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Sure, Minnesota has some great, remote places to check out the stars in the sky, but one park was just named one of the best places in the WORLD for stargazing.

If you ask me, one of the best things about heading up north or to the North Shore here in Minnesota is being able to get away from all the hectic hustle and bustle of everyday life and get out and enjoy nature and the vast wilderness that makes up that part of the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

A few years ago, we spent a long winter weekend on the Gunflint Trail north of Grand Marais, and I absolutely loved it. We went sledding, skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking, all pretty much in the middle of nowhere. (In fact, we were so far north that the other side of Gunflint Lake was actually in Canada!) And, it was also great for checking out the stars at night.

And, now, Minnesota's only national park, which is located not too far from where we were then, was recently named one of the Best Spots In The World for Stargazing. That honor was bestowed on Voyageurs National Park, by Travel and Leisure magazine, which just noted the park has just been named an International Dark Sky Park.

Voyageurs National Park is located just south of the Canadian border, north of Virginia, Minnesota, about 5 and a half hours north of Rochester. The story says the park's over 200,000 acres of wilderness is the perfect place to check out the stars because there's little to no light pollution. The International Dark Sky Association says Voyageurs joins a select list of only 80 other places in the world as a Dark Sky Park, including places like the Grand Canyon, and Glacier National Park in Montana.

I haven't been to Voyageurs National Park yet, but it's definitely on my list Minnesota To-Do list. And speaking of things to do, if spending the night in an igloo is something that you'd like to do, keep scrolling to check out a place here in Minnesota where you can do just that-- and it even includes a hot tub!

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