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Wander Minnesota: Fall Getaways

The DNR is reporting that fall colors have begun to pop, mostly up north as of this writing. The gorgeous fall foliage season is all too short. Now is the time to plan a little getaway to enjoy them before winter sets in. Here are a few suggestions for lodgings that are open past the summer tourist season.

Moorhead's Hjemkomst Center celebrates with a German Festival on Sept. 28, right on the museum grounds with live music and plenty of food.

Near the Brainerd lakes area is Ruttger's, which is open through October and has a variety of fall specials, some involving discounted accommodation rates and others involving free golf. Nearby Grandview Lodge is open year-round, but also has some special discounts for the fall.

If you're looking for a wide variety of autumn activities, Gunflint Lodge on the Gunflint Trail outside of Grand Marais is waiting for you. Smallmouth bass fishing is available through October, as is the Towering Pines Canopy Tour (reservations strongly recommended) which will have you ziplining above the trees. The colors will be gone by November, but Gunflint is collaborating with the North House Folk School to offer a mukluk making class the first weekend in November.

In Two Harbors, Grand Superior Lodge has a number of specials for leaf-peepers, as well as hikers and bourbon and beer lovers.

Near Alexandria, you could book a bed and breakfast accommodation at Spirit Cove Lodge, which offers some MEA weekend and Carlos Creek Winery Applefest specials. Spirit Cove is just ½ mile from the Central Lakes Trail, offering plenty of biking or running opportunities.

Maybe you'd rather head south and spend some time along a river. Stillwater's Ann Bean Mansion is a cozy Victorian bed and breakfast with monthly specials based on the length or days of the week of your stay. (The specials may involve chocolate—not a bad deal.)

In Hastings, the Classic Rosewood Inn has a robust listing of packages and specials, everything from spa experiences to special couples' dinners to horseback riding or dogsledding tours (for when the snow does make an appearance).

The Windom Park Bed and Breakfast in Winona will customize a package for your stay, giving you the options not only of room types, but of restaurant and various activities, including theater, museums, golf, or winery tour.

Or you could take a trip to the "bed and breakfast capital of the world"—Lanesboro—and book a stay at the beautiful Berwood Hill Inn, located just outside of Lanesboro on a hill overlooking the town and the valley. Berwood Hill offers a number of customizable options, including in-room massage and candlelight dinners.

What else is happening in our state? Be sure to check out the 10 p.m. Sunday night WCCO newscasts, where you can learn more in the weekly segment, Finding Minnesota.

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