Cozy Lodging
This winter head north to Grand Rapids, Minnesota to Get Cozy Up North. Grand Rapids, Minnesota has a wide variety of warm and cozy overnight lodging options to choose from. There are in town Hotels and Motels that offer a wide variety of on-site amenities and are close to shops, restaurants, and in town trails. There are two Bed & Breakfasts that have on site owners that make from scratch breakfasts. Both are historic, quaint, and charming. Perfect for a winter couples getaway up north. Then there are open year round Minnesota resorts that are located on pristine lakes where you can access snowmobile trails, ice fish, cross country ski and snowshoe. And then you will find vacation rentals that are located in town, above commercial properties, on beautiful area lakes, and on the trails. The choice is yours, book early for the best selection of dates HERE.
Featured Lodging: Timberlake Lodge Hotel & Restaurant (donating two-nights lodging to the Get Cozy Up North Sweepstakes) this three-story craftsman-style building with 84 unique and beautifully furnished guest rooms cater to the business traveler, the couple on a getaway, and vacationing family. Whatever you are looking for, their quality rooms coupled with the relaxing beauty of the area, create a restful experience. They also offer pet-friendly options and extended stay accommodations for those who are looking to spend a little more time in our great northern Minnesota community.
Fun Places to Eat & drink
There are many fun places to eat & drink where it is warm and cozy inside in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. There are a wide variety of places from locally owned breweries, a wine bar, locally owned winery, fine dining, the places where the locals go, and ethnic cuisine. There is something for everyone. The two local breweries are Klockow Brewing Company and Rapids Brewing Co. The wine bar is Unwined Up North, and the winery is Smoke on the Water. Fine dining can be found at Timberlake Restaurant, Forest Lake Restaurant, Cedar Creek Restaurant, and Timberwolf Restaurant. The place where all of the locals go are Sammy’s Pizza, Florios Grill and Tavern, The Locker Room, Antler Lodge, Sportsman Cafe, Brewed Awakenings, Dottie’s Cafe, and The Dutchroom. You can even pick-up a charcuterie board to go from places like NoPo Kitchen, HR Bar + Bistro, Four Seasons Meats, and S&S Meats. You can find our dining listings for the greater Grand Rapids, MN area HERE.
Featured Places to Eat & Drink: Rapids Brewing Co (donating a $100 gift card to the Get Cozy Up North Sweepstakes). With 16 locally craft beer on tap, they also offer amazing wood fired pizza and other seasonal menu items, and offer alcoholic and non-alcoholic craft cocktails as well. They have weekly live music and other events that are open to the public. Smoke on the Water (donating a $100 gift card to the Get Cozy Up North Sweepstakes).A production owned winery and cider facility with a wood fired kitchen and crafted bar located in neighboring community Coleraine, MN. The on-site wine and cider production is coming soon. Right now they are partnering with MN wineries and MN craft beer facilities for daily service.
Outdoor Fun Up North
There is something very special about being outdoors in the winter. The vantage point that you get is breathtaking, no pun intended. If you dress for the weather, in layers, you will find that the outdoor exercise in the winter really warms the soul. Getting outdoors in the winter sunshine gives the body much needed vitamin D. Staying active year round helps with stress too. Snowshoeing is a great way to get outside to walk, basically. Snowshoes are an inexpensive way to get out in the winter months in Minnesota’s nature. The wintery forest snow covered landscape provides for a beautiful snowshoe hike at Tioga Recreation Area, or at Simpson Creek or at the Lost Forty, both located in the Chippewa National Forest.
Another great way to get outside for activity in the winter is cross country skiing. You can rent without buying first to see if you would like the sport. Many times in the early season (November/December timeframe) you will find ski swamps through local cross country ski clubs, ski hills, and through community centers. Ardent Bicycles is a great place in Grand Rapids to rent cross country ski equipment. There are two lit trails so you can ski at night: Boswell MN Power Trail in Cohasset and Legion Trail located at the Reif Center parking lot. Both stay lit until around 10pm. Skiing at night is a wonderful experience, and with a lit trail it is like skiing by candle light on a well-groomed trail. A true winter outdoor recreation bucket list activity. Find all of our Cross Country Ski Trails and mapping information HERE.
In the greater Grand Rapids, Minnesota area there are over 300 miles of snowmobile trails. This means that in whatever direction you want to go you can travel via snowmobile for hundreds of miles. Our trails connect to the state famous Taconite Trail and the Soo Line Trail, which once you are on you can snowmobile to WI. The Itasca County Snowmobile Trails run from Hill City north to Togo and east to Keewatin and west to Northome. Here in the greater Grand Rapids, Minnesota area there are 13 snowmobile clubs that groomed trails every week. The Itasca County trails are some of the best in the state of Minnesota! Download the Itasca County Snowmobile Map HERE.
Minnesota is the state of 10,000 lakes…and lots of fish. The Grand Rapids, MN area has 1,400 frozen lakes with robust amounts of fish. Walleye, Crappie, Northern Pike and more. Throughout the winter months, snowmobiles, four-wheelers and side by sides traverse the frozen lakes, bringing the dedicated outdoorsman to his ice house. The reward? A catch of hard-won fresh fish. The Grand Rapids area has some of the best ice fishing destinations, and has been referred to as an “Ice Fisherman’s Paradise” – with an abundance of interconnected lakes, creeks, and ponds perfect for fishing success. Find weekly ice fishing reports, ice fishing guides and more HERE.
In the Grand Rapids, Minnesota area there are approximately 50 miles of groomed fat tire biking trails. These are off the beaten path trails that range from novice to expert level. There are trails for every member of the family. The Tioga Recreation Area has roughly 15 winter groomed trails to ride; groomed weekly by the Grand Rapids and Itasca Mountain Bike Association (GRIMBA) Snowshoers are welcome at Tioga as long as they stay off the groomed trails. There is over 200 acres to snowshoe on at Tioga. Then there is Legion Trail that is groomed by the GRIMBA as well. At Legion there are single track fat tire bike trails, groomed cross country ski trails and approximately 15 acres to snowshoe (making sure to stay off the groomed trails). And within one and a half hours of Grand Rapids, there are over 100 additional winter biking trails you can ride at Ride The Range. Learn more about Fat Tire Biking in the Grand Rapids, MN area HERE.
Be Entertained
Grand Rapids, Minnesota is home to a hidden gem of a theater called The Reif Performing Arts Center. Featuring live music, theater and dance as well as an art gallery. Each year, the Reif hosts more than 50 national and international touring performances, representing a diverse range of artistic disciplines, including musicians, classical and contemporary dancers, musical theater, children’s theater, comedy – the list goes on! In addition to the Reif Center, the local craft breweries: Rapids Brewing Co and Klockow Brewing Co, the wine bar: Unwined Up North offer weekly live music, comedy events, and other live entertainment opportunities on a regular basis. The Grand Rapids, MN area Events Calendar is full year round! View the Calendar HERE.
Historic Attractions, Sites & Beautiful Art
Grand Rapids, Minnesota has many historic attractions, sites, and buildings that date back to the late 1800’s still standing and available for self-guided tour. The Old Central School is one of the oldest original structure buildings in downtown Grand Rapids. The style is Romanesque and it was built in 1894. Once a school K-12, then converted into a retail space. Today it is open to the public Monday-Friday 9am-5pm for a self-guided tour. Featured Historic Attractions: The Judy Garland Museum (donating 4 VIP tours and a gift to the Get Cozy Up North Sweepstakes) The Judy Garland Museum® is home to an eclectic Judy Garland and Wizard of Oz collection, Judy’s 1920’s restored Birthplace Home, the Children’s Discovery Museum, on 2 acres of Minnesota beauty. The Museum hosts thoughtfully curated exhibits and artifacts, including the original Carriage featured in “The Wizard of Oz”, a Dorothy Gale test dress worn by Judy Garland, and many personal Judy Garland items collected over the last 40 years. The Itasca County Historical Society (donating 4 Escape Room admissions to the Get Cozy Up North Sweepstakes). Come take a step back in time at the Itasca County Historical Society. Their mission is to connect people with the history of Itasca County. The River Room is a must see while visiting because it has a local artist mural within the exhibit, and historic artifacts from the Mississippi River. The Historical Society is also home to the Escape Room, and right now the theme is Bigfoot’s Backyard. Find more historic attractions, and beautiful art in the Grand Rapids, MN area HERE.
Chance To Win A Winter Family Getaway
Visit Grand Rapids has partnered with Grand Rapids, MN area businesses to present the Get Cozy Up North Sweepstakes. Enter for a chance to win a two-night stay for a family of four to Grand Rapids, Minnesota that includes: two-nights stay at Timberlake Lodge Hotel, $100 gift card to Rapids Brewing Co, $100 gift certificate to Smoke on the Water, 4 tickets to a VIP Judy Garland Tour and Children’s Museum, 4 tickets to the Itasca County Historical Society Escape Room, and a winter welcome basket valued at over $150. The Get Cozy Up North Trip Prize Package is worth $850! ENTER NOW