Minnesota's Top Ten Must-Visit State Park Escapes

Yes, it's referred to as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" but Minnesota is also home to 65 amazing state parks, nine state recreation areas, and nine state wayside according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Minnesota's state parks are not just natural wonders but also havens for recreation. From camping under starry skies to kayaking on crystal clear lakes, or just having a picnic surrounded by great scenery, these parks offer a lot of opportunities to reconnect with nature.

However, the argument begins the minute you start making a list of the best Minnesota state parks. So from the get-go, we'll just agree that all of these parks are awesome, it's just that some got more comments than others in Trip Advisor's roundup of Minnesota State Parks.

Gooseberry Falls State Park

Itasca State Park

Lake Vermillion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park

Underground mine and lake water — Getty/Thinkstock Images and Canva

Cascade River State Park

Judge C.R. Magney State Park

Minneopa State Park

Grand Portage State Park

Jay Cooke State Park

Split Rock Lighthouse State Park

Tettegouche State Park

10 Most Obscure Minnesota Towns

As you are making road-trip plans you might want to see if you can even find some of these Minnesota towns.

Minnesota is the Land Of 10,000 Lakes and 853 towns. Even if you know the state well I'll bet you haven't even heard of Minnesota's 10 smallest towns.

Gallery Credit: Ben Davis

Inside Minnesota's Largest Candy Store

I had been to Minnesota's Largest Candy Store once before, but they did some pretty cool things since the last time I was there. They added a bunch of superheroes, Star Wars stuff, and a candy band.

According to their Facebook page, Jim's Apple Farm is actually how the now huge candy store got its start. It is located in Jordan, MN and you can't miss it. It is a huge yellow building.

Even though candy is mentioned in the name, they have a little bit of everything. They have fresh baked pies and cookies and fudge. We walked in and it smelled amazing!

They also have the largest selection of sodas! Then there is chocolate and taffy and gummies and chips and puzzles and games. So much stuff!

They even have a Zoltar machine like in the movie, Big. I had to check that out. He told me the only helping hand is at the end of my arm. Gee, thanks Zoltar.

There were even crickets and worms! Not gummy worms, but actual worms.

They also have candy from all over the world!

The store is seasonal, however. November is their last month of operation for the season.

Gallery Credit: Natasha