Absolutely stunning - even without the aurora!
Ely is home to the International Wolf Center, which I went to in 1999 with my mum and dad - my first proper trip to the USA. It's a wonderful facility, with a giant "log cabin" appearance, and the sort of thing the wolf centre I go to aspired to. A fun thing happened on the way to it, though; while driving along highway 169 (their equivalent of a B-road, i.e. wide and massive compared to ours) we saw a sign for mini golf a mile down the road.
Amongst the endless woods there was a single house, with a big driveway. The guy had laid out a crazy golf course, a proper one, in his garden, and we had a go for a couple of bucks each (with free Coke and bug spray provided). While we were playing, the guy said "what brings you to Minnesota?", so we explained about the wolf centre - and enthused about how lovely the trees and lakes were. He took them all for granted, and found it hard to believe foreigners like us found the scenery so beautiful!
Minnesotan cars have "Land of 10000 Lakes" on their number plates, and it's for good reason.
Originally Posted by: Retron