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‘America’s coolest small town.”

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‘America’s coolest small town.”

That’s the claim of Grand Marais, Minn. Margie agrees, saying, “It’s cooler than nearby Lutsen — by 10 degrees!”

Locals call Minnesota’s far northeastern reach the Arrowhead. It embraces part of Lake Superior’s north shore, a maritime-like region of enduring charm.Supplied On the Minnesota Arrowhead, which comprises part of Lake Superior’s north shore, jokes abound about the area’s similarity with ocean-facing tourist areas.

On the Minnesota Arrowhead, which comprises part of Lake Superior’s north shore, jokes abound about the area’s similarity with ocean-facing tourist areas.

Bountiful waterfalls tumble to the freshwater lake, the world’s biggest. My souvenir glass jests, “Unsalted. Shark free.” But for an activity, northshorevisitor.com urges whale watching. Pics suggest killers, humpbacks. Believers oddly abound.

It’s lupine land. Astounding purple and pink stems compete with multicoloured native wildflowers. With views from the Sawtooth Mountains, sample the 310-mile renowned Superior Hiking Trail despite its oft-used discouraging acronym, SHT.

Grand Marais thankfully lacks big-box stores owing to its small population. It’s so small, when there’s a July 4th parade, it goes around twice: the tourist centre says, “but not always. It depends. If you’re lucky.”

Graced by carved beavers and a giant walleye, Beaver House is loaded with fishing gear and house-made lures, questionably called Beaver Flicks. I can hear debauched fellas saying, “I must be in the wrong place.”

Joynes Ben Franklin sells most everything, including its popular North Shore Snickerdoodle coffee. At Drury Lane Books, Margie bought a book containing more than 200 Minnesota Hot Dish recipes — and presented it to me.

Line up at the world’s most humble business: World’s Best Donuts. Although touting its Skizzle — deep-fried, sugary dough — its cinnamon sugar doughnut vindicates the name, and explains Grand Marais’s vibrant health-food co-op.Supplied In Lutsen, try your hand on the Alpine Slide, a half-mile track. Watch for garter snakes, deer and rubbernecking squirrels.

In Lutsen, try your hand on the Alpine Slide, a half-mile track. Watch for garter snakes, deer and rubbernecking squirrels.

Among great eateries, we enjoy Blue Water Café and South of the Border Café breakfasts. Find pet-friendly patios with regional brews at Voyageur Brewing and Gunflint Tavern. The Angry Trout serves celebrated meals with harbour views. The modest owner said, “We could serve seagull poop on crackers and people would still come for the view.”

Fried cheese curds are a recurring regional item, plus wild rice — in sausages, tortillas, on salads, pizza. Under tables and beds. On heads. In socks.

But how can a restaurant be called My Sister’s Place? If the sister owns it, how can a sibling name it? If the sister named it, shouldn’t it be My Place? Holidays allow this deep thinking.

North House Folk School sells excursions on the harbour’s eye-catching schooner, the Hjordis. North House teaches crafts like basketmaking, blacksmithing, boatbuilding. And baking, beading, birding. Note the clever alliteration. Plus, braiding and beekeeping. Bonus: birch-bark box building.

Find five dwarf goats scaling a ramp to a platform at Grand Marais’s delightful Putt ’n Pets Mini-Golf. When you put oats in a container attached to pulley ropes below, the goats bite the rope and hoist their treats.

Enjoy the Cook County News-Herald’s law enforcement briefs and conservation officer tales. Examples: “A caller found a small white-and-brown Chihuahua dog with no collar and secured the dog. The little dog got to ride in a police car….” And: an officer checked “…on a deer that died under an individual’s deck. When the officer went to examine it, the dead deer got up and ran away.”Supplied In the Arrowhead, businesses are not afraid of the odd double entendre as a humorous hook.

In the Arrowhead, businesses are not afraid of the odd double entendre as a humorous hook.

We lodge up scenic Highway 61 at Caribou Highlands Resort for the Lutsen Mountains and outdoor pool. Those attributes outweighed the family staying above us — apparently kangaroos.

When little, our kids jumped on hotel beds, not floors. Me, not so much.

For coziness, Margie lit our fireplace. Security got most excited by either the dense smoke or that alarm. Dang damper, again. With bathroom and stove fans whirling and the patio glass door wide open, Margie exclaimed, “Open the screen door!” The lupine grow tall and plentiful on the Arrowhead.

The lupine grow tall and plentiful on the Arrowhead.

I wrongly asked, “What’s the big diff, screen or not?”

Margie replied, “Open. The. Screen. Door.”

There was a big diff.

Locals seriously call tiny Lutsen’s handful of highway businesses Downtown Lutsen. Nan and Deb at Lockport Marketplace serve a favourite breakfast of layered biscuits and gravy, eggs and hash browns, named Nate’s Plate after a voracious camp counsellor.

We attended North Shore Winery’s outdoor concert, jostling early for seats near the stage. On hearing music inside, then applause, we realized the concert was indoor — and filled.

Lutsen’s gondola ride up Moose Mountain delivers terrific views including from Mystery Overlook. I inquired unsuccessfully about the mystery. A shopkeeper finally explained, “It overlooks Mystery Mountain.” I asked, “What’s the mountain’s mystery?” She replied, “That’s a mystery.”

Lutsen offers a fun half-mile twisting Alpine Slide. On bobsled-like carts, you control your speed. Each day, staff clear any deer and the garter snakes warming on its concrete track. But watch for the rubbernecking, spectator squirrel named Thomas.

Further up Highway 61, we entered Tofte’s July 4 Minnow Race. We scooped our minnows from a cooler into plastic cups. Tips: avoid dead ones. Determine the busiest one. Don’t let the little kids waiting distract you. When the ref says, “Get set, GO!,” you pour your minnow into a trough while pushing water behind it.

Once the busiest minnow, mine floated motionless. Margie’s took off like crazy. And torpedoed back to her.

We were beaten by a six-year-old. But after all, it’s really for the children, right? Right?

For a superior experience, discover Minnesota’s Arrowhead.