Hotel at a Glance: The Outing Lodge

Before it was a bed and breakfast, The Outing Lodge was a prize-winning dairy farm. Built in 1858 amid 360 acres of forests and rolling hills near Stillwater, Minnesota, the main brick building on the property has since been beautifully restored. Inside are seven enormous fireplaces, exposed fir beams, and wide-plank pine floors that are a century old. Near the property, 18 miles of paved paths crisscross the land, including a path that stretches all the way to Saint Paul. The property also has 5 miles of dirt trails that can be used for horseback riding, and nearby Pine Point Regional Park features trails for hiking and biking.

• Celebrity status: Guest rooms are named for famous people, and some include fireplaces and jetted tubs; the Pablo Picasso room also has a three-season sun porch.
• Included with this deal: You’ll receive a tour of the house and grounds, as well as a local cheese sampler and wine, served at 3 p.m.
• Included breakfast buffet: Head to the dining room to enjoy items such as pastries, fruit, and eggs.
• Curl up with a book on a couch by a 7-foot-wide fireplace in the knotty-pine-paneled library.
• Resident canine: a friendly chocolate lab named Choco

Stillwater, Minnesota: Historic Territory Town near the Twin Cities

Downtown Stillwater, Minnesota, dates back to 1848, making it one of the oldest towns in the state. Many of its 19th-century buildings are still standing—more than 100 restaurants and shops line the downtown, tucking into what were once brick factories and warehouses. Nearby, steamboats chug down the Saint Croix River, which forms the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin.

In the nearby Twin Cities—about 20 miles away—the paved Gateway State Trail is a popular choice for bicyclists and stretches from Pine Point Regional Park into Saint Paul. Neighboring Minneapolis is more than just the geographic epicenter of the city; it’s the cultural heart, too. Sports venues for pro basketball, football, and baseball teams neighbor the lively nightclubs of the Warehouse District and the neon-lit marquees of the Hennepin Theatre District.

In recent years, the city’s arts scene has gotten a lot of attention, and for good reason: Minneapolis has more live theater shows per capita than any other US city except New York. Additionally, dozens of eclectic galleries complement the wide-ranging exhibits at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, which showcases everything from Japanese woodcut prints to turn-of-the-century European advertisements.

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