Grand Marais tries for its own magazine contest title

First, Duluth-loving voters took to the Internet to catapult the Lake Superior city to the title of Outside Magazine's "Best Town in America."

Now fans of Grand Marais, the tiny tourist destination up the shore, are campaigning for a contest of their own.

The Boundary Waters gateway city is one of 15 semifinalists in Budget Travel magazine's online contest for "America's Coolest Small Town."

The city became a semifinalist after receiving 472 nominations online. It's competing with towns from Maine to Hawaii during online voting which closes at 11:59 p.m. on February 25. The top 10 towns will be featured online and in an upcoming issue of the magazine.

The only other Minnesota town to be a finalist was Ely, in 2010.

To vote on this year's contest, go here.

@pamlouwagie