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U.S. state
Photo: Lorie Shaull, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Minnesota is a state in the Midwest of the USA. Minnesota is commonly referred to as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes"; there are actually around 14,300 bodies of water in the state. The state is home to many Native American reservations, and is a center of Scandinavian culture. Combine Minnesota's cultural eccentricities with its beautiful forests and lakes and you have a gem for any tourist in the Midwestern US.
The state's dominant urban area, with Minneapolis, Saint Paul and their vicinities
The farmlands, lakes and prairies around St. Cloud
The borderland to Canada, with plains and forest and the Headwaters of the Mississippi River.
The North Shore of Lake Superior, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Duluth.
Rolling farmland, the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers, and Rochester.
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Home to Native American petroglyphs.
Itasca State Park in Outstate/Greater Minnesota is home to the Mississippi River headwaters at Lake Itasca.
Part of the Superior National Forest.
One of the biggest Swedish festivals in the US, Svenskarnas Dag is held on the 4th Sunday in June at Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis. The day includes many traditional Swedish events such as the raising of the Midsommer Pole, singing and dancing, a morning church service and the crowning of Queen Midsommer. Authentic Scandinavian gifts and food are available for purchase.
One of the top road races in the Midwest, attracting over 9,000 runners each June in Two Harbors and Duluth.
Probably the biggest and best attraction is the annual state fair. Twelve days ending Labor Day includes such notable moments as the crowning of Princess Kay of the Milky Way (who, along with her court of runners up, will become busts carved out of a life size block of butter), farm animals of all kinds, any kind of food on a stick (make sure to try a Pronto Pup corn dog) as well as evening concerts from well-known bands. Tickets cost $11 for adults and $8 for kids at the gate. It opens at 6AM and closes at midnight; 10PM on Labor Day.
Running weekends and Labor Day in August and September, the Minnesota Renaissance Festival boasts the highest attendance of all Renaissance festivals in the Midwest. Like most Renaissance festivals, it is host to a myriad of stage and street acts, jousting events, an
In a cute Minnesotan-Swedish village, Lindström, known as "America's Little Sweden". 45 minutes northeast on 35E from St. Paul. A celebration of Swedish Author, Vilhelm Moberg's book of "The Emigrants," detailing the lives of Swedish immigrants to Minnesota.
A musical and theatrical venue in downtown St. Paul, home of the Minnesota Opera, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and Schubert Club.
Is home to the Minnesota Orchestra.
Opened in 1968, with a new multistage theater center built along the Mississippi river in 2006. The Guthrie is a nationally renowned performing space.
An eclectic mix of music and entertainment. The building was originally a Greyhound Bus terminal and was converted into a concert venue in 1968. In the 1980s, First Avenue was a regular performing space for Prince.
By plane
The Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) is a major hub for Delta Air Lines and has many international flights to Europe and Asia, while smaller international airports exist in Duluth…
By train
For rail travel, there are Amtrak stations in La Crosse (Wisconsin), Winona, Red Wing, Saint Paul, Saint Cloud, Staples, Detroit Lakes, Fargo (North Dakota), and Grand Forks (North Dakota).
By bus
For bus travel, Minneapolis is served by Greyhound and Jefferson Lines (popular for intrastate travel).
Metro Transit offers bus and light rail services to the Twin Cities and their surrounding suburbs.
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Brainerd · Regional · BRD
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Saint Paul (or St. Paul) is the capital city and the second largest city of the US state of Minnesota.
Bloomington, Minnesota is a suburb of Minneapolis. It is near the Minneapolis-St.
Duluth is a city of about 86,000 people (2018) in northern Minnesota. It is one of the most scenic cities in the Midwest.
Mankato (pronounced man-KAY-toh) is a city in Minnesota, USA, that exudes a college presence with several centers of higher learning, including Minnesota State University.
Minneapolis is a city of about 430,000 people (2019) and the largest city in Minnesota. Along with neighboring Saint Paul, it forms the urban core of the Twin Cities region, the third largest metropolitan area in the Midwest after Chicago and Detroit.
Northfield is a city in Minnesota. Its major historical claim to fame is the "Defeat of Jesse James." It's also one of the best-smelling towns in America due to the local Malt-O-Meal factory.
Pine City is a city in east central Minnesota with the tagline "North. Nice and close." The Pine City zip code (55063), which is a more accurate reflection of the size of the town, has a population of approximately 10,000 people and even more native pine trees.
Rochester, Minnesota, about 80 miles (130 km) southeast of Minneapolis/St. Paul, is home to the Mayo Clinic.
Saint Cloud is a city in Central Minnesota with a population of 68,000 (2018). Although it may have few attractions to draw the tourist, it is a nexus of medical advances, particularly in orthopedics (St.
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is a vast wilderness area in Northeastern Minnesota, adjoining with Ontario's Quetico Provincial Park, famous for its array of over a thousand small-to-medium-sized lakes, and the wildlife they provide a home for. It is a well-known camping and canoeing destination.
Flandrau State Park is located along the Cottonwood River in the southern part of Minnesota, on the outskirts of New Ulm.
Itasca State Park is in northern Minnesota, is the oldest and largest of Minnesota's state parks, and is considered the "jewel" of the state's parks system. Itasca offers the classic northwoods experience, with an old growth forest, diverse and plentiful wildlife, fishing, swimming, and crystal-clear streams and lakes, including Lake Itasca, which is the source of the legendary Mississippi River.
Pipestone National Monument is a United States national monument in Southern Minnesota.
Minnesota's only national park, commemorating the French–Canadian fur traders
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