Go to Minnesota’s North Shore for the fall leaves. Stay for these attractions

By Christa Lawler, The Minnesota Star Tribune

Leaves change, but roadside attractions do not.

Minnesota Hwy. 61, which winds for 150 miles along the North Shore from Duluth to Grand Portage, is rich in popular points of interest: Gooseberry Falls, Split Rock Lighthouse, Betty’s Pies. But there are also plenty of places to pull over for more quietly charming experiences: statues of fictional characters, the remains of a shipwreck, or all the chocolate you can cram into a Subaru.

From west to east, here are some different reasons to veer off the two-lane highway.

Great! Lakes Candy Kitchen

The Great! Lakes Candy Kitchen up the shore north of Duluth. (Carlos Gonzalez/Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS)

This small colorful shop in Knife River feels like stepping into a life-size Candyland board