According to Visit Cook County’s website, tiny Grand Marais has been named America’s Coolest Small Town, a Top 10 Beach Getaway and National Geographic Adventure’s Next Great Adventure Town. Those are some pretty strong accolades for a town with a population of less than 1500 people. Before European exploration, the local Anishinaabe People called this area Gichi-biitoobiig meaning “Two Bays” while early French-Canadian explorers called it Grand Marais or “Great Marsh”. The area’s natural rock breakwater made it an important harbor for early ships to escape the fury of Lake Superior storms and the entire region was important in the 18th century fur trade. All along the western shore of Lake Superior goods would come in from Europe and points east and be traded for beaver furs with the Ojibwe and Cree People. More recently, Grand Marais became Minnesota’s oldest artists’ colony and is home to the North House Folk School. It’s the largest town on the upper end of Minnesota’s North Shore and the jumping-off point for the Gunflint Trail and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. And not to forget about its position on Lake Superior, Grand Marais also hosts a fleet of charter fishing vessels. You can’t miss Grand Marais on your trip to the North Shore, but it’s definitely worth your time to stop and stay awhile. You’ll be happy you did. I hope you enjoy these photos from beautiful downtown Grand Marais, Minnesota.

The Coast Guard Station

The Museum

The Lighthouse

Lake Superior Outfitters

A Seagull Admires the Colors

Beautiful Trees at the Coast Guard Station

The Beaver House

Two Stone Bears and One Real Seagull

The Angry Trout

I Love This Shop’s Exterior

Local Art Gallery

Weird Local Art

Start of the Gunflint Trail

Beautiful Birch Tree Mural

Outside the Sivertson Gallery

Sydney’s Frozen Custard

Nice Looking Warehouses

A Lone Tree by the Lake

Rowboat and Lighthouse

All Lined Up

Dusk Downtown

Legendary Sven & Ole’s

This Tree is Very Cool

Walking Along the Breakwater

Dusk Near The Marina

The Fisherman’s Daugher

Grand Reflections

The Coast Guard Station

The Big Lake and the Gunflint Trail

Blue Water Cafe at Sunset

Joynes Department Store and The Raven

Dusk on the Beach

The Beaver House

Dusk at the Marina

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