I feel very fortunate to have spent half of my life growing up in Minnesota—the land of 10,000 lakes, vast forests, and the mighty Lake Superior, the world’s largest freshwater lake. No matter where I travel in the world, even after seeing some truly incredible places, northern Minnesota remains one of the few places I always return to. I’m drawn back by its beautiful scenery and my family and childhood connections there. Here are a few of my favorite spots in Minnesota that I’ve visited over the years.
Lake Superior & the North Woods
Lake Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake, and it holds a near-spiritual reverence for me. When my great-grandparents first emigrated from Norway, they arrived in the U.S. through Duluth, the main port city on Lake Superior. My grandmother owned a cabin on the lake where I spent my childhood summers, and I later lived in Duluth for four years while attending college there. Over time, I’ve come to see Lake Superior as a kind of mighty queen presiding over northern Minnesota. Her mood shifts between calm and emerald green to tempestuous, sending towering waves crashing against the shore. In winter, the lake freezes into enormous plates of sheer green and blue ice, creating a stunning winter wonderland of colors and beauty.
One of the world’s largest forests, the Boreal Forest—comprised of mixed deciduous and coniferous trees—stretches along the shoreline of Lake Superior and extends northward for over a thousand miles until it gives way to the tundra in northern Canada. This northern wilderness is filled with glacial lakes and abundant wildlife, including bears, moose, and timber wolves. Minnesota is one of the last states in the lower 48 with a significant population of timber wolves, a species eradicated from many other areas. My absolute favorite place to escape from modern civilization is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA). The BWCA, along with Canada’s adjoining Quetico Provincial Park, preserves millions of acres of pristine wilderness that can only be explored by canoe. I’ve been paddling these lakes since childhood, and this wilderness is where I find the greatest sense of peace in the world.
Cargo Boat entering the port city of Duluth beneath the lift bridge at Canal park
Cargo Boat entering the port city of Duluth beneath the lift bridge at Canal park
My wife looking out of the Two harbord lighthouse guesthouse where we stayed when we got engaged
Split Rock Lighthouse
Palisades
My brother on a hike in the Superior National Forest
Gartner Snake, something I loved catching as a kid
Train tracks running through Knife River, where I used to walk all the time as a kid because my grandmas cabin was located adjacant to them.
Witch Tree, Grand Portage, In the background stands a gnarled, ancient cedar known as the Witch Tree, which has grown from a Lake Superior cliff for over 400 years. This tree is sacred to the Ojibwa people of northern Minnesota, who believe it possesses powerful spirits. Since the time of the early European fur traders, the Witch Tree has stood as a sentinel over Lake Superior. Before setting out across the lake’s often-treacherous waters, Ojibwa travelers have, for centuries, offered small gifts of tobacco—like the small pouch seen here—to appease the tree’s spirits and ensure safe passage. This tradition continues today.
My parents on the giant chairs along the lake drive of the north shore on one of the thousands of trips we have done together up there.
Paula and I at Magnetic Rock, Superior National Forest
An old fishing shack on Lake Superior
Moonrise from the island we were camping on in the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area (BWCA)
My brother and I portaging our canoe a feew miles between lakes in the BWCA through a mosquito infested swamp
Frozen Lake Superior in winter
Frozen Lake Superior in winter
Southern Minnesota
Southern Minnesota feels like an entirely different world from the north. Here, the lakes and forests transition into the vast plains and sprawling fields of corn that define the landscape. This region is also where my dad grew up and is home to the Dakota, one of the most resilient Indigenous tribes of North America.
My brother on the inside of the frozen Minnehaha Falls in winter
Paula on the inside of the frozen Minnehaha Falls in winter
paula on the inside of the frozen Minnehaha Falls in winter
frozen Minnehaha Falls in winter
Dakota Pow Wow in Morton
Dakota Pow Wow in Morton
Dakota Pow Wow in Morton
My dads abandoned childhood house in Morton Minnesota