Is Grand Marais 'America's Coolest Small Town'?

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

January 22, 2015 at 6:57PM
Signs of Spring were evident with the melting snow and ice, Sunday, April 27, 2014 in Grand Marais, MN. ] (ELIZABETH FLORES/STAR TRIBUNE) ELIZABETH FLORES • eflores@startribune.com
Just how "cool" is Grand Marais? (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

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.

about the writer

about the writer

Pam Louwagie

Reporter

Pam Louwagie is a regional reporter for the Minnesota Star Tribune. She previously covered courts and legal affairs and was on the newspaper's investigative team. She now writes frequently about a variety of topics in northeast Minnesota and around the state and region.

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