Delightfully known as the ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes’, Minnesota is a very friendly and welcoming state that has a lot for visitors to see and do. While its vast tracts of untouched wilderness just beg to be explored, it also has the two ‘Twin Cities’ for you to check out which both boast thriving arts, culture and nightlife scenes.
Home to the northernmost point in the contiguous US, Minnesota lies in the Upper Midwest and is bordered by Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa and the Dakotas with Canada lying to the north. As well as its almost endless array of shimmering lakes, rivers and streams, it also lies alongside Lake Superior with mountains, forests and prairies coating the rest of the state.
While a couple of other smaller urban centers, such as Rochester and Duluth do exist, the ginormous metropolitan area of Minneapolis and Saint Paul dominates and defines the state. Respectively the largest city and capital, the neighboring cities almost merge in one with fantastic museums, music scenes and performing arts all on offer.
Aside from stopping by the ‘Twin Cities’ which form the economic, cultural and political centre of the state, many people also visit Rochester for its health and wellness centers and Bloomington for the massive Mall of America. The busy port city of Duluth is also well worth checking out as from here you can drive along the north shore of Lake Superior that is lined by dramatic cliffs, historic lighthouses and charming villages like Grand Marais.
Due to their stunning scenery, outdoor adventurers and nature lovers normally head to either Itasca State Park or Boundary Waters Canoe Area, where they can canoe, hike and camp in the wild with Voyageurs National Park also being a popular draw.