Swimming Hot Spots

It’s getting to be that time of year! The best place to cool off from the summer heat is the water. This post will tell you the swimming hot spots around Cook County.

Topics: Summer, Kids & Family, Outdoors

Summer is finally here and we’re so excited to get out on the water. With the heat rising, it’s important to find ways to stay cool while you’re out having fun. And you’re in luck: Cook County actually boasts more water than it does land, making it the perfect place to cool off from the summer heat. Add some of these water adventures to your summer bucket list:

Topics: Summer, Kids & Family, Outdoors

With an abundance of outdoor activities, historical museums and dining & entertainment options, there’s an adventure for everyone in Cook County all year round. Cook County really comes to life in summer when days are longer and temperatures are warmer. From kayaking on Lake Superior to fishing along the Gunflint Trail, there’s so much to see and do this summer in Cook County. It’ll be Labor Day before you know it, so we whittled the list down to 10 essential summer activities.

Topics: Grand Marais, Gunflint Trail, Scenic Drives, Summer, Art, History & Culture, Grand Portage, Kids & Family, Lutsen Tofte Schroeder, Outdoors

30 Minute Climbs

Topics: Summer, Outdoors

From traditional, hand carved, wooden boat beauties to brightly colored,  buoyant, wave bouncing kayaks, you will find any make, model, and type of watercraft  in Cook County. You name it, we have a dock, gear, paddle, or mooring line for it: canoes, stand up paddle boards, pontoons, sailboats, aluminum fishing sloggers, deep water charter cruisers, schooners, commercial fishing rigs, kayaks, luxury liners, and yes, even house boats!

Topics: Events, Summer, Outdoors

Spring! The Perfect Training Ground

Spring. Spring is here. Spring into action! Maybe those of us who are gluttons for self-induced physical punishment are a rare breed, but that doesn’t mean we can’t all go on vacation together! Some of us feel best when we’ve had a chance to tackle an ambitious workout to burn off the craziness, the overbooked, the overworked, the constantly spinning minds and lives so many of us lead. When it’s over, we can finally kick back and enjoy relaxing for the remainder of our day. A week-long family vacation need not derail one’s event training schedule since many routes start right from your lodging back door. Grab a few friends for a midweek day of hooky and check out the ever-growing systems of single track trail or an hours-long mud and gravel grind that ends with the winner enjoying a friendly wagered beer from the other finishers! Or surprise your honey with a weekend getaway for hiking or cruising the gentle paved path on the Gitchi Gami State bike trail along Lake Superior. Or race that sweetheart on a Superior Hiking Trail run!

Topics: Summer, Outdoors

Talking Tourism with Linda Jurek - Hygge and the DMO Life

I love traveling.  It doesn’t matter if I’m driving a local backroad that I’ve never encountered before or if I’m in Duluth waiting for my plane to taxi down the runway and take me away.  I’m writing this blog from Chicago’s O’Hara.  I just eavesdropped on an entire conversation of a young couple and a dad returning from a ski trip to the Canadian Rockies.  Oh how I wanted to tell them to go to Lutsen.  : )

Topics: Grand Marais, Gunflint Trail, Scenic Drives, Summer, Winter, Art, History & Culture, Grand Portage, Kids & Family, Lutsen Tofte Schroeder, Outdoors

Winter condition update - plenty of snow for the Beargrease and winter sports in Cook County MN

Conditions are firming up after the thaw of last week and while some snow was lost, the vast majority of Northeastern Minnesota still has a minimum of 12"-24" of snow on the ground.  Our cross-country ski and snowmobile trails have firmed up and have been groomed for the weekend. The slopes at Lutsen Mountains are in prime condition with 95% of the primary runs open. With the extended forecast is calling for fresh snow early next week, conditions are only about to get better.

Topics: Events, Winter, Outdoors

Happy Holidays from Visit Cook County!

Topics: Grand Marais, Gunflint Trail, Scenic Drives, Summer, Winter, Art, History & Culture, Grand Portage, Kids & Family, Lutsen Tofte Schroeder, Outdoors

Talking Tourism with Linda Jurek: Art, Unplugged, Fall Colors, and Upcoming Marketing 

Plein Air Grand Marais

Topics: Events, Fall