As a staycation destination, one corner of Minnesota reigns — shall we say — Superior.

The big picture: More than 70% of nearly 1,000 Axios Twin Cities readers who took our survey picked northeast Minnesota — including the North Shore, Iron Range and Boundary Waters — as their ideal in-state summer vacation destination.

Our poll was inspired by X user @TonyLiebert, who drew this map and then asked the region where you would vacation.

• The catch: You couldn't leave the zone you picked for two weeks.

🧭 What you're saying: "Northeast MN is a magical place," Sami H. tells us — one of hundreds of respondents who praise the region's parks, canoeing, fishing, wild beauty and the "natural A/C" of the Great Lakes.

• "I really struggle with the summer heat," wrote Guinevere C., "so the idea of spending two weeks near Lake Superior really appeals to me. Ideally, I would spend the whole time camping!"
• "It's not summer if you can't enjoy coffee on a 45º morning on a Lake Superior beach, and then hot dogs on the same beach on a 90º evening! All hail Gitchi-Gami!" sings Christopher T.
• "Two weeks of slices of pie from Betty's wouldn't hurt!" adds Sara C.

👣 Plus: "No-brainer," Ben K. writes. Northeast Minnesota's forests are "where all the cool stuff is: wolves, moose, sasquatch, etc."

🎣 Yes, but: "Sure, Duluth on north is awesome," says Andrew, "but save that for the fall color tour … Nothing beats the Brainerd Lakes area in the summertime."

• Steve W. would spend two weeks "shredding the red" at Cuyuna's mountain biking trails.

🌄 The other side: A passionate minority stood up for southeast Minnesota's Driftless area, with its rolling hills and Mississippi River bluffs, caves, and charming towns.

• 🌴 "Winona is the Miami of Minnesota," Patrick K. (boldly) asserts.

🙅‍♂️ The intrigue: A handful of Twin Cities respondents say they would prefer a pure staycation in the metro.

• But among the roughly 25% of survey-takers who live in Greater Minnesota, just one says they'd want to vacation in the Cities. (They also overwhelmingly picked the Arrowhead.)

🤷 Kyle's thought bubble: Stirring the pot was probably the point, but the zones @TonyLiebert's map draws are somewhat arbitrary.

• Maybe Bemidji truly belongs in Brainerd's region — or the Boundary Waters or Iron Range deserve their own zones. Let the debating continue.

❤️ The bottom line: Wherever you pick, it's hard to go wrong.

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"I think it's going to be crazy, but maybe in the most joyous and delightful way."

Context: The University of Minnesota and National Sports Center in Blaine are hosting the Special Olympics USA Games from Saturday through June 26.

• Organizers expect 3,000 athletes and 1,500 coaches to come to the Twin Cities for the events.

More details and schedules

The Minneapolis Park Board voted 8-1 last night to close the Minnehaha dog park by the end of the year. (KARE11)

• Dogs will still be allowed on the land, but must be leashed.

⚖️ Prosecutors charged a St. Paul man with threatening Mayor Kaohly Her — then a state representative — in the aftermath of the killing of House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. (Fox 9)

• The man, Pao Her Lee, told investigators he was trying to be funny.

🤫 Pine Island City Council members have limited what the public can say during meetings following tense debates over a proposed Google data center in the southern Minnesota town. (Star Tribune)

🚲 Minneapolis held onto its No. 2 ranking on PeopleForBikes' list of the best large cities for biking. (PeopleForBikes)

• St. Paul ranked seventh.

Republicans have made it clear for two years that they don't like the new Minnesota state flag, and a fresh poll shows that they have company.

By the numbers: Just 30% of 800 likely Minnesota voters in a Star Tribune/KARE11/University of Minnesota poll said they approve of the new design, which was approved in 2024.

Zoom in: Just 2% of Republicans and only 26% of independents approve of the design.

• Even Democrats aren't exactly enthused, with 55% of them supporting the new flag.

State of play: The flag has become politically polarizing, with some rural and suburban communities opting to fly the old version, while the new state flag is very popular in the metro core, especially after Operation Metro Surge.

• Opponents of the new flag have said they wanted more input on the design and are upset that the new one erases history.

The other side: Supporters argue the old flag was racist because it depicted a white farmer tending his field while a Native American rides off into the sunset.

• They point to a poem by the artist's wife as evidence that he meant to show white settlers pushing Indigenous people out of the state.

Minnesota United FC's Michael Boxall got a World Cup-worthy sendoff before leaving to join New Zealand's national team at the FIFA tournament.

• The pre-K students at Primrose School of West Plymouth surprised Boxall with a special farewell message on May 26.

Zoom out: Boxall is one of several stars with local ties playing at the tournament.

• His New Zealand squad faces Egypt on Sunday.