Top 10 Family Vacations
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Number 1 on our Top 10 Family Vacations in Minnesota List:Minnesota Resorts and Lodges are located on our most beautiful lakes and are a great choice for a family vacation. Lodging, food, water sports, golf and many other activities are all in one place. Many Minnesota resorts offer spa services and special children's programs.
A North Shore vacation is certainly one of the best family vaction ideas anythere. Take at least a day or two enjoying the attractions of Duluth Minnesota Vacations. Then take the Lake Superior North Shore drive along Hwy. 61, that runs for about 150 miles from Duluth to Grand Portage. Along this route you will enjoy some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere. Seven state parks on the North Shore include Gooseberry Falls, Split Rock Lighthouse, and the state's highest waterfalls at Tettegouche and Grand Portage state parks. Some of the best North Shore of Lake Superior attractions include:
- Harbor towns along the shore including Two Harbors, Lutsen, and Grand Marais
- The 200 miles of the Superior Hiking Trail
- The Sawbill Trail, that leads through the Superior National Forest to the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
- Charter fishing, sailing, kayaking, and excursion boats
- Lutsen Mountains, the largest and highest downhill ski area in the Midwest. In summer you can enjoy an alpine slide, a gondola skyride, and a championship golf course.
- Grand Portage National Monument that features the Great Lakes Fur Trade Museum. The Grand Portage Casino is nearby
- Lake Superior Vacation rentals
will give your family the tips you need to make sure you see those things you will most enjoy.
Minneapolis Tourism and Saint Paul Minnesota Vacations as well as attractions in the surrounding communities offer an exciting array of family fun activities and attractions. The Twin Cities area includes an exciting arts scene, historic architecture, terrific restaurants, intriguing museums, and big time fun for families with kids. We would, of course, urge you to pack one of these Twin Cities guidebooks.
- Museums
- World Class Art and Culture
- Minnesota Festivals and Events
- Minnesota Sports Teams
- The Mall Of America in Bloomington including the Theme Park at the Mall of America, Underwaterworld, and the Waterpark of America
The BWCAW is located in Northeastern Minnesota. National Geographic called the Boundary Waters area one of 50 best "Destinations of a Lifetime". This beautiful, million acre, wilderness recreation area is one of the best family vacation destinations anywhere. Some tips for planning a family vacation to the BWCA:
- Realize that this is a true wilderness experience. There is no electricity, phone lines or roads to the inner lakes.
- You will travel by canoe, and portage your canoe between the lakes.
- The BWCAW is best visited in spring or summer with a young family though there is access to the area year round.
- If you want to visit the area without doing the trek into the wilderness, there are several family vacation resorts in the nearby towns. The town of Ely Minnesota is the most frequent "jumping off" place for the Boundary Waters. You can enjoy the area and stay at one of the beautiful Ely Minnesota family vacation resorts there.
- Plan your trip with one of these Boundary Waters guidebooks
and a Boundary Waters map.
The St. Croix River Valley is less than a half-hour drive from downtown St. Paul. This stunning river is the setting for several of the most beautiful and rugged of Minnesota's State Parks,
Wild River and Interstate state parks to the north, William O'Brien State Park, and Hasting's Afton State Park. Towns along the St. Croix that include Stillwater, Taylors Falls, Marine-on-St.-Croix, Hastings and Afton will give your family a glimpse into the charm and history of earlier times in Minnesota.
Family fun activities that make the St. Croix River area one of our best family vacation destinations include:
- Historic sites and museums
- Paddlewheel riverboat tours
- Canoeing and kayaking some of the best Minnesota water trails
- Wild Mountain activity area
- Great antique and gift shops
- Unique coffee shops and restaurants
- Winter activities including downhill and cross-country skiing at Minnesota ski resorts
The Mississippi, one of the world's longest and best known rivers, begins as a small stream in Itasca State Park in northern Minnesota. A fun family activity is to cross the headwaters on stepping stones. The river widens and deepens as it winds south through the state. Minnesota has more miles of the Mississippi River than any other state.
There are lots of family fun activities along the Mississippi River:
- Drive the Great River Road This scenic byway begins in Itasca State Park and follows the river for 575 miles through Minnesota.
- Along the Great River Road some of the places to visit include the Forest History Center lumberjack camp near Grand Rapids, the Charles A. Lindbergh home at Little Falls, the beautiful Munsinger Gardens in St. Cloud, and the Kelley Farm historic site in Elk River.
- The Mississippi River runs through a gorge between Minneapolis and St. Paul. Riverboat cruises are available near both downtowns.
- The Mill City Museum and the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis are both located along the river. Overlooks in both buildings offer spectacular views of the river.
- The Science Museum of Minnesota, located on a bluff above the river in downtown St. Paul, houses the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area Visitor Center
- Continue south from the Twin Cities on the Great River Road and follow the river between Red Wing and LaCrescent. You will come to several charming river towns and see great views of the river, especially at Frontenac and Great River Bluffs state parks.
- Visit the National Eagle Center in Wabasha and the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona, both located along the Mississippi riverfront.
The Red River Valley in Northwestern Minnesota has been called "where the West begins." In the Red River Valley, Minnesota prairie meets Minnesota north woods. The Headwaters of the Mississippi are here as are some of Minnesota's largest lakes. Much of Minnesota's richest farmland is here nurtured by the ancient glacial Lake Agassiz silt with a fertility equaled only by the valley of the Nile.
The Red River Valley is also a great Minnesota tourism destination. Some attractions include:
- Detroit Lakes, one of Minnesota's favorite vacation towns.
- Buffalo River State Park and the adjacent Bluestem Prairie preserve
- The Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead featuring a replica Viking ship
- Lake Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge
- Wefest, one of the nation's largest country music festivals, in Detroit Lakes
- Visit the largest cities in the area: Moorhead/Fargo and East Grand Forks/Grand Forks each with a sister city on the North Dakota side of the river.
- View Minnesota wildlife in Red River Valley wildlife refuges and state parks.
- Visit Thief River Falls where you can tour the Arctic Cat snowmobile manufacturer and, in winter, enjoy the local snowmobile trails
Number 8 on our Top 10 Family Vacations in Minnesota List: The Iron RangeMinnesota's Iron Range in the northeastern part of the state is named for its rich supply of iron ore. While taconite mining is still important in the area, the Iron Range is now one of the best Minnesota vacation destinations. for its beautiful lakes and forests as well as its history. Check out the Iron Trail Visitors Bureau to see what this beautiful area offers.
Here are some of our top picks:
- Tour the Hill Annex Iron Mine
- View the Hull Rust Mine, the world's largest open pit iron ore mine, which is still in operation.
- Hike the Mesabi Trail
- The Superior National Forest Scenic Byway winds through this area.
- The Lodge at Giants Ridge near Biwabik is a wonderful family vacation resort that offers year-round family fun.
Southwestern Minnesota was once an expanse of prairie grass that was home to herds of buffalo and the Dakota Indians. This area is now a wonderful family vacation spot where you can revisit the time of the Dakota and the early pioneers at museums and historic sites.
Minnesota family fun attractions in this area include:
- Jeffers Petroglyphs includes more than 2,000 rock carvings of human figures and animals, dating from 3,000 B.C. up to the 1700s.
- Pipestone National Monument This quarry of red stone has been used for centuries by many tribes. The towns of Jasper, Pipestone and Luverne provided quartzite for many of the distinctive turn-of-the-century buildings. Downtown Pipestone includes 20 of these historic buildongs
- Laura Ingalls Wilder Home & Museum in Walnut Grove.
- the End-O-Line Railroad Park in Currie.
- Nobles County Pioneer Village in Worthington.
- Minnesota State Parks in southwestern Minnesota include Camden, Kilen Woods, Lake Shetek, Split Rock Creek and Blue Mounds State Park where you can see the prairie once native to these plains, complete with a small herd of buffalo.
The Mississippi River reaches its widest spot at at Lake Pepin. A bit west of the Mississippi is the corner of Minnesota called Bluff Country. Among the wooded bluffs are many charming river towns including Winona, Wabasha, Lake City and Red Wing.
Dont miss these Minnesota attractions in Bluff Country:
- Amish Country tours in in Harmony and Lanesboro.
- Eagle watching and visiting the National Eagle Center
- Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park
- Frontenac State Park with scenic overlooks and Mississippi River views.
- Ed's Museum in Wykoff, MN: a showcase of the stuff accumulated by "the man who kept everything."
- The SPAM Museum in Austin.
- LARK Toys in Kellogg, MN
- Minnesota bike trails, including the Root River Trail, that wind through the woods and along the streams.
- Fall festivals, apple orchards and pumpkin patches abound in Minnesota Bluff Country.
These are our Top 10 Family Vacations picks...in all areas of Minnesota and featuring the best family vacation spots that we have discovered.
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A good guidebook to Minnesota lakes
Minnesota Vacations at TripAdvisor
Related Pages:
Best Family Vacation Destinations
Family Resorts in Minnesota
Cheap Family Vacations
Minnesota Family Fun
Minnesota Zoos
Minnesota Wildlife
Backyard Vacations
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