Spring is in the air, and it is time to plan a getaway. Whether you’re looking to escape the confines of your everyday life for a few days or even a week, planning can come with a tinge of sadness when it means leaving your four-legged family members behind. Finding a dog sitter or taking family and friends up on offers to keep your dog company while you’re away is all well and good, but up in Cook County, Minnesota, we say bring your fur-babies, too… the more, the merrier!

With so many dog-friendly activities and a wealth of lodging options that welcome canine family members and pet-loving locals everywhere you turn, Cook County is a fun destination on two legs and four.

Topics: Grand Marais, Gunflint Trail, Services, Summer, Winter, Grand Portage, Lutsen Tofte Schroeder, Outdoors

 

Topics: Winter, lake superior

February is a great month to warm up your hearts again! The calendar may still say winter, but there is really no reason you can’t warm up with your sweetie in one of our romantic getaway locations, and the quiet and secluded hideaways of Visit Cook County will definitely speak to your heart’s desire.  During the winter, our summer crowds are absent, assuring couples have the opportunity for peace and tranquil rejuvenation, while discovering spectacular scenery in an area that contains more wildlife than people!

The Bluefin Bay Family of Resorts in Tofte offers top notch romance and relaxation packages.  With units complete with fireplaces and hot tubs, directly overlooking the Lake Superior shoreline, you can enjoy your picturesque and tranquil haven, or use it as your home base while you explore the area on ski, snowshoes, or skates!  At the Waves of Superior Spa, true nurturance is on the menu, and the holistic treatments are in line with the breathtaking natural surrounding – our forests, Lake Superior, and the snow and ice covered rocks.  Individual and couples packages are available.

Topics: Winter, spa & wellness

Cozy book lovers reading list compiled by Gwen Danfelt of Drury Lane Books, Grand Marais:

What hygge-inspired books will be read this winter in Cook County, Minn. and beyond

The Danish concept of “hygge” (pronounced hoo-gah) is the Danish ritual of embracing life’s simple pleasures. Feeling relaxed, cozy and surrounded by the warmth of family, friends, community and fire.

Topics: Winter

Topics: dog sled race, Grand Marais, Gunflint Trail, Winter, dogsled, Grand Portage, john beargrease, Kids & Family, Lutsen Tofte Schroeder

Blood moons, eclipse, super moons, meteor showers, northern lights and so much more. Make 2019 the year you explore the wonders of the night sky. Here is our short list of some of the Top Celestial Events to experience in Cook County this year. 

 

Topics: solstice, phenomena, northern lights

5 reasons why you must go cross country skiing this winter

There are several reasons cross country skiing is an excellent winter activity, most notably it gets you outside in the winter. But also, cross country skiing is very versatile, you can do it anywhere there is snow and it is a fantastic cardio workout that can burn up to 500 calories in one hour. What is not to love about that? Here are our top five reasons you should try cross country skiing this winter.

Topics: Grand Marais, Gunflint Trail, skiing, Winter, xc, xc skiing, cross country skiing, Grand Portage, Lutsen Tofte Schroeder, Outdoors, winter sports

In Northern Minnesota, it is most common that soon after the lakes freeze a significant snow storm arrives.  This winter, on many of our lakes that was the case. They froze and the snow came. However, this year on iconic Gunflint Lake conditions were different.

Topics: Gunflint Trail, Winter, Kids & Family, phenomena, BWCAW

Lake Superior Shipwrecks and Storms

Sailing the seas has long been one of the world’s riskiest and most dangerous professions. Years ago, shore dwellers knew that when a loved one went off to sea, they often didn’t return. While the oceans, naturally, pose the biggest threat, Lake Superior is so vast it has claimed many ships into her cool depths. With weather that can change at the drop of a hat, Lake Superior has claimed hundreds of ships for her own.

Modern technology has made sailing and shipping on Lake Superior much safer, but she is still a mighty force to be reckoned with when the Gales of November rush through. Over the years, Lake Superior shipwrecks have dwindled, but there are a few notable wrecks near Cook County.

Topics: Grand Marais, Gunflint Trail, Services, Winter, Grand Portage, Lutsen Tofte Schroeder, Outdoors

Happy anniversary to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (commonly known as the BWCAW/BWCA)! On October 21, 1978 President Jimmy Carter signed the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Act into law, amending the national Wilderness Act of 1964.

While the 1964 National Wilderness Act included the BWCAW in the National Wilderness Preservation System, the new Act signed in 1978, set the course leading to the wilderness as it is known today. Each year, over 150,000 visitors travel from around the globe to explore the pristine waters that are home to moose, wolves, bears and more.

Topics: Grand Marais, Gunflint Trail, Grand Portage, Lutsen Tofte Schroeder, Outdoors, northern lights, BWCAW