Those who discount Minnesota because of its icy winters would be wise to remember that when temperatures rise, ice becomes water. And, in Minnesota's case, that water takes the form of thousands of inland lakes, Lake Superior and the Mississippi River, making the state a recreational paradise. Visitors can find appropriate waters somewhere in the state, and canoeists and kayakers may have the best conditions of all. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness -- a huge wilderness that's off limits to most motorized and mechanized vehicles -- is one of the finest places to paddle in North America.