Best of Minnesota 2016: Travel
The top resorts, small towns, B&Bs and camping.
Best resort cabins: Burntside Lodge, Ely - Best of MN 2016
Burntside Lodge occupies a wooded peninsula on Burntside Lake. The resort’s 22 rustic-chic cabins, most built in the 1920s and 1930s, keep your attention turned…
Best resort dining room: The Naniboujou Lodge, Grand Marais -- Best of MN 2016
Homemade cinnamon rolls or walleye with wild rice pilaf may inspire awe (especially if you’ve just hiked the trail to Devil’s Kettle Falls). But the…
Best resort for families with teens: Cragun's Resort, Brainerd - Best of MN 2016
At this classic resort on Gull Lake, there are enough activities to keep even a moody teen happy. Hydrobikes, kayaks and standup paddleboards (with lessons)…
Best resort for sailing: Pehrson Lodge - Best of MN 2016
A fleet of sailboats, from Sunfish to a Nacra catamaran, take to the pristine waters of Lake Vermilion from the shores of this lodge. Free…
Best resort for tennis: Madden's on Gull Lake, Brainerd - Best of MN 2016
Whether or not you can serve an ace, the Tennis & Croquet Club at Madden’s will make you feel like a pro. There are six…
Best place to pitch a tent, riverside: Hay Creek Valley Campground, Red Wing - Best of MN 2016
In the shadow of forested hills, the lively Hay Creek is next door to miles of trails in the Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood Forest.…
Best resort beach: Sugar Lake Lodge, Cohasset - Best of MN 2016
A white sand beach and aquamarine water? The color scheme may be reminiscent of the Caribbean, but you’re in the heart of Minnesota at Sugar…
Best place to pitch a tent, lakeside: George Crosby Manitou State Park
Strap on your hiking boots. For intrepid backpackers who want to get far away from it all, there are a few select campsites next to…
Best small town for dining: Grand Marais
If you want to dine at all of the top-notch eateries in Grand Marais, prepare to stay a while. For starters, there’s World’s Best Donuts.…
Best resort spa: Surfside on Lake Superior, Tofte - Best of MN 2016
The newest of the Bluefin Bay properties offers gorgeous views of Lake Superior, lakeside condos and something else: an onsite destination spa. Waves of Superior…
Best small town for walking: Northfield - Best of MN 2016
Two colleges keep this small town on the Cannon River vibrant. Its central spine, Division Street, offers proof of that, lined with great shops like…
Best resort for families with young children: Ludlow's - Best of MN 2016
Let the kids roam; they won’t get lost. Want to peek at their fun from the cabin? Check the webcam of the beach, which has…
Best resort for golf: Grandview Lodge, Nisswa - Best of MN 2016
No matter which of three courses you choose, you’ll find gorgeous expanses of green velvet stretching under the Minnesota sky at this historic lodge. Big…
Best rural B&B: Blue Heron B&B, Ely - Best of MN 2016
If you prefer to end a day of adventure in the Boundary Waters by sleeping in a comfortable bed and waking to a hearty breakfast,…
Best camping tepee: Blue Mounds State Park - Best of MN 2016
Spend a night in a tepee, near land where buffalo roam, at this park in the state’s southwest corner. The tepee has a cedar deck…
Best yurt: Glendalough State Park, Battle Lake - Best of MN 2016
Wake to the call of loons at this state park in the transition zone between prairie and hardwood forest. Two yurts lie on the far…
Best small town for cyclists: Lanesboro - Best of MN 2016
In the rolling Driftless Area of southeast Minnesota, Lanesboro is nestled along the Root River and the bike trail that runs alongside it, the Root…
Best urban: B&B: AG Thomson House B&B, Duluth
This cheerful retreat in Duluth’s Mansion District has earned many accolades: Trip Advisor’s Travelers’ Choice 2016 named it the top bed-and-breakfast in the country. Chalk…
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