5 MN Road Trips: Explore North Shore, Giant Sculptures, Haunted Places

MINNESOTA — It’s not too much of a stretch to say that all roads lead to one of Minnesota’s 11,842 lakes (the state’s unofficial motto, the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” undercounts the inventory).

You can’t miss with a road trip to Minnesota lakes. One that stands out among the standouts is the North Shore Scenic Drive along Lake Superior, the largest of Minnesota’s lakes and the largest freshwater lake in the world.

From Minneapolis, drive about 150 miles north to Duluth, where the North Shore Scenic Drive starts. From there to Grand Portage, Grand Portage, just over the border from Canada. The drive is another 150 or so miles.

Duluth has plenty to see, including the Aerial Lift Bridge, Canal Park, Glensheen mansion and Great Lakes Aquarium. The Wayswaugoing Bay Overlook in Grand Portage offers one of the most memorable views of Lake Superior on the entire North Shore.

As you head north along the rocky shoreline, you’ll find charming small towns and some of Minnesota’s best state parks. Spend as much time as possible in Grand Marais to see waterfalls, rocky beaches, lighthouses and other attractions.

At the end of the trip, be sure to check out the Grand Portage National Monument, managed by the National Park Service and preserving two depots of the North West Company. From before the fur trade to the present, the Anishinaabe people, historians, and archaeologists have protected the artifacts, history, and cultural and natural heritage of Gitchi Onigamiing, the Great Carrying Place called Grand Portage.

Here are four more Minnesota road trips:

Haunted Minnesota road trip: This 350-mile trip starts at the reportedly haunted Greyhound Bus Museum in Hibbing and ends at the First Avenue, a music and entertainment venue in Minneapolis where some patrons have reported seeing a strange apparition — the ghost of a woman hanging from a noose in the women’s restroom. This trip put together by Via Travelers, stops along the way include the Palmer House and Restaurant in Sauk Center which is reportedly full of ghosts running through the halls, moving objects and shadowy figures over beds, especially in rooms 11 and 17; and Fountain Lake, where Native American spirits are said to haunt the area’s lakes. Visitors are likely to hear the sound of a woman screaming as she drowns, according to Via Travelers.

Go big or go home: Plan on a weekend for this approximately 400-mile circular loop of quirky, supersized artwork and statues. Put together by Only In Your State, it starts in Belgrade, a couple of hours northwest of Minneapolis. There, you’ll see an enormous, 40-foot tall replica of a crow looming over Highway 71. Next up is Alexandria, where a 28-foot-tall Viking Statue, Big Ole, holds a shield that proclaims the town is the birthplace of America.

Other things to gander at are the 40-foot-long Otto the Otter in Fergus Falls, an enormous statue of a pelican at Pelican Falls, a 20-foot-tall loon in Vergas, the world’s largest Paul Bunyan statue in Akeley, Babe the Blue Ox and a talking Paul Bunyan in Brainerd before ending in Milaca, where a gigantic mosquito sculpture beckons visitors to the Hairy Mosquito Trading Co., where you can buy souvenirs and other items.

Go big or go home, part 2: This road trip through southern Minnesota features multiple larger-than-life attractions. In the German town of New Ulm, see Hermann the German, a 102-foot monument depicting Hermann the Cheruscan, an ancient hero whose army liberated Germany from Roman rule in 9 A.D. Next up are the bison and waterfalls at Minneopa State Park, just outside of Mankato; the 55.5-feet-tall Jolly Green Giant in Blue Earth; the SPAM Museum in Austin, where visitors can take a selfie with Spammy, a giant can of the canned meat; and. Red Wing (more about that below), where you’ll want to see the more than 20-foot-tall boot and other exhibits. Another must-see is the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, where you’re likely to see eagles and can walk into a life-size replica of an eagle’s nest.

Spend the weekend in Red Wing: Head about an hour southeast of the Twin Cities to for an overnight getaway to Red Wing, where boots, along with pottery, helped get the town on its feet. Tour the Red Wing Stoneware factory, which has produced high-quality pottery since 1877, or pick up a crock at the massive Pottery Place antique mall. While you’re in town, be sure to stop for a selfie at the world’s largest boot — a size 638-D — at the Red Wing Shoe Museum. A hike 350 feet up Barn Bluff offers spectacular views of the town. After you’ve descended, kick back with a Work Boot Red beer at Red Wing Brewery. Among overnight options is the 1875-era St. James Hotel, where no two guest rooms are alike.

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