotel in Mason City.

Thanks. Northfield sounds like a great place to stay and visit. We are arriving at 5 pm and getting our rental car depending on how we feel we may choose to grab dinner and stay closer to the airport. We love roadside America-type attractions and look forward to visiting the Buddy Holly sites. We are staying in the Historic Park Inn. All this to pick up a one-way relocation camper van rental at Winnebago in Forest City. Excited and surprised to be able to see these sites. Who knew?

There’s a guy from PBS Wisconsin who does short travel shows about small towns or city neighborhoods, in WI plus the 4 adjoining states (and Indiana). The current show name is “John McGivern’s Main Streets.” I bring it up because he did a show on Northfield but I can’t find it. Here’s one on Austin

https://mainstreets.tv/austin-minnesota/

I just watched one of his shows on the Amana Colonies, and if you are headed for I-80 eastbound that is worth a stop.


Be forewarned this guy is way perkier than Rick Steves.