3 Minnesota Resorts Make Travel + Leisure's Best in the Midwest

Travel + Leisure prides itself on being a top travel media brand in the world, with the mission to both inform and inspire travelers. They also pride themselves on covering "small towns and big cities, hidden gems and tried-and-true destinations, beaches and lakes, mountains and valleys, national parks and outdoor adventures, road trips and cruises, fine-dining experiences and secret hole-in-the-wall establishments, and everything in between."

Recently, they set out to identify the '10 Best Resort Towns in The Midwest'. They did this by asking readers to weigh in on travel experiences throughout the area. Readers for the 2022 survey were asked rate hotel and resorts on their locations, rooms/facilities, food, service, and overall value.

When it was all said and done, what they discovered was that Minnesota is a state that knows how to maximize and showcase it's environment. "The Land Of 10,000 Lakes" ended up earning three spots on the top 10 list this year, with a Two Harbors destination landing at #2 overall!

That honor goes to Larsmont Cottages on Lake Superior, located at 596 Larsmont Way in Two Harbors. Congratulations to the entire staff on such a fantastic showing.

Larsmont Cottages on Lake Superior / Photo Courtesy of Craig Luedtke - Odyssey Resorts

Travel + Leisure shared one impressive review as well as what you can expect if you stay there:

"Great staff and natural beauty" is how one reader described Larsmont — a wooded, 40-acre property whose guest rooms and cottages are steps from the shore. Aside from all the hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing opportunities that surround the resort, there's also a wood-fired Finnish sauna, a hot tub, and an indoor swimming pool for less rigorous pursuits.

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The other Minnesota destinations to crack the top 10 were the Hotel Landing in Wayzata, which finished at #5 and Grand View Lodge Spa & Golf Resort in Nisswa, which finished at #10.

Travel + Leisure's 10 Best Resorts in the Midwest

Wisconsin was represented twice in the top 10, with the Sundara Inn & Spa in Wisconsin Dells finishing at #4 and The American Club Resort Hotel in Kohler, landing at #9.

The 100 Best Places to Live in the Midwest

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LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.