Grand Marais Named Minnesota’s ‘Best Small Town’

A short four-and-a-half hour drive from the St. Cloud area, you will find Grand Marais, Minnesota. An artsy shore town in on Lake Superior, Grand Marais has just been listed as one of the best small towns in America.

FarandWide.com compiled a list of the best small towns in every state across America using data from U.S. News & World Report, Reader's Digest, Architectural Digest, The Travel Channel and House Beautiful magazine. Here is what they wrote about Minnesota's title holder:

Another Great Lakes setting can be found in Minnesota's Grand Marais. Just south of the Canadian border, this sleepy village is located on Lake Superior but surrounded on land by the Superior National Forest. Its remote location makes for a quiet getaway, but there's still plenty to do on the lake and in the hills, along with beer and wine tastings at North Shore wineries and breweries.

This quiet town is no stranger to big awards. According to their website, Grand Marais has been named America’s Coolest Small Town (Budget Travel Magazine), Top 10 Beach Getaways (Outside Magazine), and Next Great Adventure Town (National Geographic Adventure Magazine).

It seems to be a great place for artists to find inspiration. The oldest art colony in Minnesota is there, and the picturesque waters of Lake Superior contrast perfectly with the landscape of the Sawtooth Mountains to the other side of the town. It also is a great place to get outside with miles and miles of hiking and biking trails.

If you're starting to plan that summer getaway for the family, you might want to consider Grand Marais.

(Far and Wide)