Looking to rent a home for a month next summer to hang out with the family. Looking for something within a days drive of Minneapolis (maybe 2). Prefer a smaller town with walkable downtown and beach/lake access. I know many of you are world travelers so looking for your input. Thanks!
Looking for great vacation spot in US
- Thread starter MNJason
- Start date
Xcentric
GT Owner
The Lake of the Woods area above you at the Canadian Border is a nice camping and recreation area.
Xcentric
GT Owner
Here's my take. He wants something unlike MN. Otherwise, stay in MN. (which is a world class summer destination)
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A bit of a longer drive - Cape Cod is lovely in the summer. My wife rented a house for a month in Wellfleet 3 yrs ago. Great area.
twobjshelbys
GT Owner
2 easy days drive to Crested Butte or Telluride, CO. Both have nice downtowns with shops and restaurants. Easy day trip from either to the Gateway (Hendricks) car museum and Mesa Verde National Park.
Another would be Estes Park / Rocky Mountain Park. Also a small town with great shopping downtown but a lot more tourists there than the above. Camping you need to make reservations now. Great drives within the park, and day trip over Trail Ridge Road to Grand Lake and Granby.
Another would be Estes Park / Rocky Mountain Park. Also a small town with great shopping downtown but a lot more tourists there than the above. Camping you need to make reservations now. Great drives within the park, and day trip over Trail Ridge Road to Grand Lake and Granby.
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GTJack
GT Owner
Don't laugh, but Branson has great lakes, world class golf, amusement park on par with Six Flags, great lake and stream fishing. Big Cedar lodge, owned by Bass Pro, is a world class resort with cabin rentals. Downtown area and Branson Landing are definitely walkable and touristy. It's a one day drive from MN. I drove to Rochester, MN in one day in a blinding snow storm. Branson area is not just shows with over the hills old time entertainers. If it was just that I would not have retired here. PS Ozarks highways are hilly and twisty. If you stay off main roads you can give your car and self a workout!
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Sinovac
GT Owner
That is a very nice area. I rode my motorcycle up to Gills Rock on one of my cross-country trips. Loved it.
Good ideas here guys! My thoughts as of now are someplace on the east coast which would allow an easy weekend trip into places like NYC and DC.
I also like the idea of something in the UP of Michigan or in the northern lower part of the state. Both areas that I love.
My wife is looking for a direct recreation of the movie Summer Rental. But without the walkway to the beach on the property
I also like the idea of something in the UP of Michigan or in the northern lower part of the state. Both areas that I love.
My wife is looking for a direct recreation of the movie Summer Rental. But without the walkway to the beach on the property
Traverse City, Leelenau, Charlevoix are all nice. Sleeping Bear Dunes, super clear lake water, boating, inland lakes, rivers, hiking, animals, stargazing, etc all that stuff going on up there. One of my GT buddies has a Dwell-worthy property overlooking the lake on a more remote section of Leelenau Peninsula and pretty much all summer all he does is post beach sunset and boating pics. Not too hard to get away from civilization or to it up there.
The Grey Ghost
GT Owner
PeteK
GT Owner
Since yer talkin' summer, go someplace with relatively cool pleasant weather. I second the others' suggestions of places in Colorado. One of the more enjoyable 5-day vacations I took was to Estes park and hiking and driving around the Rockies.
An easy day's drive puts you in the Black Hills of SD, which also is beautiful and has some great driving roads (hint, bring the GT). But if you are willing to do 1-1/2 days drive to get there, I'd go to Colorado, set up base in Estes Park or nearby, and take side trips from there.
An easy day's drive puts you in the Black Hills of SD, which also is beautiful and has some great driving roads (hint, bring the GT). But if you are willing to do 1-1/2 days drive to get there, I'd go to Colorado, set up base in Estes Park or nearby, and take side trips from there.
twobjshelbys
GT Owner
The Black Hills is also an excellent choice with lots of good day trips. It's funny you mention both Black Hills and Estes Park since we vacationed in both places (every other year) for a whole bunch of years when I was a kid. For a number of years we actually based on the western side of Rocky Mountain Park at a campground in Grand Lake (but not in the park, they had hot showers
)I will add that if you are into fly fishing Colorado would be your first choice. Either side of the divide will have some world class trout streams for small fish and lake fishing for rainbows.
twobjshelbys
GT Owner
So here's another place that I just thought of... Check out Lake Okoboji, Iowa... Probably 6 hours from where you are. I grew up close by in Sioux CIty, and we went there for the amusement park a few times. But my best friend's girl friend (there is a song lingering here) went to Okoboji on vacation with here family last year and said it was great. Boats for rent, kids do the amusement park, and nice lodging with condos for rent.
I would second Lake of the Woods. Rent a houseboat with a skif and go fishing!!! That was the third place we did - my dad's boss had a houseboat there (along with three other of the Sioux City contractors) and we got a week every year... I love Walleye! THe only thing I didn't like about it was the mosquitoes were big enough to stand flat footed and breed a turkey.
I would second Lake of the Woods. Rent a houseboat with a skif and go fishing!!! That was the third place we did - my dad's boss had a houseboat there (along with three other of the Sioux City contractors) and we got a week every year... I love Walleye! THe only thing I didn't like about it was the mosquitoes were big enough to stand flat footed and breed a turkey.
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Jack, sounds like a good place for a spring Midwest GT get together.
I'm in for that...only about 3 1/2 hours from here. Well, maybe 2 hours in the GT.
PeteK
GT Owner
The Black Hills is also an excellent choice with lots of good day trips. It's funny you mention both Black Hills and Estes Park since we vacationed in both places (every other year) for a whole bunch of years when I was a kid. For a number of years we actually based on the western side of Rocky Mountain Park at a campground in Grand Lake (but not in the park, they had hot showers
I will add that if you are into fly fishing Colorado would be your first choice. Either side of the divide will have some world class trout streams for small fish and lake fishing for rainbows.
I've been to the Black Hills several times as a side trip of riding my bike to Sturgis (from N. Va.). Don't forget to visit Devil's Tower, just over the border in Wyoming. And the Bighorn Mts. are about 4 hours drive further west. What the heck, keep going and you're in Yellowstone in a few more hours.
I have to admit, I'm much more of a fan of driving vacations, where I go and explore and see new places, rather than set up base on one place for a week, even with side trips. In an earlier time, I would have been an explorer…