Fun Things To Do In Minnesota - By: Dave Cormack

Minnesota, the Land of 10,000 Lakes and just as many things to do. You'll find a grand variety of options available to both tourists and Minnesota natives in this beautiful northern state.

A great, but unexpected, attraction in the Twin Cities area are the deluxe yachting excursions provided by Paradise Cruise Lines. Public and private cruise opportunities are available on both the beautiful Lake Minnetonka and the amazing Mississippi River. From the casual settings of the lunch, pizza and simple site seeing cruises to the extraordinary elegance of the evening dining and Sunday brunch tours, Paradise Cruise Lines provides something to fit everyone's taste and budget. For groups over 20, their private charter cruises provide a comfortable and unique gathering in the same elegant style of the major cruise lines. In addition to the wonderful accommodations, the cruises also provide beautiful scenic tours that include the locks of St. Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River and the grand homes and small towns that surround Lake Minnetonka. With cruises scheduled several times a day, as well as the availability of private charters, you are sure to find a time and setting that would be perfect for your group or family.

If you're looking a much larger social gathering, there are a variety of music fests throughout the summer months providing great entertainment for music lovers of all types. For the country music lovers, WE Fest in the Detroit Lakes area is the place to be. Held the first weekend in August, this three day annual event has attracted some of the biggest names in the country music business to its multiple stages for over twenty-five years. Tens of thousands of fans flood their popular campgrounds that extend around the festival area. In mid-July, you'll find fans flocking to the Walker area for the four day long Moondance Jam, where classic rock and roll takes center stage amongst the multitude of campers with bands like The Guess Who, Crosby Stills & Nash and other great names. Also, in July, the annual contemporary Christian music fest, Sonshine, is held in the Wilmar area with multiple stage areas, the hottest names in that genre also attract large crowds of campers and attendees to this three day event.

Minnesota also lays claim to the home towns of many a celebrity, such as Judy Garland and Sinclair Lewis, as well as being the setting for the well known "Little House on the Prairie" books and television program. The girlhood home of Judy Garland is located in the north central town of Grand Rapids. The home is available for tours and also includes many items related to Judy's years as a Hollywood star, especially her most famous role from the Wizard of Oz. Sauk Centre in west central Minnesota is the well known as the home of the distinguished author Sinclair Lewis. His most notable works being "Main Street" and "Elmer Gantry". Another author, Laura Ingalls Wilder, also brought Minnesota into her biographical series "Little House on the Prairie". Walnut Grove, the setting for one of her books, has its own special claim to fame due to its being the setting used for the Little House on the Prairie television series starring Michael Landon that was popular for so many seasons. Members of the television cast have been special guests at many of Walnut Grove's celebrations.

Of course the beauty of nature remains one of Minnesota's greatest attractions. There are the waterfalls, such as Gooseberry, along the north shore of Lake Superior, Minnehaha and St. Anthony Falls in the Twin Cities, and the smaller falls in Granite Falls and Canon Falls, to the west and east. The Boundary Waters canoe area along the Canadian border provides a large area of untouched wilderness for camping, hiking and canoeing.

Whether it's a beautiful scenic cruise on the waterways of the Twin Cities, lively crowds of music lovers at the various festivals, tasting a bit of the history of the famous or taking in the beautiful surroundings of blues and greens, Minnesota provides a multitude of options for you to choose from. You could literally zig-zag across the state from the south to the north and find unique adventures to keep you entertained all summer long.

About the Author

Paradise Charter Cruises and Minneapolis Queen offer a wide variety of Minneapolis sightseeing tours as well as tours of Lake Minnetonka. Visit our website and get more information on our Sunday brunch cruise along with our Friday night dinner cruise.

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