redcleo / Kelly Schneider

My boyfriend and I went here to celebrate our one-year anniversary. We rented a condo from some friends, and it was right on the shore. At the end of August, there weren’t many families on vacation, so I suspect that it wasn’t as busy as if it were mid-summer. And most of the rest of the tourists cleared out on Sunday afternoon, so it was really quiet that night and Monday morning.

After receiving some good recommendations of things to do from friends and on this site, we had a list of things to do. We made another list while we were there, since we discovered things we’d like to try or do but didn’t have time for. Great excuse to plan another trip.

Some things we especially enjoyed: Sven & Olie’s pizza, hiking (we tried the Sweetheart’s Bluff trail, which was really difficult to find, but a nice climb up a cliff once we did), donuts (“World’s Best”), Artist’s Point, and skipping rocks on the shore.

Some things to keep in mind: lots of places closed on Sunday; Gene’s IGA had a better selection than Johnson’s grocery; bring good walking sandals for the beach (it’s rocks, not sand); the fog seemed to roll in as the sun began to set, so make sure and spend as much time in the outdoors in the morning and afternoon as you want; use sunscreen before going out on a hike – there’s not much shade, and it’s stronger than you might think (I got pretty burnt our last day there).

The drive from the Twin Cities isn’t too long – about 5 hours, give or take. Duluth was a nice stopping point for halfway. At the end of August, the sun was setting around 7:30 or 8, so bring a good book to read or some movies to watch, since there’s nothing to do in town after dark except eat.

All in all, I can’t wait to go back. Off-season rates at the hotels might be something to look into, if you’re looking to get away and can do so in the fall or spring. Also, you’re only about 50 miles from Canada, so if you’re planning a longer trip, it might be worth it to add in a day to go up there. We didn’t, so I can’t offer any advice as to what might be up there (other than Canadians), but maybe someone else can.