Wrap your head around the culture of the Twin Cities – Minneapolis and St. Paul – or find that secluded lakeside cabin of your dreams. You could even tour around the state in your rental car to see as many of Minnesota’s lakes as you can, or water ski, boat and kayak to your heart’s content.
The North Star State offers something for everyone, from the great outdoors to urban cool. And with Minnesota car rental, you can do it all at your own pace.
The twin cities
From the passion of Prince to a modern music scene that continues to break boundaries, Minneapolis is a place that buzzes to its own tune. Art takes centre stage here too, with a range of galleries and museums that tell the complete history of art.
If you fancy a bit of retail therapy, you can shop until you drop – and more – at the Mall of America, the largest shopping centre in the US. With over 500 stores spread across four floors, be sure to take spend an afternoon here, exploring every corner of this vast building.
St. Paul is adjacent to Minneapolis but does things a little differently. It’s quieter and more modest, with trees that are a mosaic of magnificent color in Fall, and there’s the birthplace of F. Scott Fitzgerald to see (although you can’t go inside).
Take the kids to the Science Museum of Minnesota, then grab dinner at one of the many fine places – the Laotian food is some of the best on the continent.
The wonders of the wilderness
Up in the far north-east of the state, so close to Canada you can yell across the border, is one of the most enchanting and majestic parts of Minnesota. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness feels as far from civilization as you can get, a collection of 1000-plus lakes scattered through pine forest.
Here you can be truly alone as you paddle your canoe, except for the wildlife back on shore. Keep an eye – and your camera – out for native bears and moose, while you’ll hear wolf howls in the distance.
It’s a place for the hardy, however, so make sure you plan and pack ahead – you’re not likely to chance upon a convenience store, this is nature at its most unspoiled.
If you prefer the safety of numbers, there are also numerous organized expeditions you can join.
Go Grand
Close to Boundary Waters, but a lot more sedate, Grand Marais is a pretty town that can serve as a great base for your canoe exploration or is worth a visit in its own right. It edges Lake Superior and has its own fishing fleet that leave at dawn to get the day’s catch.
You’re also within driving distance of the Gunflint Trail, a scenic byway along County Road 12 that dips into aspen, birch and pine forests, speckled with wild animals. For the freshest lake fish, head to the Dockside Fish Market – what’s caught in the morning is fried up for lunch.
South-west of here is Duluth, with its mighty bridge and cliffside observatory high above Lake Superior. It’s a fitting way to end your visit to this stellar state – car rental in Minnesota will put it all within your reach.
