Will be visiting son in Burnsville and would like to travel somewhere for the weekend of June 14 & 15. I was thinking of going up to Duluth and thereabouts. Any suggestions welcome. Some walking, i.e. nature trails o.k. but though I am not handicapped I'm not the most fit 60 something but I do like the outdoors as opposed to shopping excursions. Thanks for any responses.

My family and I spent a 3 day weekend on the North Shore in October 2006. Duluth was our first stop. We spent time in Canal Park, watching the boats go in and out and seeing the Aerial Lift Bridge. We also drove out to a peninsula-like area where there were sandy beaches. Wish I could remember the name, but maybe someone else from the area knows it. At the end of our trip we ended up in Grand Marais, so we pretty much saw everything in between. Gooseberry Falls was probably a huge highlight for my whole family. We were more into doing outdoor activities, so I can't comment on any nightlife or what goes on in Duluth besides outdoor stuff, but I think just visiting the area will keep you busy doing whatever!

I suggest you also post your questions in the Minnesota forum, where you might get more bites.

Thank you so much. I didn't know there were individual forums for each state. I'll find it and post as you suggest!

there are not individual forums.

there are only search tags that are applied to each post. these are helpful for people who are looking for info about a specific state, but are probably not going to help you get more answers. Most of us, I think, look at the postings in the US as a whole.

you did fine, putting Minneapolis in the header.

I personally really like Duluth and the North Shore Area. The Canal Park area in Duluth has many motels/hotels as well as restaurants and shops and it is fun to walk along the lake walk as well as see the ships come in under the Aerial Lift Bridge. They have a nice museum there and and you can find out when the ships are going in and out and they tell you all about the ships and their loads. Really interesting and the huge ships are just yards away from you as they enter the harbor. You can also tour the Irvin which is a retired Flagship ore carrier - very interesting. It is right next to the DECC and Canal Park. I believe there is also a retired Coast Guard Cutter there but I have not toured it. You can also take a boat tour on the Vista Boats. You can find them over by the DECC. Glensheen Mansion is interesting and it is on London Road as you head out of Duluth and up the North Shore. Take the scenic route from Duluth to Two Harbors as it is beautiful and stays close to the lake for the most part. If you like pie, don't forget a atop at Betty's Pies which is on Hwy 61 just north of Duluth. A little further up the Shore you can hike Gooseberry Falls - a beautiful Area. From there, you can head to Split Rock Lighthouse which is very well known and a fun place to tour. Between Silver Bay and Grand Marais there are many beautiful areas to take pictures and hike along falls and the lake. I like Tettagouche State Park and Cascade State Park. There are others too. I love Grand Marais. It is 110 miles north of Duluth and is a beautiful little town right on the lake. There is a flourishing art community there as well as restaurants, hotels and shops. There are also some condos that can be rented. I have stayed at Best Western Superior Inn (right by downtown) and we liked it very much but have heard good things about Aspen Inn and also the Condos that are right on the harbor. If you aren't up to any hiking you can just drive along and see the beauty and hit the shops and restaurants along the way. Have fun!!

Also agree with Duluth and North Shore

See northshorevisitor.com

And china_cat is correct. There are no state forums. Those are only search features. All questions/posts go to the United States forum.

Thanks Buffy9297 and Cali for the itinerary I shall follow, dfr4848 for the informative link,and china-cat for the info and reassurance. Seems to be about a 3 hr. drive from Burnsville to Duluth, then we can meander up and find hotel/motel to spend Sat.night whereever we happen to be. If we end up in Grand Marais, how best to go back to Burnsville for scenic drive home?

KRNS - Between Duluth and Burnsville I really don't think there's a "scenic" drive. I 35 is about it, especially if you've got some time constraints. [If we've missed something, someone can chime in]. The return on 61 to Duluth is still scenic IMO - you just get different views/perspectives on the return.

I agree that really the only route back to Mpls. from Duluth is I-35W. Not a lot to see but it gets you there pretty fast. If you like caramel or cinnamon rolls you can stop at Tobies in Hinckley as they are known for them. I only like them when they are fresh tho - not a day later. The trip up and down Hwy 61 from Duluth to Grand Marais and back is very scenic in both directions and you see things differently from each direction. Have a good trip.

TTT for KRNS