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Alexandria
ALEXANDRIA ALEXANDRIA
The Alexandria area is brimming with 375 glacier-formed pristine lakes, making it the perfect playground for swimmers, boaters, anglers, golfers, bicyclists, hikers, bird watchers, ice skaters, skiers, snowmobilers and anyone who enjoys the great outdoors.
If you don’t consider yourself an outdoors person, there are still plenty of things to enjoy while on vacation here.
You can: • Browse for antiques. • Take in an arts production. • Shop historic downtown
Alexandria or visit the Viking Plaza. • Explore the area’s fascinating – and controversial – history. • See a movie – there’s a nine-screen movie theater near the mall. • Get a workout at the
Alexandria Area YMCA. • Tour a winery or brewery – the award-winning Carlos Creek Winery and also, 22 Northman
Brewing Company, is just three miles north of Alexandria. Another brewery, Copper Trail Brewing
Company, is on North Broadway near the Big Ole statue and the
Central Lakes Trail. • Catch an entertaining baseball game or collegelevel hockey game. • Play some pickleball at
Alexandria City Park. • Watch races at the
Viking Speedway.
In addition, Alexandria lists several golf courses on its website, alexandriamn. org, an amusement park, go-kart racing, horseback riding, three museums, public swimming beaches, an indoor water park, a winter ski hill, three marinas and more.
There is also a trail of antique, curio and specialty shops (many of them downtown) that collectors, browsers and shoppers love to follow, and Alexandria has a very active downtown shopping area.
NAMED BEST MINNESOTA TOWN
by Minnesota Monthly in 2019!
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Explore more online
echopress.com explorealex.com alexandriamn.org Alexandriamn.city
SEE THE ‘7 WONDERS’ OF ALEXANDRIA
Here’s seven must-see sights in the Alexandria area, according to Explore Alexandria Minnesota:
7. Glacial Ridge Scenic Highway.
This officially designated Minnesota State Byway includes more than 220 miles of beautiful rural routes through rolling hills, lakes, woods, prairies and farmlands. Find it in Douglas County along Highways 27 and 29.
6. Lake Carlos State Park / Inspiration Peak.
They’re both fantastic natural attractions for the area. The park is located 10 miles north of Alexandria and Inspiration Peak is 25 miles northwest. Inspiration Peak, which is managed by Lake Carlos State Park, is the highest peak within the glacial-formed Leaf Hill Moraines.
5. Historic Downtown.
Downtown Alexandria is teeming with lush history and some of the best locally-owned shops and restaurants around.
4. Big Ole.
It’s not every day you’ll see a giant 28-foot-tall Viking standing guard over a city’s downtown! Big Ole was built in 1965 for the New York’s World Fair by a fiberglass sculptor.
3. The Kensington Runestone.
Is it an authentic historical artifact carved by explorers from Norway way before Columbus sailed the ocean blue, or is it an elaborate hoax? You decide. The famous rock is on display at the Runestone Museum on North Broadway.
2. Central Lakes Trail.
Since the trail was built on an old rail line, it provides its users with a flat and smooth experience as it routes through dozens of rolling hills, lakes, woods and prairies, spanning a total of 55 miles from Fergus Falls to Osakis.
1. Chain of Lakes.
Lakes link to one another by channels without having to portage your watercraft (accessibility varies by lake, season and boat size). Lakes include Carlos, Darling, Le Homme Dieu, Geneva, Victoria, Cowdry, Jessie, North Union, Taylor, Stony and Brophy.
Love it! Locals
Big Ole Webcam
Locals and visitors alike can stop by Big Ole and take a selfie using the Big Ole webcam that is found on the ALP Utilities website – www.alputilities.com/ big-ole-webcam/. It’s a fun way to get a group shot with the 28-foot fiberglass statue located in Big Ole Central Park. Once you open the website on your cell phone, just take a screenshot to capture you, your group and the famous Viking statue. You must use Firefox, Safari or Edge browsers. Chrome currently does not work with the ALP camera, which is mounted on the pole in front of Big Ole.
Lake Brophy County Park
This park has it all – huge playground, great beach, fishing pier, a place to launch your kayak or canoe, picnic spots, mountain biking, walking and hiking trails with the best view of Alexandria and surrounding areas. The top of the hills are 140 feet above Lake Brophy. In the winter, there is ice skating and sledding. It’s a great place to take your family, friends or to just go on a nature walk by yourself.
Find the things that Echo Press readers chose as the “Best of the Lakes Area” in 2021 – services, shopping, eats, drinks, entertainment and more. Winners are listed in the Echo’s annual Best of the Lakes Area magazine, found at https://issuu.com/ echopress/docs/bestof2021.
Best
HEALTH & FITNESS Best
SERVICES Best
SHOPPING Best
EATS, DRINKS, ENTERTAINMENT
Best of the READERS’ CHOICE
LAKES AREA
2021
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