Simple Summer: Low

Wading Into Myth

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We took a lesson from the Swedish—known as "lagom"—and rounded up these Minnesota travel tips that inspire us to do less but enjoy what we do more.

by Sharon S. Kessler

June 1, 2023

12:00 AM

Photo courtesy of Explore Minnesota

Itasca State Park features the scenic start of the Mississippi River.

lagom [law-gom]: a Swedish philosophy meaning "not too much, not too little"

As summer vacation time nears, you’re probably creating a checklist and an itinerary so you can fit in as much as possible. You might be putting together "the trip of a lifetime."

Setting high expectations and cramming in as much as possible could make your trip memorable—but maybe not in a good way.

Instead, what if you thought of your vacation as savoring a delicious piece of cake? Not too much, not too little—just enough to deeply enjoy.

That's basically how to describe lagom ("LAW-gom"), a Swedish mindset for how to embrace balanced living. Ingrid Nyholm-Lange describes it as "the happy middle," and it can apply to just about anything in life.

Nyholm-Lange, the director of experience at the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis, grew up in Chicago in a Swedish household surrounded by family and friends speaking English and Swedish interchangeably. Lagom was always a part of her vocabulary.

"I would hear my parents and their friends; they would sometimes talk about it in terms of even politics or celebrating," she says. "You don't want that pendulum to swing too far to the right or too far to the left; you want to stay in the middle."

It's something she has passed down to her children, she says. "I might say, even to my kids who are in college—when we’re talking about how long we want to go on a camping trip...they’ll say, ‘You know, just lagom, like three or four days.’"

Everything in moderation—we can vacation like that right here in Minnesota, too. Hop aboard—no pushing—there's a lot to see and do, but it could be better in smaller bites.

"We can run around as fast as we want, but there's something to be said about slowing down."

—Ingrid Nyholm-Lange, American Swedish Institute

Photo by Gary Hamer

Soak in the rugged and remote Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

BOOK PICKS:

Live Lagom: Balanced Living, the Swedish Way by Anna Brones

The Book of Lagom: The Swedish Way of Living Just Right by Göran Everdahl

Live Laugh Lagom: Enough Is Enough by Lola A. Åkerström

The Lagom Life: A Swedish Way of Living by Elisabeth Carlsson

Photo by Gary Hamer

The swaying prairie grasses of Blue Mounds State Park

It's not the length of the hike that matters—it's the experience. What these hikes lack in distance, they make up for in close connection to nature and time to revel in the sights, sounds, and splendor of summer.

John A. Latsch State Park

Once you catch your breath, you’ll see that the 592-step (half-mile) climb up Mount Charity was worth the effort. The steep-but-short Riverview Trail ends with an expansive view of the Mississippi River Valley near Winona. Charity and her sister bluffs, Faith and Hope, loom 500 feet above the river and served as navigation markers for 1850s steamboat captains. Thank the Civilian Conservation Corps for building the steps to the top in 1933. Now, it's a great spot to watch eagles soar and other birds and wildlife go about their business. Going up or down, take a rest on benches at the halfway point. This day-only park has a picnic area and firepit. Minnesota City, 507-312-2300

Blue Mounds State Park

A visit to this southern Minnesota park is virtually the opposite of going Up North. Bison graze in a remnant of the state's tallgrass prairie landscape, where bluestem grasses grow to 7 feet tall and prickly pear cacti bloom against the backdrop of the Sioux quartzite ridge. Drink in the view at Eagle Rock Vista, where a 1-mile trail leads you on an easy trek along the cliffs. Beyond that are 13 miles of easy to moderate trails that immerse visitors in lush prairie grasses, wildflowers, and birding. Camping? Try for a spot near the wildlife viewing pond, or reserve one of the two tipis, which sleep six. Luverne, 507-283-6050

Photo by Gary Hamer

The quartzite cliffs at Blue Mounds State Park.

Whitewater State Park

Photo by MN DNR

The fan-favorite Chimney Rock Trail may seem short, but the 1.1-mile loop packs a breathtaking punch as you ascend to Chimney Rock and behold the scenic bluff overlook with views of the Whitewater River. You may feel like something is missing as you enjoy the jaunt this time of year. It's not your imagination: Those mosquitoes are nowhere to be found thanks to the absence of standing water, which our least-favorite Minnesota pests need to breed. Instead, you’ll find a landscape of cool, brisk streams to enjoy on your hike. While you’re in the area, visit the Whitewater Wildlife Management Area, home to steep ravine walls, groves of eastern red cedar, a winding gravel road, and dozens of waterfowl species for spying. Altura, 507-312-2300

Lake Bronson State Park

Photo courtesy of Kurt Barclay Gearjunkie

Lake Bronson State Park

The result of a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project during the Great Depression, Lake Bronson State Park is rich in cultural resources that you can experience during a summer visit, such as Arvilla artifacts, pioneer cemeteries and homesteads, historic WPA buildings, and a dam. Long before the park was given to the state in 1937, the area was used by Native Americans living on the shores of glacial Lake Agassiz. Lake Bronson sits in the Tallgrass Aspen Parkland, and the 1.75-mile Aspen Parkland Trail takes you on a gentle stroll through a mostly flat prairie forest. View the unique aspen parkland landscape and discover its story through interpretive signs. Rent a canoe, kayak, or boat from the park office, or check out a free birding kit, GPS unit, Kids Discovery Kit, or fishing kit (cast a line from its long wooden fishing pier!). Since last year, the park has also offered glasses for people with red-green color blindness to see the vibrant colors outdoors. Lake Bronson, 218-754-2200

Cascade River State Park

Right off Highway 61 in Lutsen, you can take a short walk from the parking lot and be rewarded with a trifecta of waterfalls—making for a perfect photo op and a real bang for your buck. Though the path connects to the lengthy Superior Hiking Trail, it's easy to be content with a short loop to and around the waterfalls. Bonus: Stairs and bridges make this easy to navigate for most. Lutsen, 218-387-6000

Photo courtesy of MN DNR

A very short jaunt promises a rush of falls at Cascade River State Park.

Big Bog State Recreation Area

Move over, Paul Bunyan—Minnesota is home to something really big: the largest peat bog in the lower 48 states. Its mile-long boardwalk in the northern unit will get you safely up close to native carnivorous plants and less-scary orchids. The bog, a source of medicinal plants for Ojibwe Native Americans, is home to 300 bird species and reptiles such as the western painted turtle and northern leopard frog. Interpretive signage helps you see the bog's fascinating features, and benches along the stroller- and wheelchair-accessible boardwalk give you a chance to sit still and drink in the scenery. Waskish, 218-888-7310

Photo courtesy of Explore Minnesota

Big Bog State Recreation Area has the largest patterned peatland in the lower 48 states.

Photo courtesy of Dave Bellis

I Can! state park programs are designed to teach families the basics of camping and other outdoor activities, such as mountain biking, fishing, and paddling. Gear and hands-on instruction from knowledgeable crews are provided. As overnight beginning campers, you’ll learn about everything from setting up your tent to starting a campfire and using a cookstove. Just bring your sleeping bag. Your registered group will have its own camping space with a private picnic table. Once you set up camp, there are other activities to entertain both adults and kids, including geocaching, fishing, and hiking. Yes, you can get the whole family involved. dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/ican

Try these tranquil train, trolley, and gondola rides.

The Como-Harriet and Excelsior streetcar lines

Get ready for a transit experience that takes you back to the first half of the 1900s, when the Twin Cities’ thriving trolley system was among the best in the country. At the Minnesota Streetcar Museum in south Minneapolis, you can soak up some history and then hop aboard a historic restored trolley—a museum on wheels—for a 15-minute ride that feels like time travel. The museum's demonstration railways in Minneapolis and Excelsior run on weekends through the summer. Hop off at the lake, take a walk, and visit local shops and eateries. Both lines also have special events, such as Summer Santa; Story Time Trolley; Independence Day; a Streetcar Murder Mystery; and Motorettes Day, which celebrates the women who ran the streetcars during World War II.

The Como-Harriet Line runs weekends 12:30–8:30 pm through August 12; Wednesday and Friday afternoons 1–4 pm through September 1; and Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings 6:30–8:30 pm through September 1. The Excelsior trolley runs on summer weekends from 10 am–4 pm. trolleyride.org, 952-922-1096

Photo courtesy of Minnesota Streetcar Museum

The Como-Harriet Streetcar Line pays tribute to our state's streetcar history.

North Shore Scenic Railroad

History and gorgeous scenery will be your companions aboard the vintage Duluth Zephyr train ride, departing several times a day (May to mid-October) from Duluth's Historic Union Depot. Relax and learn about the harbor's history on the narrated 75-minute excursion as the train rumbles through Canal Park and along Lake Superior's shore. Or get aboard one of the many special excursions, including the Grandma's Marathon Viewer (June 17 this year), where the train keeps pace with runners for the first few miles of the race. Don't worry—you’ll be back in time to see the first finishers arrive. Solve a crime on the Murder Mystery Express (Aug. 14-Sept. 1), or get gussied up for the Elegant Dinner Train (Aug. 19-Sept. 30). duluthtrains.com, 218-722-1273

Lutsen Gondola and Slide

Heading to Lutsen isn't only a winter getaway; summer is also a great time to experience the Sawtooth Mountains. If you want to chill out, hop on the Summit Express gondola for a gentle 1,000-foot climb to the top of Moose Mountain. Savor the 360-degree view of the wooded terrain, Poplar River, and Lake Superior's rugged shoreline. Keep your eyes open for eagles, pine marten, and other wildlife as you explore hiking trails or bask in the scenery over lunch at the Summit Chalet. Catch the gondola to glide down. Want some thrill? Take the Alpine Slide, which starts with a relaxing chairlift ride up Eagle Mountain and ends with a heart-pumping half-mile twisting sled ride down a track. Gondola open daily through October 15; slide open daily through September 4. lutsen.com, 218-663-7281

Photo courtesy of Explore Minnesota

On the Lutsen gondola, nature becomes a spectator sport.

Stillwater Trolley and Gondola Romantica

Photo courtesy of Explore Minnesota

Get a history lesson on a Stillwater trolley.

All aboard! In a 45-minute trolley tour, get a crash course in the history and folklore of this quaint riverside city that started as a lumber port and evolved into a staycation magnet with Victorian-style mansions, ice cream and malt stops, and boutiques galore. For the littles, the Story Time Trolley—less history and more storybook—runs every Saturday, June through October.

Give your type A some time off and go with the flow aboard a Gondola Romantica gondola. The St. Croix River becomes Venice—striped-shirted, straw-hatted gondolier and everything—on a 45-minute or one-hour ride. Bring a picnic and beverages for your daytime or moonlit cruise. "Hey Siri, play ‘That's Amore.’" Stillwater, stillwatertrolley.com, 651-430-0352; gondolaromantica.com, 651-439-1783

Photo courtesy of MN DNR

The Lost 40 is home to giant red and white pine.

Photo courtesy of MN DNR

The Lost 40 is one of Minnesota's greatest natural treasures: 144 acres of old-growth forest left untouched by loggers in 1882 because of a surveying error. It's the ultimate forest-bathing. Find the interpretive trail in the Chippewa National Forest, take the short hike, and spend some quality time among the towering "lost" red and white pines—now between 230 and 240 years old. The Lost 40 is also an Audubon Important Bird Area. Northhome, fs.usda.gov, 218-335-8600

Glendalough State Park offers a quiet escape from civilization with one of the largest tracts of undeveloped lakeshore in west-central Minnesota, where the prairie and the Northwoods meet. Fish peacefully on Annie Battle Lake, where motorized craft are not allowed; the water is crystal clear; and sunfish, crappie, and an occasional walleye are biting. Glide along the paved bike trail loop or wander on the hiking trails that wind past five lakes, wooded areas, and open prairie. Observation decks allow you to pause, reflect, and observe abundant wildlife, and two sandy-bottom lakes are perfect for swimming. Near Annie Battle Lake, there are cart-in or canoe-in campsites. There are four camper cabins (one ADA accessible) in the park, which sleep up to six and have electricity and propane heat. Even though it's one of the state's quietest parks, it still has amenities, including showers. Battle Lake, dnr.state.mn.us, 218-261-6900

Photo courtesy of Explore Minnesota

Check out and cool off at Glendalough State Park.

Photo courtesy of MN DNR

Step back in time at Old Mill State Park's original log cabin.

Argyle, a quiet little pocket in the northwestern corner of the state, describes itself as "the ideal place to live and raise a family," according to its welcome sign, and boasts one of the quietest state park getaways, according to the DNR. Old Mill State Park was homesteaded in 1882, with a group of mills later built in and around the area, and contains numerous hiking trails, a swimming area, a swinging bridge, and an original log cabin and steam-powered flour mill. The steam engine and mill are fired up each year as part of the park's special events. Since the park loosely follows the Dark Skies Initiative, there is little to no light pollution—a prime spot for night-sky chasers. Argyle, dnr.state.mn.us, 218-754-2200

Photo courtesy of MN DNR

Cross the historic bridge at Old Mill State Park.

Photo courtesy of MN DNR

Yurt Camping is a great option for city slickers or those just a bit squeamish about sleeping in a tent. Minnesota state parks now have seven yurts for lodging. The yurts aren't guaranteed to keep the mosquitoes out, but they accommodate up to seven people. You’ll feel nice and cozy under the domed roof, with bunk beds, a table and chairs, and a wood-burning stove. Just like an upscale hotel, you can reserve a yurt. But unlike an upscale hotel, the yurts rent for $80 a night. It's a rather lagom way to vacation—not too much, not too little. There are two yurts in Afton State Park, two at Glendalough State Park, and three at Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area. Reserve online at reservemn.usedirect.com/minnesotaweb or by calling 1-866-857-2757.

Photo courtesy of MN DNR

Say yes to yurts! Stay at one in Glendalough State Park.

Photo courtesy of Sisu and Löyly

Soak in scenic views after a steamy sauna at Sisu and Löyly in Grand Marais.

Downtime is not only good for the soul—it's necessary. Here are some destinations that will help you pause and reset.

Mount Olivet Conference and Retreat Center offers personal retreats with lodging and locally sourced meals about 30 minutes south of St. Paul, in Farmington. The retreat center on Chub Lake can help you slow down, recharge, and breathe. Farmington, mtolivetretreat.org, 952-469-2175

ARC Retreat Community in Stanchfield (about an hour north of Minneapolis) is the perfect setting for a truly rustic retreat. Wander the 90 acres of wetland and woodland trails, read a book in your cottage, or schedule a massage. ARC keeps your kitchenette stocked with coffee, tea, fruit, and breakfast foods and delivers fresh vegetarian meals to your doorstep. Stanchfield, arcretreat.org, 763-689-3540

Yoga + Wine. Winehaven Winery lives up to its name, hosting yoga two Saturdays a month through the summer that includes a post-flow pour. Chisago City, winehaven.com, 651-257-1017

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum hosts seasonal retreats, including the Summer Solstice Yoga Retreat. Relax your mind, body, and spirit with daylong class rotations, from Yin and Meditative Movement to Reiki Sound Bath Meditation. Full- and half-day retreat options, as well as a prepurchased lunch, are available. June 24. Chaska, arb.umn.edu, 612-624-2200

Photo courtesy of Minnesota landscape arboretum

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum's rose gardens star 400 varieties of roses.

Boreal Bliss Yoga Retreats holds multiday yoga retreat weekends at various locations, including Brainerd, Longville, and northwest of Grand Marais near the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, where you will bliss out with meditation, workshops, and gourmet meals to revel in rejuvenation. borealblissyogaretreats.com

Photo courtesy of Ashley Bredemus

Boreal Bliss Yoga retreat.

Sisu and Löyly offers a Nordic sauna experience overlooking the East Bay and Artists’ Point in Grand Marais. Choose between a private or community sauna experience, and then cycle through the heating and cooling rounds as you listen to the waves. Enjoy the complimentary locally sourced tea and coffee in the lounge. You’ll leave refreshed and relaxed. Reserve online. Grand Marais, sisuandloyly.com

Photo courtesy of Explore Minnesota

Families love Minnesota's oldest state park, Itasca State Park.

Traveling with the whole family? Break down age barriers with these unique experiences for grandparents, parents, and kids alike.

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove is a place where adults can reminisce about growing up with the beloved books and TV series and kids can discover the Little House on the Prairie for the first time. Eight buildings—including the red schoolhouse—make up the museum grounds, telling the history of the Ingalls family and other pioneers to Walnut Grove. walnutgrove.org, ​507-859-2358

Photo courtesy of Explore Minnesota

Itasca State Park is Minnesota's oldest state park and probably the one that shows up most often in Minnesota family photo albums. The hop, skip, and jump across the source of the Mississippi River is a bonding experience passed on through generations. A stop at the Mary Gibbs Mississippi Headwaters Center will refresh your memory about the river and its historic and cultural role in American life. With more than 220 campsites, plus cabins, suites, and rooms at historic Douglas Lodge, the park is a perfect spot for a family outing. Your group will easily fill an afternoon, a weekend, or a week enjoying the 10-mile Wilderness Drive and the climb up Aiton Heights Fire Tower to see the forest from above. Add this one to your "must-do" list. Park Rapids, dnr.state.mn.us, 218-699-7251

Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park is a great place to explore a cave—safely—as a family activity. Join a tour of the Mystery Cave, near Preston, where park naturalists guide you past stalactites, stalagmites, and underground pools, explaining how they formed. On a sweltering day, it's the place to be, because it's always 48 degrees in the cave. (Contact the park for ADA-accessible tours.) Aboveground, Historic Forestville awaits with its restored 1800s pioneer village. On a guided tour of Historic Forestville, you will meet some historic residents and learn how alike and different their life was from yours. It's certain to spark some intergenerational conversations at lunch or on the ride home. Preston, dnr.state.mn.us, 507-352-5111; mnhs.org/forestville, 507-765-2785

Photo courtesy of MN DNR

Mystery Cave, near Preston, is a treasure trove of stalactites and stalagmites.

Photo courtesy of Explore Minnesota

Jeffers Petroglyphs offers electric all-terrain chairs.

The Jeffers Petroglyphs are 7,000-year-old images carved into an outcropping of Sioux quartzite in southern Minnesota, near Comfrey. The roughly 5,000 rock carvings depicting buffalo, turtles, and other designs were the work of ancestors of today's Native Americans, and tribal groups consider it a sacred space. Take a self-guided tour on the designated path. Evening light offers the best viewing, and you can go barefoot or wear socks to explore the carvings up close in the evenings until 8 pm through September 4. The trail from the visitor center leads to the petroglyphs and is wheelchair accessible. The longer prairie trail leads you on a walk through prairie grasses and a "buffalo rub," where ancient bison with an itch polished rock to a smooth finish. The Jeffers Petroglyphs is one of six state trails to offer electric all-terrain chairs to allow visitors access to trails that would be difficult to traverse with a conventional wheelchair. Comfrey, mnhs.org/jefferspetroglyphs, 507-628-5591

Carlos Creek Winery offers a walk on the "wine" side, with tours of the vineyards and production areas and live music every Saturday. Sample the best brews of summer at the Minnesota Craft Lager Fest, featuring the work of 20 craft breweries (June 17). Browse the Minnesota Made Summer Market, an outdoor showcase of local arts and crafts vendors (June 30). Gourmet wood-fired pizza and Sizzle Food Truck flat-top fare are on-site. The winery is family and dog friendly and wheelchair accessible. Alexandria, carloscreekwinery.com, 320-846-5443

Photo courtesy of Explore Minnesota

Hill Annex Mine State Park

Hill Annex Mine State Park on the Mesabi Iron Range offers a wheelchair-accessible mining tour, where you can travel back in time and trace the route miners took to reach their workplace in an open-pit mine. The 90-minute tour runs on Fridays and Saturdays between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. Calumet, dnr.state.mn.us, 218-571-2600

Westwood Hills Nature Center At this hidden gem in the middle of St. Louis Park, glide along more than 2 miles of meandering paved, boardwalk, and crushed concrete trails surrounding Westwood Lake. The striking new Zero Energy–certified interpretive center can be enjoyed year-round. stlouisparkmn.gov, 952-924-2544

All-Terrain Track Chairs

Photo courtesy of MN DNR

All-terrain chairs are just the latest way that Minnesota has sought to make its state parks more accessible since 1990, when Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act. Water and rugged terrain might always limit accessibility in some spots, but all-terrain electric chairs can help visitors explore areas of state parks in new ways, often on trails that are not suitable for regular wheelchairs. The chairs are available free of charge for anyone who has a need. A state parks vehicle permit is required, but they are discounted for anyone with a disability hang tag. Call ahead to reserve a chair.

Track chairs are available at Camden State Park, 507-872-7031; Crow Wing State Park, 218-825-3075; Lake Bemidji State Park, 218-308-2300; McCarthy Beach State Park, 218-274-7200 (beach chair); Maplewood State Park, 218-863-8383; and Myre-Big Island State Park, 507-668-7060. dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/track-chairs

Photo courtesy of Explore Minnesota

Midsommar

There are lots of ways to get your Swedish on in Minnesota. From pastries and crafts to music and dancing, you can connect or reconnect with the Swede in or around you.

Photo courtesy of Explore Minnesota

The American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis

Gammelgården Museum of Scandia tells the story of Swedish immigrants and encourages visitors to examine their own stories and experiences. It's a great place to take Swedish lessons and learn about Swedish folk painting. The big event each summer is Midsommar Dag, an outdoor celebration of Swedish culture, food, and craft. Watch the raising of the majstång (maypole), and then dance around it to traditional Swedish music. 10 am–4 pm, June 24, on the grounds of the Gammelgården Museum, 20880 Olinda Trail N., Scandia. Check Gammelgården's online calendar for year-round events. gammelgardenmuseum.org

Photo courtesy of Explore Minnesota

A girl rides a Dala horse at the American Swedish Institute.

Explore Minnesota has put together a three-day Swedish heritage tour across the metro region. The place to start is the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis. The ASI campus comprises two contrasting buildings: a historic mansion featuring carved wood, Swedish wool rugs, and porcelain kakelugnar, and an adjacent modern gallery that includes a café serving Nordic fare such as potato dumplings, meatballs, and gravlax. Day 2 takes you about an hour northeast to the Swedish towns of Scandia and Lindström, on the Minnesota side of the upper St. Croix River Valley. Scandia features monuments and a museum marking original Swedish settlements in the 1850s. Lindström stands out with its water tower in the shape of a Swedish coffeepot, the home that inspired fictional immigrant Karl Oskar, and traditional Swedish restaurants. Day 3 takes you back south to Bloomington for shopping and lunch at Sweden's retail gift to the world: IKEA. exploreminnesota.com

Photo courtesy of Explore Minnesota

Lindström's iconic coffeepot water tower

Photo courtesy of North House Folk School

One project includes building kayaks by hand

Sweden's premier craft school was founded in 1922 to preserve the craft of traditional Swedish weaving and give women a way to support themselves. Since then, Sätergläntan has been the North Star of a movement to produce objects that combine form and function, create a connection to place and history, and use sustainable tools and techniques.

Photo courtesy of North House Folk School

An instructor and student work together in a wood-turning class at North House Folk School

That vision inspired some of Sweden's best handcraft artists and students to embrace a slower pace of life and focus not only on preserving a craft but on expanding and enhancing it. That vision found its way to America and informs ASI's approach to teaching and sharing handcrafts.

This month (June 23–25), ASI and North House Folk School are celebrating Sätergläntan's 100th birthday by welcoming a delegation of artisans from the Swedish craft school. The four visiting instructors will lead workshops on weaving, woodworking, sewing, and blacksmithing, all of which you can attend virtually. Even if you don't have a notion to craft, be sure to check out the ASI exhibition Leaving Your Mark: Stories in Wood, featuring the work of former Sätergläntan students. It might inspire you to enroll in one of ASI's craft classes.

Photo courtesy of North House Folk School

A student completes a rosemaling project

"All tradition is change," says Ingrid Nyholm-Lange, ASI's director of experience. "These handcrafts have lasted over hundreds of years and there is tradition to it. But there are young artists who are updating the craft by stopping and taking time."

She adds, "There is something to be said about slow craft. We do multiple kinds of craft workshops every week at ASI—using our hands to create something beautiful and useful. You can start learning a handcraft in an hour or two, and it's up to you where you want to take it." Minneapolis, asimn.org, 612-871-4907; Grand Marais, northhouse.org, 218-387-9762

Photo courtesy of North House Folk School

North House Scandinavian Folk Festival in Grand Marais

There's so much to see and do in Minnesota. These local orgs make sure visiting various parts of our state is worth the trip.

Grand Marais Art Colony, Grand Marais, 218-387-2737, grandmaraisartcolony.org

Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) Historic Adventures, multiple locations, 651-259-3000, mnhs.org/locations

Minnesota Zoo, Apple Valley, 952-431-9200, mnzoo.org

Edge of the Wilderness Resort Area, Marcell, 1-888-754-0011, edgeofthewilderness.com

Lutsen Resort on Lake Superior, Lutsen, 800-218-8589, lutsenresort.com

The Westin Edina Galleria, Edina, 952-567-5000, marriott.com/mspwi

Photo by Gary Hamer

Brewery Running Series, multiple locations, breweryrunningseries.com

Fair Hills Resort and Wildflower Golf Course, Detroit Lakes, 1-800-323-2849, fairhillsresort.com; 1-888-752-9945, wildflowergolfcourse.com

Giants Ridge, Biwabik, 218-865-8000, giantsridge.com

Spirit Mountain, Duluth, 800-642-6377, spiritmt.com

Wheel Fun Rentals, multiple locations, 805-650-7770, wheelfunrentals.com

Women's Wilderness Discovery, Ely, 218-235-1994, womenswildernessdiscovery.com

Your Boat Club, multiple locations, 612-208-1800, yourboatclub.com/minnesota

City of Prior Lake, 952-447-9800, priorlakemn.gov

Detroit Lakes Tourism Bureau, 218-847-9202, visitdetroitlakes.com

Experience Maple Grove, experiencemaplegrove.com

Experience Rochester, 507-288-4331, experiencerochestermn.com

Explore Alexandria Minnesota, 320-763-0102, explorealex.com

Explore Minnesota Tourism, 651-556-8465, exploreminnesota.com

International Falls, Rainy Lake and Ranier Convention and Visitors Bureau, 218-283-9401, rainylake.org

Iron Range Tourism Bureau, Eveleth, 218-969-1755, ironrange.org

Lake of the Woods Tourism, Baudette, 800-382-3474, lakeofthewoodsmn.com

Lakeville Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, 952-469-2020, lakevillechamber.org

Luverne Area Chamber and CVB, 507-283-4061, luvernechamber.com

Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, 507-645-5604, northfieldchamber.com

Visit Greater St. Cloud, 320-251-4170, visitstcloud.com

Visit Sauk Centre, 320-352-5201, visitsaukcentre.org

Visit Winona, 507-452-2278, visitwinona.com

This article originally appeared in the June 2023 issue of Mpls.St.Paul Magazine.

by Sharon S. Kessler

June 1, 2023

12:00 AM

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