Tourist Towns in Minnesota (Duluth, Minnetonka: motels, to buy, university)

[601halfdozen0theother]

I've been trying to think of towns in MN which have a primarily tourist-supported economy. I'm only sure of:

Ely
Grand Marais

and maybe Lanesboro?

Bemidji, Brainerd and Red Wing have other businesses/industries/university which help support the economy. What about Detroit Lakes?

Are there any other towns in MN which you'd call tourist towns - towns with economies based primarily on tourism?

[golfgal]

Most of the small towns around the Brainerd area would be tourist towns.

[chessgeek]

Park Rapids is certainly a tourist town. My late grandmother used to live on a lake just ten miles from there.

[chessgeek]

New Ulm and Pipestone could probably be considered tourist towns, too. In New Ulm it might be seasonal and more touristy during the various German festivals, though Schell Brewery and the downtown area have become popular, too. Pipestone may actually get more visitors from nearby Sioux Falls, SD (which is that state's largest city with approx 130,000 residents) than from Minnesota towns..LOL!

[chessgeek]

In the greater Twin Cities region, Excelsior and Wayzata host a lot of weekend visitors to Lake Minnetonka. Most of these are day trips and the towns get a lot of Saturday visitors. In the St. Croix River Valley (east metro area), Stillwater is a very popular destination and also has more overnight options with plentiful motels and Bed and Breakfast Inns.

[demtion35]

Originally Posted by chessgeek

Park Rapids is certainly a tourist town. My late grandmother used to live on a lake just ten miles from there.

Agree with you Park Rapids and also Lake George.
Some other towns for sure Two Harbors, Beaver Bay, Duluth has a huge all season tourist draw as well.

[601halfdozen0theother]

I think you're all right in that all those towns have a tourist economy, but I'm kind of thinking more along the lines of tourist towns that have a "tourist strip" - a street or two where hordes of tourists walk along and slurp ice cream and go into seasonal stores to buy fudge and tchotchkes - eg

Ely's Hwy 1 main drag
Hayward, WI
Eureka Springs, AR
Galena, IL
Deadwood, SD
McGregor, IA

I think Lanesboro has a strip where the root river trail passes through town.

I suppose Duluth has Canal Park which might be considered a tourist strip.

Does Park Rapids have a strip like that? Any of the other towns?

[geebabe]

Taylors Falls?

[demtion35]

Originally Posted by 601halfdozen0theother

I think you're all right in that all those towns have a tourist economy, but I'm kind of thinking more along the lines of tourist towns that have a "tourist strip" - a street or two where hordes of tourists walk along and slurp ice cream and go into seasonal stores to buy fudge and tchotchkes - eg

Ely's Hwy 1 main drag
Hayward, WI
Eureka Springs, AR
Galena, IL
Deadwood, SD
McGregor, IA

I think Lanesboro has a strip where the root river trail passes through town.

I suppose Duluth has Canal Park which might be considered a tourist strip.

Does Park Rapids have a strip like that? Any of the other towns?

Lake George does, as well as Two Harbors, Beaver Bay, as well as Walker.

How about Grand Rapids and Bemidji?

Have to wait to next year for this on though, http://www.dorsetmn.com/html/calendar.html

[slamont61]

Park Rapids most definitely. It's so different during the tourist season activity wise. Minnesota Vacation Destination - Lakes Area Lodging - MN Family or Fishing Vacation

Near by there is Dorset MN which is completely dependent of tourist dollars. Dorset Minnesota - Restaurant Capital of the World ! - Park Rapids, Dorset, Nevis, Minnesota, MN