During this time of pandemic, I’m surely not the only one dreaming of going some place new and unfamiliar as our apartments and houses slowly become all too familiar. Here’s a post from my friend Stan Wiebe to inspire us of all the places we may one day go.

Written by Stan Wiebe of The Drive-by Tourist

Many of you don’t have your mind on a vacation right now… but why not take some time away from the depressing news and start planning an economical vacation. Here are some ideas for taking social distancing trips this year.

Since I live in Minnesota USA, I’ll focus on examples from the northern part of my state. Our parks and other public areas are currently open, but the rules for social distancing are in place, and likely will be all summer. There are many places that are not likely to be crowded and are very good places to see. For example, I googled “Less visited attractions near me”, “Hidden Gems in Minnesota” and “Outdoor vacation spots Lake Superior”.  (Those in other parts of the US or the world can use similar search words suited for your area.)

Once our communities have opened again and lodging is available, select your destinations, pack your belongings, including all the needed sanitizing and cleaning supplies, and head out! (See link below to read about recommendations on sanitizing on road trips.)

Here are some ideas from my research. I found the following places for a great road trip that is all in Minnesota. Museum of Great Hinckley Fire of 1894; Tobies for a great, sweet snack or meal (they are providing curbside service), also in Hinckley;  Skyline Drive in Duluth;  Lighthouse Point in Two Harbors; Gooseberry Falls near Castle Danger; Split Rock Lighthouse near Beaver Bay; eight state parks spread out along the North Shore; Heritage Center near Grand Portage near the Canadian border and many more attractions. (Please forgive me for the length of this newsletter, my goal is to keep them under 300 words!)

For the adventuresome among you, the Superior Hiking Trail, also known as the SHT, is a 310-mile (500 km) long hiking trail from Duluth to the Canadian border that follows the rocky ridges overlooking Lake Superior for much of its length. Compared to the other Great Lakes, it’s Superior!

A great side trip is going up the Gunflint Trail. This road leaves Highway 61 at Grand Marais and runs about 30 miles up to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.