Iconic Impact at W Minneapolis - The Foshay

Viking River Cruise Sails the Mississippi Between New Orleans and St. Paul

Grab some pals, rally your gals, or snuggle up with your S.O. for warm-weather weekends of North Shore glamping, head-bobbing to live bands, tall glasses of anything with ABV, and boats—lots of boat floatin’. Parents, we’re looking at you, too—hire that nanny and pack your bags. Parental guidance not suggested.

by Natalie Larsen, Justine Jones

Stand-up paddleboarding with the gals—count us in!

A small town where the main street is actually called Main Street—how midwestern. Browse textiles at Scandinavian North and elegant home décor at Brick and Linen. Smell the roses (and lilies and dahlias) at Studio Louise, and comb through rare books at Black Letter Books. Check into the luxe Lora Hotel, or soak in Hotel Crosby’s rooftop hot tub for a different kind of nightlife. scandinaviannorth.com, 651-351-5059; bricklinen.com, 651-342-1326; studiolouiseflowers.com, 651-327-0644; blackletterbook.com, 651-430-9805; lorahotel.com, 651-571-3500; hotelcrosby.com, 651-967-7100

Photo courtesy of Buffalo Chamber of Commerce

This town is a hot spot for occasional shops, open the first Thursday through Sunday each month. The Porch in Buffalo is stuffed with French cottage–style goods. Second Hand Rose sells upcycled furnishings and hosts ladies day events with drawings, prizes, and food trucks. Shop plant hangers and faux greenery at JTB Home Furniture + Decor. When you’re ready to drop, a chic Airbnb nestled inside One Division Art is the place to land. theporchinbuffalo.com, 763-684-1254; facebook.com/secondhandrosebuffalo, 612-363-3204; jtbhomefurnituredecor.com, 833-234-4100; onedivisionart.com

Bring the crew and check in to the Cedar Rose Inn, a B&B near Lake Winona. Shop fluttery dresses and macramé bags at 6th and Broadway and hunt for treasures at Yesterday’s Antiques. Pamper mode: manuka honey facials and Dead Sea mud body treats at Jenna Lee Spa. Find your lake legs on a guided paddleboarding trip with Hangloose MN—or get tipsy times two at the Full Moon Sip and SUP on Lake Carlos. cedarroseinn.com, 651-303-4466; sixthandbroadway.com, 320-763-3313; yesterdaysmn.com, 320-762-8990; jennaleespa.com, 320-460-0420; hangloosemn.com, 320-852-7575

Photo courtesy of Hotel Ivy

Anda Spa at Hotel Ivy

Pack your slippers and robe and hit the road. Destination: retreat.

Downtown Minneapolis’s relaxation station, Anda Spa (psst, inside posh Hotel Ivy), centers on holistic and crystal-based healing, featuring a cavernous Quartz Spa and Crystal Sauna.

Copper Door, the bayside spa at Walker’s Chase on the Lake Resort, has hot stone massages, aroma- therapy add-ons, and Ayurvedic chakra massages—all drenched in the herbal goodness of Aveda, guaranteed to make you smell like a spa.

Glacial Waters Spa at Grand View Lodge is a feast for the senses: a restorative gel body wrap with stonecrop and aloe, basalt hot stone massage, and jasmine tuberose pedicure.

At Bluefin Bay, Waves of Superior Spa offers indulgences: an organic fruit sugar scrub and a wild rice exfoliation followed by a blueberry soy hydration massage—almost good enough to eat.

andaspa.com, 612-333-3001, Mpls.; chaseonthelake.com, 218- 547-8517, Walker; grandviewlodge.com, 218-963-8700, Nisswa; bluefinbay.com, 218-663-6888, Tofte

Photo by Jillian DeChaine Photography

You know it for big boulders and scenic—almost oceanic—views of that frigid expanse of water. Grand Marais is our Hilton Head and has all the coastal perks of a romantic weekend escape.

Don’t let a tent ruin your good times: Hungry Hippie Hostel offers a glamping setup on the owner’s gorgeous farm property, perched on a hill with panoramic views of Lake Superior. OK—it’s still a tent, but it’s sturdy and comes with a real mattress (none of this blow-up nonsense), and you don’t have to set it up (!!).

In downtown Grand Marais, crank up the glam dial even further at The Mayhew Inn, a boutique Airbnb-style stay (staff is there to help but will give you your space). This place feels more like home than hotel: Cozy up on the cushy rooftop couches and catch a sunset on the harbor, or bake a pizza in the outdoor oven.

Hike upstream at the Kadunce River, which runs into Lake Superior, through Jurassic Park–worthy lush gorges. Wear sturdy shoes, and be ready to clamber up a few small waterfalls—Hawaii or Northwoods Minny?

For indoor explorers, there are classes in basket weaving (really!), wood carving, or bead embroidery at North House Folk School.

Crank up the heat and get steamy with a private sauna session with Sisu and Löyly. You bring the achy muscles; they’ll provide the cozy towels, bathrobes, and sandals. All together now: Aahhh.

hungryhippie.com, 218-387-2256; themayhewinn.com, 612-386-3096; northhouse.org, 218-387-9762; sisuandloyly.com

Photo courtesy of Cantilever Hotel

Photo courtesy of Walker Art Center

What’s more Minnesotan than an outdoor music festival? Possibly the bulging mosquito bites and tinge of sunburn you’ll have afterwards. All part of the rite of residence as you swipe your MN Card at these summer staples.

Midsommar Dag at Gammelgarden Museum

You don’t have to be Swedish to appreciate small-town Scandia (though many ’Sotans do have some Scandy in their veins). Founded by Swedish immigrants in the 1850s, Scandia is flush with colorful painted Dala horses. Don a fragrant (or faux) flower crown and polska on over to Midsommar Dag, a traditional Swedish midsummer celebration—minus the Shakespearean donkey heads. Details for this year’s are yet to be announced at press time, but expect a smorgasbord of authentic Swedish dishes like herring, Wasa crackers, pickled beets, and strawberry shortcake, with a side of traditional music and ring dances. See IRL the raising of a maypole on the sunny lawn. June 25. gammelgardenofscandia.org, 651-433-5053, Scandia

Courtesy of Day Tripper of Duluth

For adult-level adventures on the North Shore, Day Tripper of Duluth offers two- and four-hour kayaking tours beneath the impressive cliffs of Split Rock Lighthouse (kayak, wet suit, and gloves included), including the perfect spot for a pebble beach picnic. In Grand Marais, Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply has half-day, full-day, and sunset kayaking tours. Start in the protected waters of the Grand Marais Harbor and paddle up to Artist’s Point, or kayak on one of Grand Marais’s many jewellike inland lakes.

Voyageurs National Park is certified as an International Dark Sky Park—it boasts some of the most brilliant night skies in the entire country. (MN bragging rights!) With starry reflections on a placid lake, you can be swaddled in sky from the deck of your houseboat accommodations. A host of companies rent houseboats to wannabe seafarers on the lakes of the national park. From Ebel’s Voyageur Houseboats, choose between budget rides and decked-out boats with waterslides attached to the roof; from Voyagaire Lodge and Houseboats, rent a 900-square-foot houseboat with an eight-person hot tub on the upper level, and stargaze in luxury.

Photo courtesy of Debra Bernard

Pack a picnic and take to the canals of Minny (ahem, the St. Croix) with Gondola Romantica—now that’s amore.

daytripperofduluth.com, 218-390- 1605, Duluth; stoneharborws.com, 218- 387-3136, Grand Marais; ebels.com, 1-888-883-2357, Orr; voyagaire.com, 218-993-2266, Crane Lake; gondolaromantica.com, 651-439-1783, Stillwater

Photo courtesy of Lake City

Water Ski Days in Lake City

A big birthday for southern MN’s Lake City this year: 100 years ago, waterskiing was invented here by Ralph Samuelson. To celebrate, the city's hosting a bigger-than-ever rendition of Water Ski Days. (This year also marks the 50th anny of the festival.) Typically, this daring festival includes impressive acrobatics on skis—22-person pyramids, anyone? Stay for the weekend and enjoy live music, a parade, an arts and crafts fair, a classic car show, and more—no life jacket required. June 23–26. lakecity.org, 651-345-4123, Lake City

Photo courtesy of Schram Vineyards

Bocce ball at Schram Vineyards

When you’ve exhausted your bucket list of local watering holes, it’s time to expand the pool. And we all know it wouldn’t really be a grown-up getaway if it didn’t include a healthy pour of anything with an ABV.

What’s red, white, and rosé all over? You, as you travel the open roads in search of places to fill up your (stemless) cup.

Wild Mountain Winery is showing us the fun side of the slopes. Besides making some very sippable adult grape juices, this vineyard offers glamping among the vines— now this is tenting we could get down with. tempsite.wildmountainwinery.com

Photo courtesy of WineHaven Winery

WineHaven lives up to its name—wine slushies, hello! One of the top-awarded wineries in the Upper Midwest, WH has developed a handful of patented grapes. winehaven.com

We’re not trying to be California, but call Waconia our Napa Valley. Schram Vineyards stakes claim as Minnesota’s first winery + brewery. A multilevel outdoor space with pergolas and rock walls gives plenty of backdrops for the perfect “Wine not?” shot for your feed. (Psst, the grape geniuses behind Schram also brought you AxeBridge in the Nolo. Research, anyone?) schramvineyards.com

You’ve met Carlos Creek—you love him!—but the Alexandria area has a full flight to offer. L’Etoile du Nord rests on a fully functioning 40-acre farm on Lake Irene. And Burr Vineyards has pizza with homemade sourdough crust on Fridays—you’d best get over there for a slice. carloscreekwinery.com, letoiledunordvineyard.com, burrvineyards.com

Thirteen acres of vineage is just the beginning at Chankaska Creek. Its line of Ranch Road Spirits nods to the property’s history as a speakeasy and small-batch distillery. chankaskawines.com

Get your boots on down to Four Daughters Vineyard and Winery outside of Rochester. Its wines have been poured at the CMA Awards after-party and SXSW and Sundance film festivals—and it makes Loon Juice Hard Cider (you’ve seen the speckled cans). fourdaughtersvineyard.com

Ensconced in lanky birch trees, North Shore Winery has been churning out fine bevvies since 2016. Set your out-of-office to vino with a view. northshorewinery.us

So you’ve exhausted trips to Fulton and Surly. We promise there’s a cold one waiting at the end of each of these roads.

Montgomery is home to a time machine: a pre-Prohibition brewhouse. Though Montgomery Brewing isn’t serving the original suds, the new iteration is tapping kegs in its namesake 130-year-old building. montgomerybrewing.com

There’s a Dragon Squirrel Juicy IPA at Imminent Brewing that seems reason enough to hike down to Northfield. imminentbrewing.com

If the servers at North Loop’s StormKing know your name, go straight to the source at Rapids Brewing Company. Grand Rapids is the birthplace of Judy Garland— maybe clicking your heels and wishing real hard will get you here by happy hour. rapidsbrewingco.com

Started in the shell of a former train turntable in Brainerd, Roundhouse Brewery outgrew its space and leveled up in Nisswa, adding axe throwing to the menu. roundhousebrew.com

Bring your best Grumpy Cat impressions: Disgruntled Brewing in Perham is ready with slightly gruff, never-quite-satisfied attitude (their words!), serving up beers that satisfy your insatiability, aiming to make you... gruntled. disgruntledbeer.com

Yeah, Carlos Creek pours a good grape, but 22 Northmen Brewing Co. brings the brawn. Fill your steins with brews inspired by European tradition. 22northmen.com

Copper Trail Brewing Co. gets the creative-names ribbon with Goodnight Loon stout, Clouded Judgement hazy IPA, and Rednarök red lager. coppertrailbrewing.com

We know, Duluth is overplayed, but a list of distilleries worth the drive time wouldn’t be complete without Vikre Distillery. At the pinnacle of Canal Park, Vikre distills its spirits with fresh Lake Superior water—most notably, aquavit. Grab a bottle to round out your home bar setup. vikredistillery.com

Named for the nearby bridge that brought alcohol into the U.S. from Canada during Prohibition, Cantilever Distillery—near Voyageurs National Park—carries on the tradition, serving up its own hooch in a long roster of cocktails. cantileverdistillery.com

Panther Distillery claims to be Minnesota’s oldest distillery—we won’t argue as long as there’s something on the rocks in front of us. And all its spirits are organic, so it’s healthy, right? pantherdistillery.com

Photo courtesy of The Gravel Pit

May the fores be with you: Central Minnesota sports some of the state’s best golfing—PGA who? The Gravel Pit is a brand-new golf experience in Brainerd—13 holes are spread out across the classically designed course, which was transformed from a desolate gravel pit. A clubhouse outfitted with a golf shop is perched above the course. Cragun’s Legacy Courses, also in Brainerd, is undergoing a $10 million expansion, guided by celebrated professional golfer and course designer Tom Lehman. By 2023, it will offer 54 total holes—for the 2022 season, there are 36 championship holes across a wooded course encircling Stephens Lake. gravelpitgolf.com, Brainerd; craguns.com, 866-988-0562, Brainerd

If you’re looking for new playgrounds for your dirt bike or ATV, head north for off-roading in true form. The Martineau Recreational Trails, made for off-road motorcycles, start near Akeley and wind through the Paul Bunyan State Forest. (Keep an eye out for Babe.) Multiple loops offer smooth areas for beginners and narrow, wooded, technical areas for experienced riders. Also taking off from Akeley, the Round River Drive Trail is an ATV obstacle course with moraines, boulders, and potholes through the forest. Or try the flat and relatively easy Fort Ripley Trail, where you’ll wind through rolling oak- and pine-covered hills near Sebie Lake, along the old Burlington Northern Railroad grade. dnr.state.mn.us, 218-732-4270

The Paul Bunyan State Forest near Park Rapids is just one of three state forests that make up a famous “off-road triangle” of more than 200 miles.

This article was originally published in the June 2022 issue of Mpls.St.Paul Magazine.

As associate editor for Studio MSP, Natalie Larsen is often found with a strong cup of coffee and a color-coded to-do list. She draws on a journalism and marketing background to create engaging content and tackles projects with enthusiasm.

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