TRAVEL Q&AGetting to MSP from outstate Q Is there any good way to get a deal from an outstate airport (like Hibbing, Bemidji or Duluth) to MSP? I'd like to travel to Phoenix alone with my 2-year-old and making the three-hour drive to MSP and then a 3 1/2-hour flight sounds miserable with a toddler. I'd love to fly out of Hibbing, but that adds almost $300 to the price of the tickets! Do you have any tips?

A Fortunately, there are cheaper ways to get to and from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). Laurie Passard, who owns Travel Leaders travel agency in Grand Rapids, said that you can get a better deal from Hibbing, Duluth or Bemidji by purchasing a ticket that originates in one of those cities, rather than buying a ticket out of the Twin Cities and then tacking on the connecting flight. Both legs need to be booked through the same airline; Delta, in most cases. It typically costs $60 to $100 more for the connection. "Currently, our Range Regional Airport in Hibbing is being very competitive with the Duluth airfares and a local travel agent may be able to help you get a better rate as they have been working closely with the airport manager to make this happen for our travelers," Passard wrote in an e-mail.

You might also consider a shuttle; at least you wouldn't be driving yourself. Skyline Shuttle offers van service between Duluth and Hinckley and MSP with several departures daily; price is $69 round-trip for the first traveler, $50 for additional members of the same party (www.skylineshuttle.com; 1-218-724-4676 or 1-888-354-2677). Unfortunately, there is no regularly scheduled van service from Grand Rapids or Hibbing. The MSP website offers a list of shuttle services and the towns they serve at www.mspairport.com/GroundTransportation/van-and-shuttle-services.aspx.

Answers to travelers' questions appear in Travel weekly and every Monday at startribune.com/escapeartists; send your question by e-mail to travel@startibune.com.

KERRI WESTENBERG

HAPPY CAMPING

Cushy spots to park the RV Need a luxurious place for the RV, where you can hop onto the Internet or hop into a swimming pool? No problem. Woodall's 2010 North America Campground Directory rates campgrounds according to park facilities and recreational opportunities. Of the 8,000 privately owned parks it lists, 307 have earned the directory's highest designation, five "W"s in both categories. Among the cream of the crop are five in Minnesota: Beaver Trails Jellystone Camp-Resort in Austin, Prairie View RV Park & Campground in Granite Falls, Grand Casino RV Resort in Hinckley, Pete's Retreat Family Campground & RV Park in Malmo and Keisler's Campground & RV Resort in Waseca. To check out more resorts, and to find RV rentals, go to www.woodalls.com.

KERRI WESTENBERG

NOW OPEN

Dead Sea Scrolls preview Sure, an exhibit about the 2,000-year-old Dead Sea Scrolls is slated to open at the Science Museum of Minnesota in March. But visitors to Milwaukee don't have to wait for a piece of the action (or to see pieces of the scrolls). The Milwaukee Public Museum's exhibit "Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible: Ancient Artifacts, Timeless Treasures," slated to run through June 6, contains more than 200 items from scroll fragments to pages of medieval Bibles. The Milwaukee Public Museum is at 800 W. Wells St.; admission is $22 Mondays through Thursdays; $26 Friday through Sunday (www.mpm.edu; 1-414-278-2700). For information about and advance tickets for the Science Museum exhibit in St. Paul, go to www.smm.org or call 651-221-9444.

KERRI WESTENBERG

SIDEROADS

A hoot in Zimmerman Winterfest, the annual celebration of family-fun activities and wildlife, will be held Saturday at the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge in Zimmerman, Minn. Indoor and outdoor activities include a guided nature walk, wildlife exhibits, winter survival tips, winter bird feeding, snowshoeing, horse-drawn hay rides, a scavenger hunt, and a program with live owls (11 a.m. and 1 p.m.) and more. Hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (1-763-389-3323, ext. 13; 1-877-721-4295, ext. 13; www.fws.gov/midwest/sherburne).

COLLEEN A. COLES