Bryan Hansel

I live in Grand Marais. While these types of awards help drive the tourism business, they make it hard to live here. With the overtourism we have now, I avoid downtown during the busy season. Town becomes a location for tourists not those who live here.

"America's Best Small Lake Town Is ... An unexpected arts enclave, tiny Grand Marais, Minnesota, bursts with galleries, local shops and restaurants, and lake-filled getaways galore."

#Minnesota

https://www.travelandleisure.com/guide-to-grand-marais-minnesota-7642197

America's Best Small Lake Town Is the Place to Chase Summer Nostalgia, Fiery Fall Foliage, and Winter's Northern Lights

An unexpected arts enclave, tiny Grand Marais, Minnesota, bursts with galleries, local shops and restaurants, and lake-filled getaways.

Travel + Leisure
Aug 25, 2023 at 12:49pmWeb
Show threadMikki B 🐈🐈‍⬛🍷🍻🎶🎷📚Aug 25, 2023
@bryanhansel that's what happened to northern Door County 50 years ago. Back when I was a kid, it was tourists for a few weeks of summer, but mostly farms and orchards. Then someone called "the Cape Cod of the Midwest" in an article and the tourism exploded. Bumper to bumper traffic in Fish Creek and Sister Bay in the summer months. Most motels used to shut down after Labor Day, now they're open year-round.🤷‍♀️
Show threadIsaacAug 25, 2023

@bryanhansel

I've always wondered if switching to year-round school schedules across the country would help do some much needed demand management for tourist-heavy locations.

That said, I feel bad for anyone trying to live/work in a tourist trap. Having just been in Banff this summer, it was eye opening to see my impact (and we avoided the town as much as possible - just some quick groceries and laundry). No way could anyone actually live there.

Show threadCatherine LundoffAug 25, 2023
@bryanhansel I also wouldn’t have picked most of these places as must go-tos, but that’s me.
Show threadBryan HanselAug 25, 2023
@Clundoff they got some facts wrong, too. For example, you don't view the Milky Way in winter. It's better in summer, but the local tourism board has been pushing night sky viewing in winter to drive more winter tourism. Set aside how cloudy it is in winter, it isn't a good time for the best night sky viewing.