Travelcat

My husband and I are considering a trip to Minnesota the 1st week of June. We have never been and have no idea where to stay or what to do there. We are looking for some quiet time near the water w/ some outdoor activities, but not necessarily too far from the city. Any suggestions would do.

utahtea

We visited Minnesota a few years ago and fell in love with the area north of Duluth.

Hwy 61 is a beautiful drive. Bluffs with scenic overlooks, lighthouses, waterfalls and places to hike. I wish we had more time to spend in the area. We were in our motorhome and were camping in late May and had beautiful weather.


Utahtea

E

I'm really not an expert on this area, but I have heard that the area Utahtea describes is just gorgeous, so if it were me, I would plan to spend, say 3-4 days in and around the Twin Cities, taking in museums, restaurants, etc., and perhaps another 3-4 days driving north and along the shore of Lake Superior. There are lots of famously charming small towns all around the state, too, so you could cut the city time shorter to do some day trips. Wish I could be more helpful!

rwilliams

Red Wing MN is a very nice sleepy little town on the Mississippi not too far from MSP. The St. James Hotel
was the highest rated hotel in the state as recently as 5 years ago, but I haven't visited RW in awhile.
Stillwater MN is also a nice side trip from MSP, on the Mississippi straight east.
But for shorescapes and water scenery, the drive north of Duluth is the best in the state by far.

Cali

We like all parts of MN but I totally agree that the North Shore of Lake Superior between Duluth and Grand Marais are beautiful. We even like to spend a day or two in Duluth and wander around the lakewalk and enjoy the Canal Park Area. You must make reservations for this whole area early if you are going in the summer as they fill up quickly. Might not be as bad the first week of June tho. There are lots of places to stay along the shore and we particularly love Grand Marais. It is a quaint little town on the water with lots of art and shops. Enjoy your trip.

queenbee

I am a native, and every summer we vacation right here in our own state. It is beautiful in the summer. I would say Duluth and then drive up the North Shore, there are many Inns and B&B's and hotels all the way up. If you want to go more upscale there are resorts as well, such as Lutsen and many others. Be sure to make many stops along the way. And like "Cali" said make reservations soon. We vacation at a lake near Grand Rapids,MN at a resort with small cabins, it is very nice. Also we do a day trip to Itasca State Park where the Mississippi River begins. Itasca is incredible (you can rent bikes and hike) and near Bemidji which is a pretty large town. Lots of places to stay around there.
Also as another mentioned Red Wing is nice, as well as Northfield(which is a college town). Both are close to the Twin Cities if you are interested in being closer. We have lots of museums and a good theater scence, also if you are into it we have the Mall of America. Hope this helps!!

bookhall

If you do take the lovely drive along the North Shore of Lake Superior, plan to overnight in Two Harbors.

The lighthouse there is a B&B. Run by the Lake County Historical Society, there are three rooms. As there is no resident overnight innkeeper, you'll be assistant Lighthouse Keepers for the night. It's a delight--rates are about $125 a night, great views, and an excellent breakfast when the cook comes in and does the deed in the morning. Go to www.lighthousebb.org for more details.

paige

We are going to Minneapolis over Memorial Day weekend to visit our daughter. We will arrive Friday afternoon and leave very early on Tuesday morning. I think we have to do Mall of America for our teenage daughter on Saturday.

Can someone tell me how much driving time is involved from downtown Minneapolis to some of these areas? I'd really love to see Lake Superior, but that's probably too far for a day trip. How far is Itasca State Park?

queenbee

Itasca is pretty far, it's like 5 hours away. Duluth is about 2 1/2 hours, you could do a day trip, but it is a lot of driving. I really like Northfield and Red Wing, they are smaller towns with a lot of character. Lots of little shops and restaurants and both easy day trips. Also Minnehaha Falls is a great place to go in Minneapolis, it is very pretty and very close. Enjoy!

TC

Travelcat, Why not stay right IN the Cities? We have beautiful lakes - Lake Calhoun, Lake of the Isles, and Lake Harriet, within the city limits of Minneapolis. There are wonderful activities in and around those lakes. You can rent small sailboats, canoes, peddle boats. You can fish. You can roller skate or walk on paths around any or all of those lakes as they interconnect. You can get great picnics at any number of delis in the area - I recommend D'Amico & Sons and have a picnic. The "Uptown" area - near these lakes is a wonderful urban shopping and dining area. Try Campiellos for great Italian. You can golf. When you tire of the outdoor scene, you will still have access to museums and theater or outdoor concerts at either the Lake Harriet Bandshell or Orchestra Hall. The Mall in downtown Minneapolis is a superb place to dine and stroll in the evenings. Yes, you can get to The Mall of America as well. I would sugget staying at The Nicollet Island Inn - which is a beautiful small boutique hotel on an island in the Mississippi River right downtown Minneapolis or any of the smaller boutique style hotels on the Mall in Minneapolis. For a fun afternoon, rent a car and drive "out to the lake" - that being Lake Minnetonka - about a 30 minuite drive. Several small communities around that lake are great - Wayzata for example or Excelsior. You might try dinner and a show at The Old Log theater or dinner at one of the lakeside restaurants or even have dinner and a cruise with Al & Alma (www.al-almas.com) While the North Shore IS beautiful, its a long drive and there is so much to see and do right here inside the city limits. With only a week, I'd consider staying close and maybe making the day trip to Duluth if you really feel the need to explore.

HaveVisaWillTravel

Great suggestions for her TC. Lets not forgot historical downtown St. Paul as well. Stay at the St. Paul Hotel, make sure to get a room overlooking Rice Park. See what's playing at the Ordway that week. Visit the beautiful and historical Landmark Center/Tower. If it's rainy or just too humid for you, the Science Museum is just a stroll away, make sure to see what's playing in the Omnitheater. If you were here last night you could have seen the Minnesota Wild win at the Xcel Center. Enjoy!

Marie

I think that yes, you should allow AT LEAST 2 days (preferably 3-4)for a trip to Duluth and the north shore. You've received some great suggestions for things to do right here in the Twin Cities. If you do decide to do a day trip from the Cities, you can choose from several destinations - Red Wing (about 1 1/2 hours away, depending on where you are in the Twin Cities), Stillwater (on the Wisconsin border), Wayzata or Excelsior (which are really western suburbs), Northfield (town motto is cows, college and contentment) or one more - Taylors Falls, an hour north of the city, where the river has carved out unusual rock formations (take a picnic and watch the rock climbers!).

PamT

And don't forget historic Stillwater. Lots of antiques, shops, restaurants. Take a ride on the paddle boat for sightseeing or a dinner cruise. Tour the city on the trolley. Wonderful river town with lots to do and beautiful scenery and less than a hour from Minneapolis on the east side.