Two states I've never been to: Minnesota and ND

[kc18]

So out of all the states in the US, I've never been to North Dakota or Minnesota. It's on my bucket list to cross these two off the map and take a trip there.

So - are any of you from these states? Can you recommend any excursions, trips, must see's in these two places?

I've heard of the Mall of America in MN, but otherwise, no clue what else there would be to do/see here!

I am a foodie, love wine touring, cozy bed and breakfasts, and my bf is big on winter sports (skiiing, snowmobiling, etc etc). Any suggestions are appreciated!

[Deleted]

Never been to ND, but I've lived in MN. Minneapolis/St.Paul is great to visit in the summer. There are wonderful theaters all over the city; the most famous one is the Guthrie. The art museums and the orchestra are also very good. You can also catch a sport game. But my favorite thing is to spend some time near/on the many lakes in MN, where you can bicycle/canoe/kayak/swim. If you like nature, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern MN is one of my favorite places in the world. You can go backpacking with a canoe, or you can stay in near by resorts or rent a cabin.

[wise_rita]

NoDak native here. The big tourist area is the Badlands of the southwest, particularly the old timey town of Medora. There's been a huge oil boom in the western part of the state that has pretty much turned the whole place into a putrid cesspool (from all accounts, I haven't seen it personally). But Medora is always a safe bet, as it is the premier tourist destination of the state.

The eastern part of the state there's not much to see. Just towns with plenty of chain restaurants and unexciting shopping.

If North Dakota is on your bucket list, I'd pick Medora. And definitely see the musical!

[tacokick]

Minneapolis has a wonderful food scene. Food and Wine called it the best new food city this year.

[Tacocat]

I recommend visiting MN in the summer for sure. The Brainerd lakes area is popular, also Boundary Waters if you like canoeing/camping. There are also many wineries near the Twin Cities.

[kc18]

Thanks for the recommendations everyone!

I was going to try to plan a trip to knock out both states at once, but it sounds like that would be kinda hard considering the poster who said the east part of ND was unexciting. I'll have to look into how far it is to drive from MN to the western part of ND to see if it's even possible in one trip. Will also look into Medora and wineries in MN! Any B&B recommendations?

[wise_rita]

If you plan to see the Twin Cities, Fargo is a 3.5 hour drive (I think it is) from there. If you were in lakes country in northern Minnesota it would probably be less than that.

It's unexciting in that there are endless strip malls and chain restaurants. Having said that, I have lots of family and friends there so I love it. I wouldn't dissuade you from going there, it just doesn't have a ton to offer in the way of tourism. Check out the Fargo-Moorhead visitors & convention bureau, I'm sure there's more stuff to do/see than I realize.

[booyah]

I'm also a native NoDak. I agree with wise_rita that if you are going there, you need to see the Badlands and Medora. If you google North Dakota badlands or Teddy Roosevelt Nat'l Park, you'll see what we mean - it's beautiful. For me personally, I'd probably want to get to western ND, and then just drive and hit some of the little towns during their county fairs, etc. It's quaint and true small-town Americana.
It would be quite a drive to hit both western ND and Mpls in the same trip. I'd probably make a decision between seeing western ND (fly into Bismarck or Dickinson) and then driving east to see Fargo and western MN (checking out the outdoor sports life in Detroit Lakes and Itasca State Park which is the head of the Mississippi River) and then flying home from Fargo. Or else fly into Mpls, check out everything there, then hit Itasca, Detroit Lakes, and then fly home from Fargo, and skip western ND.
I have family in Fargo, and go there pretty often. I really like the city, the downtown has gotten quirkier in recent years, and places like the HoDo (Hotel Donaldson if you google it) are really cool with their roof top bar, etc. Anyway, either trip you can't go wrong!

[Étoile]

The North Shore of MN is one of the best places on this great earth. Truth.

Do you have to drive only? Not sure where you're originating but I would personally do this:
- Fly into Duluth. Rent car and drive straight up 61, stopping along the way or heading straight to Grand Marais.
- Duck onto the Gunflint Trail and spend some time in the Boundary Waters.
- Drive or fly down to MSP and do whatever you need to do there.
- Skip the drive through ND and get to Western ND somehow, to check out the Badlands. It's not that I don't like Fargo and central ND, it's just that if time is limited something has to go and that seems to make the most sense. Sort of ditto Western MN, IMHO.

[Wanderista]

Nov 4, 2012 8:54:02 GMT -5 @booyah said:

I'm also a native NoDak. I agree with wise_rita that if you are going there, you need to see the Badlands and Medora. If you google North Dakota badlands or Teddy Roosevelt Nat'l Park, you'll see what we mean - it's beautiful. For me personally, I'd probably want to get to western ND, and then just drive and hit some of the little towns during their county fairs, etc. It's quaint and true small-town Americana.
It would be quite a drive to hit both western ND and Mpls in the same trip. I'd probably make a decision between seeing western ND (fly into Bismarck or Dickinson) and then driving east to see Fargo and western MN (checking out the outdoor sports life in Detroit Lakes and Itasca State Park which is the head of the Mississippi River) and then flying home from Fargo. Or else fly into Mpls, check out everything there, then hit Itasca, Detroit Lakes, and then fly home from Fargo, and skip western ND.
I have family in Fargo, and go there pretty often. I really like the city, the downtown has gotten quirkier in recent years, and places like the HoDo (Hotel Donaldson if you google it) are really cool with their roof top bar, etc. Anyway, either trip you can't go wrong!

:Y: I second this about going to Lake Itasca. I went there when I was younger. I wanted to "walk across the Mississippi River" at its source. It's a great place and I remember that the towns nearby were nice. There was an old-fashioned soda fountain called Minnesoda, for example, not sure if it's there anymore but the region is definitely worth a visit.