Lutsen

From World travel guide

Lutsen is a ski-resort town in Minnesota.

1 Understand
2 Get in
3 Get around
4 See
5 Do
6 Buy
7 Eat
8 Drink
9 Sleep
10 Get out
11 External links

Understand

If you are familiar with mountain skiing in places like Colorado or California, you will scoff at the little bump of a hill which Minnesotans like to call "Lutsen Mountain." The slopes on this pair of diminutive peaks might be just about the best you will find between the Appalachians and the Rockies, but that's not really setting the bar very high, is it?

That said, Lutsen offers two significant advantages over a Colorado resort.

First, it is cheaper, for lodging, lift tickets, and equipment rentals. If you are taking a family ski vacation, you will save a fortune going to Lutsen, especially if you live within driving distance of Northern Minnesota.

Secondly, on clear days it boasts a downright breathtaking view of Lake Superior, the largest freshwater body in the world. If the temperatures are comfortable enough, be sure to also take advantage of the gondola ride over to Moose Mountain (the other peak), which is a ride that even the locals even enjoy taking in the summer, to view the birch and evergreen forests which Northern Minnesota is known for. The skiing is generally better on Moose as well, and there's a nice little restaurant where you can stop for lunch.

There are no lights anywhere on Lutsen, and therefore the lifts close at dusk (which comes around 4:00 PM in the dead of winter) so if you get drunk the night before skiing you will lose half your day to the hangover. It's generally considered best to get an early start and hit the hills at the crack of dawn. Save the drinking for the evening afterwards, as you soak your legs in a soothing hot-tub.

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