Minnesota
6 Of The Most Walkable Towns In Minnesota
Minnesota certainly has a lot going for it. Located in the Upper Midwest region of the United States with a northern border shared with the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario, it’s also a part of the Great Lakes region, sharing a Lake Superior shoreline with Wisconsin. Known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” it also shares another characteristic with its neighbors: an abundance of charming communities waiting to be explored.
Minnesota’s small towns not only serve as great jumping-off points to explore the state’s scenery, but they also offer no end of fun things to do in town. The best of them are easy to explore on foot, with top attractions often centrally located and accessible even to those who don’t want to walk long distances between attractions. For ideas and inspiration, we’ve pulled together this list of six of the most walkable towns in Minnesota.
Stillwater
Just 25 miles from downtown Minneapolis on the banks of the scenic St. Croix River, Stillwater is one of Minnesota’s oldest and most picturesque towns. Dubbed the “Birthplace of Minnesota, “it was here in 1848 that the process of statehood began, with the actual spot where this event took place easy to find on the corner of Main Street and Myrtle. Other historic sites to include on a walking tour are the Warden’s House Museum, set in the former home of a local prison warden, and the Washington County Historic Courthouse, built in 1870 and one of the finest municipal buildings in the Midwest.
The iconic Stillwater Lift Bridge is also easy to get to on foot and now sees only pedestrian and bike traffic. Built in 1931, this iconic structure connects Stillwater with Houlton in Wisconsin and is especially nice to view at night when it’s lit up. It also connects an extensive network of walking trails on both sides of the river.
Red Wing
Red Wing is another lovely riverside town worth exploring. Set along the Mississippi River 45 miles downstream of St. Paul, its immensely walkable downtown district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, making it a fascinating place to explore on foot. Top attractions include the Red Wing Shoe Company Museum, dedicated to the history of the famous manufacturer with tours of the still-working factory, and the historic Sheldon Theatre, built in 1904 and just steps from the town’s John Rich Park with its attractive old church.
Nearby Barn Bluff to the east of town is a must-see. While only two miles away, you’ll want to drive to this prominent geological feature with its hiking trails and panoramic views of the Mississippi River and the town. The Red Wing Marina, just a short walk from the downtown area, is a great place to hop aboard a river cruise along the Mississippi and rest those weary feet.
Grand Marais
Situated on the North Shore of Lake Superior, Grand Marais’ compact size and scenic setting make for an excellent walking experience. The highlight here is Grand Marais Harbor, a large natural bay protected by man-made break walls, each topped with charming little lighthouses. Follow the shoreline from scenic Artist Point along a section of the Gitchi Gami State Trail to Grand Marais Marina Vista Point. It’s only a mile walk around the bay, with attractions like Fish House Historic Landmark Museum, North House Folk School, and the Harbor Picnic Shelter to check out along the way.
Just a few minutes walk from the harbor, the Grand Marais Art Colony is a key cultural attraction in this part of the Great Lakes and offers workshops and classes in various arts and crafts. The town’s annual Fisherman’s Picnic is a great time for a visit. Held mid-summer for over 60 years, this much-loved local festival features live music, a parade, and various family-friendly activities. The Grand Marais Arts Festival in July is another great event to experience.
Northfield
Follow the I-35 south from Minneapolis to Northfield for another walkable small-town experience. Located along the Cannon River, this charming college town boasts a quaint downtown core that’s fun to explore on foot. Highlights include the Northfield Historical Society Museum with its displays relating to the town’s founding and the infamous 1876 bank raid by the James-Younger Gang, along with the lovely Bridge Square, a pretty park that’s a great place to rest the feet for a while.
From here you’re just seconds away from Northfield’s Riverwalk. This delightful riverside trail follows the Cannon River for some distance in either direction and can be included with other walking routes such as the Carleton Arboretum Trail and the East River Trail for a multi-mile hike. Northfield is also home to Carleton College and St. Olaf College, both of boasting campuses with walking paths and gardens.
Winona
Winona is another small town along the mighty Mississippi River that’s worth putting the ol’ walking shoes on for. Handy to get to, thanks to the I-90 just a few miles to the south, this walkable town is known for its attractive downtown area. Among its many well-preserved historic buildings is the landmark Winona National Bank, a stunning surviving example of Prairie School architecture designed by George Maher in the early 1900s.
From here, it’s just a short distance to the Minnesota Marine Art Museum. Set overlooking the river, this state-of-the-art attraction houses an impressive collection of maritime art and exhibits, much of it related to the Mississippi. Nearby Sugar Loaf Bluff, with its hiking trails and views of the Mississippi River, offers more walking adventures.
Ely
Ely is not just a paradise for those who want to explore the town on foot but also for those who enjoy paddling. Located in the state’s northeast corner, its proximity to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness places it firmly on the radar of outdoor adventurers. Not only does Ely provide easy access to this wilderness area’s more than one million acres of stunning scenery, but it also features numerous trails and waterways of its own, enabling visitors to explore without having to venture too far afield.
Other notable attractions in Ely include the International Wolf Center and the North American Bear Center. Both provide unique opportunities to learn about and observe these magnificent animals in their natural habitats.
The Final Word
Minnesota’s small towns are worth considering if a day trip, a weekend getaway, or even a longer vacation is on the cards. These six small towns in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” offer opportunities to explore some of the state’s most exhilarating scenery and are also immensely walkable. In fact, here you may find yourself parking the car and forgetting about if or a few days.
Politicians projecting an image of themselves that’s not entirely accurate is nothing new. Try as she does with her always-on media presence, Minnesota U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is apparently no different. This seems especially true when it comes to health care programs older Minnesotans rely on and reigning in large integrated corporations. This seems doubly evident when it comes to how President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act relates to the business practices of Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group.
Sen. Klobuchar misses few opportunities to tout her support, if not ownership, of the federal spending bill’s changes to Medicare. She and other progressives in Washington, D.C., promised it would drive down consumer prices and lower drug costs for seniors in Medicare. Despite such statements, it hasn’t worked out that way.
Not at all, actually. A full year after the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act,
polling
by the D.C. nonprofit
American Commitment
showed nearly 85% of older Americans said prices for goods and services had gone up, not down. Less than 11% said the costs of their prescription drugs had decreased. All told, nearly 80% viewed the costly legislation as a “failure.” Just ask older Minnesotans if their drug costs have gone up or down. Then ask the same about their Medicare premiums and out-of-pocket expenses. What they’re seeing with their own eyes does not comport with what Biden and Klobuchar are trying to sell us.
Klobuchar also fails to stress what few seniors probably know, that buried in the bill’s small print were provisions to immediately
divert more than $250 billion
in projected Medicare drug savings to other spending measures. This included billions in large subsidies paid to big insurers, tax credits for electric-vehicle buyers, and other questionable handouts unrelated to the Medicare program — largely doled out before the ink was dry.
Big insurers will also benefit from new government price controls that lower the costs of medicines they have to cover. Meanwhile, most of the drug pricing “savings” provisions sold to seniors had delayed, years-long implementation schedules.
Making matters worse, since passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, older Americans in Medicare Advantage have been socked with skyrocketing premiums and out-of-pocket costs imposed by big insurers and their pharmacy benefit manager middlemen. Then add
recent drug shortages
and warnings of new potential patient access restrictions — and
allegations of insurers overcharging Medicare billions
and
using AI to deny patients
care — and it seems clear our health care problems are likely getting worse.
Yet, even as these troubling issues and critical accountability measures have emerged, including bipartisan reforms to prevent big insurers and pharmacy benefit managers from pocketing massive drug-price rebates rather than passing them on to patients, Klobuchar has been largely AWOL. The same goes for conducting oversight on the handful of giant integrated health care conglomerates, including UHG, that control so much of the system. The latter is especially noteworthy considering she chairs the powerful Senate Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee and is in a great position to do so.
Nowhere has there been more consolidation than in the health care industry, a massive sector of our economy that impacts nearly every citizen and consumer, young and old. Through acquisitions and a little help from government entitlement programs like Medicare and Obamacare, UHG has grown to be one of the biggest corporations in the world. In addition to being the biggest provider of Medicare Advantage plans,
it also owns
some of America’s largest pharmacy benefit managers, pharmacies, surgical centers, physician practices, surgical centers, and large home health companies, earning it north of $370 billion last year.
Additionally, UHG maintains a financial partnership with the supposed seniors’ advocate AARP, one that has now paid the organization over
$8 billion
in royalties and fees. The AARP, too, is notably quiet in calling for reforms for big insurers and pharmacy benefit managers.
Much of this came into play just a few weeks ago in Washington when Congress examined the far-reaching structure and practices of UHG in relation to the systemic cyberattack on health IT giant Change Healthcare. Even as Democrats, Republicans, the
U.S. Department of Justice
, and other agencies busily call out the potential threats such integrated health cartels pose, Klobuchar, along with the well-funded AARP, remain curiously inactive.
While some might not fault Klobuchar for having loyalty to the president or a large home-state employer, the glaring discrepancies between what she says, what she does, and what she seems to willfully ignore — when two of her supposedly signature reform issues collide — are cause for great concern. Older Minnesotans now expect visible action, and Sen. Klobuchar owes them no less.
Bob Johnson of The Villages, Florida, is a retired Minnesota trade association executive and the former president of the
Insurance Federation of Minnesota
(insurancefederation.org). He serves as an advisor to
Commitment to Seniors
(commitmenttoseniors.org), a project of
American Commitment
(americancommitment.org), a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., that’s critical of AARP.
The day’s local, regional and national news, detailed events and late-breaking stories are presented by the ABC 6 News Team, along with the latest sports, weather updates including the extended forecast.
(ABC 6 News) — Over the past few weeks 4 flag football teams in Southeastern Minnesota have been meeting to grow women’s sports. Pine Island, Kasson-Mantorville, La Crescent, and Rosemount have been rotating hosts for this unique opportunity.
Just a few weeks in and all the teams are receiving plenty of support from the community. Even to begin the sport the Minnesota Vikings have provided grants in order to cover equipment and official costs. Allowing anyone and everyone the opportunity to play.
CRANE LAKE, Minn. — An investigation is underway after a 50-year-old man died early Sunday afternoon while scuba diving in a northern Minnesota lake.
The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office says the man had been assisting a group of people in recovering a piece of sunken machinery in approximately 70 feet of water at Crane Lake.
The diver had failed to resurface after spending a “period of time” underwater, authorities say. Those on the scene began rescue efforts before first responders arrived to help.
The man was pulled to the shore and pronounced dead, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities say the man had been trained as a scuba diver but was not affiliated with any recovery or salvage company.
The victim’s name will be released at a later time.
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