Romantic getaway near the Twin Cities?

January 8, 2018 10:50 AM

Please suggest a nice place within 2 hours of Minneapolis where the Phlegmatic Queen and I could go for a brief weekend getaway. Bonus points for a hot tub, double bonus points if said hot tub is outdoors.

Categories under consideration for "nice place" status include: pleasant scenery, coziness of rooms, suitability of decor for midwinter romancin', decency of (vegetarian-friendly) food onsite or nearby, availability of fireplace, interesting nearby entertainment, or any other mystery categories not anticipated.

posted by the phlegmatic king to Travel & Transportation around Minnesota (9 answers total)

There are lots of nice vacation homes/cabins within your travel radius on Airbnb.
posted by adiabatic at 11:48 AM on January 8, 2018

Down south is Amish country. Lanesboro is the sweetest little town. So many B&Bs there. And last time the wife and I were there, we had no problem getting vegan and vegetarian fare.

If you're wanting to head north, it's all about the North Shore. But Duluth, which is the very bottom of the North shore, is about 2:15 away. If you're willing to go a little further, lots of NS options for you. Bluefin Bay is an easy option. (Duluth can be a fun destination too. There's lots to do there, and many . nice . veg . options . around.)
posted by ochenk at 12:06 PM on January 8, 2018

Not sure if Hudson, WI is far enough, but I hear good things about the Phipps Inn B&B. Quite a few good local restaurants and shopping in the downtown area, recreation outside town (tourism bureau site), and Stillwater is not too far away, for more of the same.
posted by yuwtze at 12:28 PM on January 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

I have heard good things about Ann Beam Mansion in Stillwater, which has a fairly charming downtown with good restaurants.
posted by Emmy Rae at 1:27 PM on January 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

Seconding ochenk. When it's not winter, the bike trails at Lanesboro are great.

I've stayed at Bluefin Bay also, and it's a really nice place. Also very cool dining spot on the north shore is Naniboujou Lodge in Grand Marais. (They don't do lunch in the winter and are closed in January - maybe better to go in the summer.)
posted by larrybob at 2:33 PM on January 8, 2018

Response by poster: Thanks, all!

To clarify slightly, I'm more looking for specific "I stayed at X place and it was great" recommendations than "this area's nice." We're pretty up on the areas, just trying to cut through the wall of availabilities. And we're pretty tight on the 2-hour-ish circle, so as much as I love the North Shore, Duluth's about as far north as we can swing for this.
posted by the phlegmatic king at 4:45 PM on January 8, 2018

Gotcha. In Duluth, Solglimt is my favorite romantic spot. In Lanesboro, Mrs B's is cozy and right on the main street. Habberstad House is fun and little off the center of town (although the whole town is tiny and very walkable).
posted by ochenk at 6:52 PM on January 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

How about the Old Rittenhouse Inn in Bayfield, WI? I stayed there for work...unfortunately it was "mud" season when I was there but it ticks a lot of your winter romantic getaway boxes. The rooms were romantically cozy and many have fireplaces. The food was AMAZING...I can't say how vege friendly they are, but they were very accommodating when I was there. They also have a number of packages...skiing, predictably, but also a "sled dog adventure."
posted by Preserver at 7:18 PM on January 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

I also did a stay at Solglimt (this was a good while ago, though - 2009?) and it was lovely, and the location was great for wandering out for a bit, and coming back to a nice cozy place.
posted by modernhypatia at 8:59 AM on January 9, 2018 [1 favorite]