subject: Local Minnesota Attractions [print this page] Instead of spending an arm and a leg on your next vacation, take a luxury bus tour for an affordable, comfortable, and scenic trip around your own state. Not only does Minnesota have Valley Fair, a first-class amusement park, it has historical sites, dinner theaters, luxury resorts, national parks, and many other locations all within driving distance. See this list of fun and magical places that a tour bus can take you.
Valley Fair
Valley Fair is the largest amusement park in the Upper Midwest. Among its 75 rides are 8 roller coasters, Soak City Waterpark, and Planet Snoopy.
Dinner Theaters
At a dinner theater you can sit down to a fabulous meal and watch a Broadway play or musical at the same time. Some popular dinner theaters are:
Chanhassen Dinner Theatre in Chanhassen, MN
The Old Log Theater in Excelsior, MN
The St. Croix Off-Broadway Dinner Theatre in St. Croix, MN
Big Destinations
Texas isnt the only state that can boast of being big. Here are some humungous attractions that will show you just how big Minnesota can be.
Jolly Green Giant, Blue Earth, MN
Yes, this is the same Jolly Green Giant you see on vegetable cans in your supermarket. At 55.5 feet tall, this vegetable-eating behemoth has kept vigil over Blue Earth, MN since 1979.
Worlds Largest "Booming" Prairie Chicken, Rothsay, MN
Have you ever seen a 13-foot-tall, 9,000 pound "Booming" Prairie Chicken? This giant bird was constructed to declare that in 1975, Rothsay, MN was designated Prairie Chicken Capital of Minnesota.
Worlds Largest Ball of Twine, Darwin, MN
Darwin, MN is home of the Worlds Largest Ball of Twine Rolled By One Man. Francis A. Johnson began rolling a ball of twine in 1950. When he stopped in 1979, his ball weighted 9 tons and was 12-feet wide. The town of Darwin celebrates its big ball of twine by holding a Twine Ball Days festival on the second Saturday of August.
Otto the Big Otter, Fergus Falls, MN
If youre into otters, youve got to see Otto in Fergus Falls, MN. Otto is 40 feet long. He was built by local high school students.
Laura Ingalls Wilder Sites, Walnut Grove, MN
Perhaps youve read the books about the precocious Laura Ingalls and her adventures growing up in the late 1800s. You can see where much of it happened in Walnut Grove, MN. Get a firsthand look at the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder by seeing one of these attractions in Walnut Grove:
Wilder Pageant.
The pageant is an outdoor drama thats based on Lauras life. In 2013, it will be held July 12-13, 19-20, and 26-27.
Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum
This museum preserves the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder. You can even see memorabilia from the Little House on the Prairie television show.
Ingalls Dugout Site
This is the site of the home that Charles Ingalls dug out of the ground when his family first moved to the Walnut Grove area. This site is open May October, weather permitting.
Many More Possibilities
These are just a few of the adventures that you can experience on a Twin Cities or Rochester based luxury bus tour. You can take a pre-arranged bus tour or talk with your Twin Cities or Rochester tour bus representative to make a custom bus tour. Either way, taking a bus tour is an exciting and affordable way to vacation.
