Summer vacation looks a bit different this year so we're helping you embrace the STAY-cation!

We're all trying to stay closer to home this year and while that might mean your typical summer vacation was canceled, it doesn't mean there's no way to enjoy the summer. So, we've compiled a list of staycation spots within driving distance of Rochester. Stay safe and enjoy! 

1. Quarry Hill Park & Nature Center

Enjoy the beauty and habitat of southeastern Minnesota by hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing the meadows, flood plain and upland forests on the 5 miles of trails covering 320 acres. Park land features a former working quarry, the...more

2. St. James Hotel

Luxury hotel with meeting rooms in Red Wing, Minnesota set amid the iconic Mississippi River and majestic bluffs. Close to bright lights and big cities, yet truly a world away.

3. Salem Glen Winery

Experience Salem Glen's extraordinary wines and wonderful country and vineyard views. Join us at the winery where you can sample the wines and tour the vineyard and winery.

4. Cascade Lake Park

Enjoy a multitude of activities with the family at cascade park. Spend the day at the beach, on the lake, walking the paved trail, or swimming. 

5. Duluth Waterpark

Located along the shores of Lake Superior in Duluth, MN, the Edgewater Hotel & Waterpark is your complete Duluth hotels vacation destination. Enjoy our indoor waterpark, arcade, outside play area, pool and hot tub, and easy access to Duluth’s Lakewalk and restaurants. Relax in a comfortable and clean room with all the amenities and views of Lake Superior. Whatever you’re looking for, you’ll find it here at the funnest hotel in Duluth.

6. Archer House River Inn

The Archer House River Inn occupies more than a central location in Northfield. For generations of guests and locals, it IS Northfield - a geographical and architectural landmark, a host to history for nearly 140 years, and an exemplar of the town's spirit of hospitality. Built in the French Second Empire style, the four-story red brick building is grand in design, rich in character, and impressive in its amenities - which include two full-service restaurants, a coffee shop, riverside lounge, conference space and more. Yet with just 36 rooms, no two of which are identical, the inn is intimate in scale and unique in feel. The Archer House also boasts the city's best location, straddling the town's main thoroughfare and the Cannon River. Beyond its prominent setting and venerable history, something else makes the Archer House special: a spirit reflected by the staff's pride in upholding a 140-year legacy of caring for guests, and the ownership's loving stewardship of a property that embodies the heart and soul of Northfield.