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Most people tend to believe the best vacations are to the big cities or traveling to other states, but what they do not realize is they are missing the significance of having a little town all to themselves for days or weeks on end. The joy of being able to disconnect from the outside world will never be understood by the people of big cities. In-all, small towns, like Grand Marais, bring a new light to the travel experience through the places to stay, the attractions and the history of these spots on the map.

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Starting off, when coming into Grand Marais, the first worry is where you will be laying your head down at the end of the night. Will you be in a sleeping in a lodge, private rental, an AirBnB or a motel? According to to the booking website tripadvisor the highest rated stay is at the Agate Cross Bed and Breakfast (Grand Marais Hotels and Places to Stay). It is a rustic B&B, full of character with a beautiful view of the pink and orange mystical sunsets.

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If you are looking for a single family place the best rated cabins are the sunset cabins (“Grand Marais Hotels and Places to Stay”). They are on the smaller side but when see the views it will be hard to say no to. The sunset cabins also have access to right to the beach where you can spend all the sunny days.

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The most popular place to stay is the Woodland Park Campground (“Camping-Grand Marais Chamber of Commerce”). Just steps from the beach and fire pits on every lot to sit around and keep the going. There is 125 beautiful grassy campsites with a season from April to October insuring you will be able to find a time to reserve a site for a while. While you do need a place to sleep at night, during your stay you need things to fill some of adventurous energy.

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Next from all the down main street to miles down H-58 there are so many places to stop and explore the beauty all around. When you are about to start your days journey your first stop must be the 1966 Volkswagon bus transformed into the “The Dream Bean Machine” with a gift shop next door. The owner used to travel across the country but found and fell in-love with Grand Marais. “We love our new space and want to thank the community of Grand Marais for welcoming us with open arms” (“Coffee - The Dream Bean Machine”). Libby (the owner) expresses her joy she gained when the community welcomed her and her business to town.

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If you are looking for a spot with beautiful views and a bit of exercise, the perfect place is Sable Falls. According to the National Park Service, there is 168 steps down to the falls and a total of 0.4 miles to the bottom and back (“Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore”). The 3 layers of beautiful cascading falls that flow around the curves into Lake Superior. These places are significant just as the origin of Grand Marais is.

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Lastly, Grand Marais was not always the tourist town it has become. The informational website “North Country Trail” explains the earliest of the days. It was founded originally by the Native Americans but in 1890 there was a white pine boom which brought in over 2000 residents. After the boom happened and the lumberjacks moved out the population continued to fluctuate until it was discovered to have a great fishing industry in 1910 (Trail Town: Grand Marais). Now the towns full time resident count is around 300 people year round and in the summer season the population jumps to 1500 people.

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The name “Grand Marais” is a French name for Great Marsh. The Grand Marais Chamber of Commerce online website goes further to explain, “Historians believe that French mapmakers confused “marais” with another, similar-sounding word found on old maps, “maré”, which means “sheltered body of water”. Grand Marais is not a great marsh it has a big bay that a portion of the town wraps around, so some of the towns people have even said they meant to name it after the “great bay’ but had misspelled it. The industry booms have brought in many of the tourism which changed the town overall and impacts the population.

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Even with everything you have learned about the little town of Grand Marais and the B&B’s, attractions, and history, there are many more hidden gems throughout the town to discover. The feeling of leaving all the stressors at home and taking a deep breathe, knowing it is going to be the most relaxation you have had, no big city can beat it. Would you escape the rush of the big city for a trip full of joy and rejuvenating experiences.