Traveling through Minnesota along
I-94 in late August 2010

by Lisa
(Gaston Oregon)

We 4 ladies will be traveling through Minnesota in late August on route I94. We would like to know what sites of interest would be worthwhile seeing. We would like to stay reasonably close to I-94.
Thanks in advance for your assistance.
Lisa

Hi Lisa,

As you likely know, Interstate 94 cuts across Minnesota from the northwest, entering the state at the Fargo/Moorhead border and exits Minnesota at our southeastern border with Wisconsin.
You don’t say where you will begin your trip so I am going to assume that you will start in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/Saint Paul. I am also going to assume that you will travel northwest from the Twin Cities since traveling southeast will take you fairly rapidly to our border with Wisconsin and out of Minnesota.

If you want to spend significant time in the Twin Cities, here is a page on the Visit Minnesota site that will help: Twin Cities

A trip from the Twin Cities to Moorhead along I-94, without stops except for necessities, would take about 5 hours. I will assume that you will choose at least one place to spend a night and to explore. Any map of Minnesota will give you the distances between the towns listed here so I will omit that info.

Just north of the Twin Cities is the suburb of Maple Grove. One of the top attractions in Maple Grove is the outlet mall, The Shoppes at Arbor Lake. You may find so much to do here that you will want to spend the night; here is a link to Maple Grove Minnesota Hotels.

Monticello is the next town of any size along the I-94 route. Monticello has a small town atmosphere in a beautiful setting along the banks of the Mississippi River. There are more than 20 city parks in the area and, as well, Lake Maria State Park. More than 1500 Trumpeter Swans make their home on the river during winter. If you decide to stay in Monticello here is a link to Monticello Minnesota Hotels.

St. Cloud should be your next stop on this I-94 trek across Minnesota. This is a city of approximately 65,000 and is about 75 miles from the Twin Cities. St. Cloud is located on the Mississippi River and a 12-mile section of the Mississippi south of St. Cloud is part of Minnesota's Wild & Scenic Rivers Program. St. Cloud has a thriving arts community and an array of local festivals and cultural events abound in the area. Theater groups provide entertainment and lots of art galleries showcase local artists. Here is a link to Saint Cloud Minnesota Hotels.

The recommended next stop on this trip would be Alexandria. Located in the Central Lakes area of Minnesota, Alexandria offers many options for recreation. There are some wonderful shops, museums, and events to entice you to spend time here. Here are some choices for Alexandria Minnesota Hotels.

Travel on along Minnesota I-94 to Fergus Falls located near the Pine to Prairie Birding Trail and the Otter Trail Scenic Byway. There are more than 1,000 lakes in the Fergus Falls area if you want to fish, boat, water-ski or just relax at a resort or hotel by the water. Check out Fergus Falls Minnesota Hotels.

You will soon be in Moorhead, with a population of about 35,000. Moorhead is just across the Red River from the North Dakota city of Fargo. As well as a number of other museums, Moorhead is home to The Hjemkomst Center, containing a re-creation of a Viking ship of the same name. The Hjemkomst vessel was built in nearby Hawley, MN by Moorhead resident Robert Asp, and was sailed to Norway by his children after Asp's early death. The ship is now permanently housed in the center. Read a bit more on our page about Little Known Minnesota Hidden Gems.

If you choose to spend more time in the Moorhead/Fargo area, here are some recommendations for Moorhead Minnesota Hotels.

There are dozens of other small towns and places to stop along this I-94 road trip. A good Minnesota guidebook might be a purchase to consider.

Despite our lifelong familiarity with our state of Minnesota, a copy of our favorite travel guide is always in the car. The Moon Minnesota (Moon Handbooks) will give you details of every area of Minnesota…what to see, where to eat, etc. in great detail.

Have fun as you enjoy your trip across Minnesota!

Judie