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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

The Sky is Falling! Just kidding, it's the annual Perseid Meteor Shower. 

 Northern Minnesota’s night skies are spectacular for stargazing on any clear night. But this weekend there’s an extra special treat that we might be lucky enough to enjoy. If clear skies prevail as they are forecast now, it could be the kind of spectacular night show your kids will remember all their lives. Or maybe it’s the kind of moment with a special someone that’s usually reserved for Hollywood Rom-Coms. Whoever you may be with this weekend, or if you’re enjoying some solitude, don’t miss the chance to take in some magic. Or science. Observer’s choice.

Spring break. Every student’s rallying cry – and every teacher’s earned respite. Sometime between New Year’s and Valentine’s Day, spring break daydreams begin. You’re probably thinking about the perfect spring break destination. When you picture it, what do you see?