Featured State
January 2008
Minnesota
Minneapolis
Minneapolis and St Paul adjoin each other on
either side of the Mississippi River and have a metropolitan area
population of nearly three million. They are known as the Twin Cities and began
as frontier towns, with German, Irish and Scandinavian immigrants. Minneapolis
is a modern city with fine theatres, nightclubs, stores, a year-round sports
programme and a distinguished symphony orchestra. The city is also the site of
one of the world’s largest universities, the University of Minnesota.
Nicollet Mall is a downtown shopping promenade that includes the
51-storey IDS (Investors Diversified Services) Center, which towers over
the downtown area, Nieman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. The
Minneapolis Institute of Arts exhibits major art masterpieces from Europe,
the Orient and the Americas. The Walker Art Center stages contemporary
art exhibitions, concerts and lectures, and also features an Outdoor
Sculpture Garden, which is the largest of its kind in the USA. It is open
all year round and is one of the State’s top tourist attractions.
Other highlights include the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum; Valleyfair
amusement park; and Minnesota Zoo, with more than 2000 plant
varieties and 375 species of animals. Minnehaha Falls was made famous in
Longfellow’s poem, The Song of Hiawatha. The Target Center,
HHH Metrodome, St Anthony Falls, St Anthony
Main and the ‘Mississippi Mile’, a riverside recreational park, are
all notable attractions in downtown Minneapolis. Mississippi River steamboat
excursions are also popular. The Hennepin Avenue Theater District and the
Warehouse District offer evening entertainment.
St. Paul
Older and perhaps more dignified than Minneapolis, as
befits a State capital, the city has abundant parks and lakes. The Ordway
Center for the Performing Arts offers drama, concerts and art galleries. The
Science Museum features the William L McKnight Omnitheater. The
Landmark Center now houses the Minnesota Museum of American Art. Its
distinguished history includes the trials of several famous gangsters in the
1930s, when it was the Federal Court House.
Excursions: Bloomington,
15 minutes from Minneapolis and St Paul, is home to the Mall of America.
The largest entertainment and retail complex in the USA, it attracts 42 million
visitors each year. One of the newest attractions is Underwater Adventures,
a 5.4 million-litre (1.2 million gallons) walk-through aquarium. See the
Social Profile section for more information. Stillwater is a
charming, historic town on the St Croix River, 48km (30 miles) northwest of the
city.
Duluth
This scenic port at the western tip of Lake Superior
receives ships from all over the world (via the St Lawrence Seaway).
Attractions include harbour and lake cruises; Lake Superior Maritime Visitor
Center; the St Louis Country’s Heritage & Arts Center, known
locally as The Depot; and the Skyline Parkway, high above the
city. Spirit Mountain is a year-round holiday and outdoor recreation
centre, 11km (7 miles) south of Duluth.
Elsewhere
The spectacular North Shore Drive (US Highway 61)
follows the north shore of Lake Superior for 240km (150 miles) from Duluth to
the Canadian border and was recently designated an ‘All American Road’ for its
unique, scenic beauty. Split Rock Lighthouse State Park preserves one of
the most scenically-situated lighthouses in the USA, about 43km (27 miles) north
of Two Harbors.
The North Woods region embraces vast wilderness and lakes. Major resort
areas include the towns of Brainerd, Bemidji, Detroit Lakes
and Grand Rapids, as well as the Lake Mille Lacs area.
The Mississippi River begins in Minnesota, travelling over 1000km (600
miles) within the State. The Great River Road that runs south from the
Twin Cities to the Iowa border offers magnificent views of the river and the
many bird species, including the American Bald Eagle, that travel this route on
their migrations.
Minnesota's North Country
To Minnesotans, the "North Shore" means Lake Superior, in all its majesty, its shining waters stretching to the horizon. The North Shore is where Superior's craggy shoreline meets Minnesota's forested wilderness. Miniature mountains blanketed by pine and birch stand watch along the shore. Wilderness streams plunge over waterfalls.. Harbor towns rest here and there along the shore.
The North Shore Drive, Hwy. 61, runs for about 150 miles from Duluth to Canada. Along the way is some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere. Seven state parks show off the natural treasures of the shoreline, including Gooseberry Falls, the Split Rock Lighthouse, and the state's highest waterfalls at Tettegouche and Grand Portage state parks (list state parks and waterfalls).
Each of the parks has beautiful hiking trails, and the Superior Hiking Trail winds along the wooded ridgeline for 200 miles (list trails). Lodge-to-lodge hiking treks can be arranged. For those who want to get out on the big lake itself, there's charter fishing, sailing, kayaking, and excursion boats (list fishing charters/excursions).
Giant ore boats pull up to the docks at Two Harbors, and the much smaller, 100-year old tugboat the Edna G. is also displayed here. Small museums in town tell the history of the area.
From Tofte, the Sawbill Trail is a roadway leading through the Superior National Forest to the edge of the Boundary Waters Wilderness Canoe Area. The back roads around Tofte are popular fall color routes, as is the shoreline itself.
Lutsen offers a variety of recreation: an alpine slide, gondola skyride, mountain biking and a championship golf course. Winter recreation is a highlight too: Lutsen Mountains is the largest and highest downhill ski area in the Midwest (list ski areas). Grand Marais is a quaint harbor town that's the entrance to the Gunflint Trail, a paved trail leading inland to the resorts and campgrounds bordering the Boundary Waters. And at the tip of the North Shore, Grand Portage features a reconstructed Great Lakes Fur Trade Museum (list historic attractions). The Grand Portage Casino offers gaming action.
In the winter, the North Shore draws outdoor enthusiasts for cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and downhill skiing.
Jan 2004
Minnesota's North Country
To Minnesotans, the "North Shore" means Lake Superior, in all its majesty, its shining waters stretching to the horizon. The North Shore is where Superior's craggy shoreline meets Minnesota's forested wilderness. Miniature mountains blanketed by pine and birch stand watch along the shore. Wilderness streams plunge over waterfalls.. Harbor towns rest here and there along the shore.
The North Shore Drive, Hwy. 61, runs for about 150 miles from Duluth to Canada. Along the way is some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere. Seven state parks show off the natural treasures of the shoreline, including Gooseberry Falls, the Split Rock Lighthouse, and the state's highest waterfalls at Tettegouche and Grand Portage state parks (list state parks and waterfalls).
Each of the parks has beautiful hiking trails, and the Superior Hiking Trail winds along the wooded ridgeline for 200 miles (list trails). Lodge-to-lodge hiking treks can be arranged. For those who want to get out on the big lake itself, there's charter fishing, sailing, kayaking, and excursion boats (list fishing charters/excursions).
Giant ore boats pull up to the docks at Two Harbors, and the much smaller, 100-year old tugboat the Edna G. is also displayed here. Small museums in town tell the history of the area.
From Tofte, the Sawbill Trail is a roadway leading through the Superior National Forest to the edge of the Boundary Waters Wilderness Canoe Area. The back roads around Tofte are popular fall color routes, as is the shoreline itself.
Lutsen offers a variety of recreation: an alpine slide, gondola skyride, mountain biking and a championship golf course. Winter recreation is a highlight too: Lutsen Mountains is the largest and highest downhill ski area in the Midwest (list ski areas). Grand Marais is a quaint harbor town that's the entrance to the Gunflint Trail, a paved trail leading inland to the resorts and campgrounds bordering the Boundary Waters. And at the tip of the North Shore, Grand Portage features a reconstructed Great Lakes Fur Trade Museum (list historic attractions). The Grand Portage Casino offers gaming action.
In the winter, the North Shore draws outdoor enthusiasts for cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and downhill skiing.