DETROIT – Oct. 28, 2004 – Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge, northeast of Detroit Lakes, is a good spot for bird watching or simply taking in the fall scenery. Detroit Lakes is smack dab in the middle of a circle of some of Minnesota's best scenery.

Golf is also a draw for the area, with the Detroit Country Club and the Wildflower and Forest Hills golf resorts as highlights.

There are more than 400 lakes scattered around this city of 7,000. To the northeast are Tamarac Wildlife Refuge and Itasca State Park, with the headwaters of the Mississippi River. To the west is Buffalo River State Park, with one of the largest tracts of native prairie in the state. Colorful Maplewood State Park and the picturesque country roads of the Otter Trail Scenic Byway lie to the south.

All of this makes the Detroit Lakes area an enticing place to visit in the autumn. To help visitors enjoy the fall foliage, the Detroit Lakes tourism bureau has a fall color tour brochure outlining three routes, taking in the Tamarac refuge and Itasca and Maplewood state parks. They each have a somewhat different color mix, with a blend of pines and hardwoods to the north, and maple-basswood forest further south. Prairie grasses and flowers provide a different kind of color at Buffalo River State Park.

This landscape of lakes and woods means there's plenty for outdoor enthusiasts to do. Each of the state parks has beautiful hiking trails, and there's a naturalist-guided boat excursion at Itasca. In the fall the boat trips run Wednesday through Sunday until Oct. 8. Tamarac is a favorite with bird watchers. In fact, Detroit Lakes is along the route of the 200-mile Pine to Prairie Birding Trail, a driving route connecting many good birding sites. (See the web site www.mnbirdtrail.com)

The lakes scattered throughout the area, with numerous lakeside resorts and campgrounds, have long been popular with anglers. Fishing guide services can help visiting anglers track down walleye, northern, bass and muskie.

The city itself spreads out along the shore of Detroit Lake, with a beautiful, long beach to stroll right in town. Enjoy a taste of Italy at the new Portofino's restaurant near the lakefront. If you're visiting on a fall weekday, be sure and stop in at the Anishinabe Cultural Center and Gallery at 921 8th Street SE. It showcases the work of over 50 Objibwe (Anishinabe) and other American Indians, including carvings, paintings, beadwork, basketry and leatherwork, in both traditional and contemporary styles.