Minnesota, with over 14,000 lakes, surpasses its reputation as the "land of 10,000 lakes".  There are also over 6,500 rivers and streams. Look for evergreen forest in the north and hardwood "Big Woods" forests in the East of Minnesota.

Retirement in Minnesota offers challenges with winter weather but abundant scenic beauty and a rich urban landscape in the Minneapolis / St Paul region (known as the "Twin Cities" to Minnesotans.  There are many retirement communities and options, especially in the most populated part of the state around Minneapolis and St Paul.  

The great lakes that border Minnesota create some 90,000 miles of shoreline - more than California, Florida, and Hawaii combined.

Minnesota actually can claim the USA's first enclosed climate-controlled mall, Southdale Mall in Edina. 

Here you will also find the famous "Mall of America", the nation's largest. 

 Minnesota boasts the two northernmost cities to host a baseball World Series, as well as the only facility to host a World Series, a Super Bowl, and an NCAA Final Four. Here is the birthplace of Tonka trucks, which are made in Minnetonka, but also of scotch tape, the stapler, Wheaties, the bundt pan, HMO's, snowmobiles, waterskis, and the pop-up toaster.

Minnesota's Mayo Clinic is remains one of the world's most advanced research hospitals. The University of Minnesota medical facility is the site of the first artificial blood transfusion, the first use of the "deep-freezing" technique for open-heart surgery, the first open-heart surgery, and the first bone marrow transplant.

Despite the cold winter climate Minnesota remains a popular retirement area for residents of the state, though typically there is more movement south than retirees moving north to Minnesota.

Duluth - Rochester - Minneapolis and St. Paul - Moorhead