Northfield is a great day trip from the Twin Cities — just a short drive down I-35!
The community is really defined by its two liberal arts colleges, Carleton and St. Olaf — I don't know of another community of its small size that's home to two such storied institutions. They bring a lot of vitality and culture into the community that I like to think of as being one part hip and two parts quaint.
Northfield is cool enough to have a weekly food truck rally, but charming enough to have a downtown popcorn wagon staffed by residents of the local senior center. They have the hallmarks of a college town — the indie bookstore Content and beloved coffeeshop Goodbye Blue Monday. There's even a yarn shop that has master knitters on hand to help with projects gone awry.
But the town also has trendy establishments, like a cupcake shop and a micro-distillery. Loon Liquors, by the way, is in an odd location in an industrial complex, but its cocktail room is very comfortable and the drinks are well-crafted. And if you want to make it an overnight visit, try the Northfield Inn, a newly renovated historic home.
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