Minnesota's northern lakeside resorts embrace bigger luxuries

Around since the 1930s, Clamshell Beach Lodge north of Brainerd has new luxuries--like newer cottages and a pool.

 

Minnesota cabins get bigger, modernize

By Lisa Meyers McClintick

My daughter jumps into the pool.

On a Minnesota resort trip last June, my 7-year-old daughter barely glanced at the sandy beach on Whitefish Lake north of Brainerd. Instead, she couldn't wait to cannonball into the pool and slurp a neon blue slushie at Clamshell Beach, a resort near Pequot Lakes, Minn.

With her focus on such pleasures, my daughter was benefiting from the gradual upscaling of Minnesota resorts. Many of them, established in the late 1920s through the 1930s, are evolving to meet expectations of modern vacationers.

They expect luxuries from heated pools to plush bedding. While the big resorts with deeper pocket books have been adding on for the last 15 years, many small, family-run resorts have also added perks and nudged up their level of convenience and service. The bonus: They often maintain a folksy mom-and-pop resort feel.

Meanwhile, Minnesota state parks are steadily adding camper cabins for those in the market for a lower-price, more rustic option.

 From cabins to two-story cottages

Cottage bedroom at Clamshell Beach Resort.

At Clamshell Beach, whose website boasts "lake cottage charm, luxurious amenities," a handful of original 1930s stucco cottages border the Whitefish Lake beach, but most guests want one of the Minnesota resort's spacious new cottages with second-story screened porches. Inside, large bathtubs, northwoods quilts and flat-screen TVs add to the comfort.

But still, there are the homey touches. A dry-erase board at Clamshell Beach Resort's main office welcomes guests personally and lists where they are from. An awning above the refreshment counter is made of dock planks, each autographed by guests and painted with scenes depicting their time at Whitefish Lake. It is dubbed the "Dock of Fame."

Dave Moe, who grew up at a resort near Park Rapids, and his wife, Lisa, purchased Clamshell Beach in 1997 and have methodically upgraded it, selling fractional ownership in the new cottages to fund the work.

Clamshell Beach Lodge and its Dock of Fame.

"It used to be people just wanted a bedroom and a bath and to look onto the lake," Moe said. "Things have evolved like any other industry. People have higher expectations for vacations because they have a limited amount of time."

Resorts expand and evolve

Statistics from Explore Minnesota show that an estimated 2,527 resorts in 1970 numbered only 1,400 by 1985. Today, the figure is down to about 880 resorts. In some cases, one resort may have expanded and absorbed another. The shift has resulted in destinations with more polish and space.

The average size of a mid-century home was 1,000 square feet. Today's average is more than twice that, Moe said. New vacation homes and cabins reflect that change.

According to Tom Proulx, who runs Big Sandy Lodge and Resort in McGregor, Minn., with his wife, Elisa, said that vacationers "want that Up North Minnesota rustic feel, but to be in the lap of luxury and have the best of both worlds."

The resort's nearly century-old Carefree Pines cabins were replaced with luxury lake homes fewer than 10 years ago. The 100-year-old lodge, with its original lobby fireplace, remains, as does one original cabin, albeit with a refurbished interior.

"It had so much character," Proulx said of their so-called Rustic Retreat. It lacks air conditioning, space is cozy and guests share a single bathroom, but that makes it perfect for some vacationers.

Sibley State Park near Willmar has added three camping cabins.

State parks upgrade camping experience

The most rustic of all cabins -- a camper cabin, with no plumbing -- has likewise boomed in popularity. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has built more than 40 camper cabins in the past four years, bringing the total to almost 80.

The DNR charges $45-$50 a night for the cabins, roughly a third of what resort cabins can cost.
Although guests must bring their own bedding and linens and cook most meals outdoors, a stay there doesn't require setting up a tent or trailer or maneuvering an RV. The cabins offer a solid shelter with four bunks that sleep five to six people, plus screened porches, a table and chairs, and heat that makes them popular year-round.

Newer ones include lights and outlets at each bunk for plugging in smartphones.
A survey of the DNR's new reservation system shows cabins book quickly on weekends. It's best to make reservations at least six months in advance and a year ahead for holidays.

"They're beautiful cabins," said Dana Banks, who stayed at a newer one in Sibley State Park near New London for a family gathering during Mother's Day weekend. "It's a nice place for people who don't have campers but still want to get away."

For more photos and details of northern Minnesota resorts and destinations, check out Minnesota Lake Vacations, a mobile travel app, or Day Trips from the Twin Cities, a new guidebook available in August 2012. 

Photos by Lisa Meyers McClintick

Take the kids on a farm stay vacation

Mary Veraguth helps our girls collect fresh eggs for breakfast.

Story & Photos by Lisa Meyers McClintick

Join in with farm chores and fun at Wisconsin's Room to Roam

Want to hear your kids shriek with joy? Let them run loose at Room to Roam, a working farm perched along the picturesque Mississippi River bluffs near Fountain City, Wis. 

Katie and her favorite kitty.

You can wear them out the old-fashioned way: chasing chickens, scampering after farm cats and dogs, weeding and raiding the garden, picking berries and giving goats a fresh green stalk of corn.

We enjoyed their down-home hospitality on our son's 8th birthday a few years ago. It was one of our most memorable trips ever. In an era of waterparks and fancy resorts, it's easy to forget the freedom and magic of a simple place in the country.

Farm expands to haycation fun
Guests are free to do what they want, but some are up at 5 a.m. when farm kitchen’s bird clock chirps and announces the day’s first milking. They can head down the dirt road to owner Jess and Mary Veraguth’s farm, where they milk about 50 cows, four at a time for two to three hours. 

Jess shows us how to feed calves.

Veraguths have farmed on this land above the Mississippi River Valley for four generations. When they expanded to 300 acres about 15 years ago, they opened the adjacent farmhouse to guests. It became the Room to Roam experience, which bales together a field trip, farmer’s market and country vacation.

Step back in time
The guest house feels like a time warp with crocheted knick-knacks and bright flowered wallpaper in the kitchen. And it wasn't just the farm-inspired fun that made them shriek. The house's crickets did, too--the one part of country life that rattled our city kids. They wouldn't sleep on the floor, so they passed out in a pile of three on the bed.

Piled together, safe from crickets.

After morning chores and a break for breakfast, Jess Veraguth takes guests on a hayride, bumping through the fields past lush stalks of corn to the edge of the bluff and a breathtaking view of the river valley. It’s only a few minute’s drive to Winona, Minn., or the small town of Fountain City where you can grab an ice cream cone and enjoy meandering along the Mississippi.


Feed calves, collect freshly laid eggs

When evening rolls around, families hold on to two-quart bottles of milk that hungry calves greedily empty in minutes. Then it’s time to collect a bucket of eggs from Black Star hens. 

We loved the brilliant yellow eggs for breakfast.

Guests are welcome to raid the garden, too. Our girls would eat the sun-warmed tomatoes like apples while our son climbed the super-sized round bales of hay.

The peaceful country setting and heavy dose of nostalgia keeps several families coming back regularly. For others, the farm offers a rare chance for kids to roam free, feel connected to the land and to learn about farming in an era when the county’s number of dairy farms has dwindled from 50 to a handful.

“I do this for the kids,” says Jess Veraguth. “The things we’re doing now are almost part of the past. This is like a trip back in time.”

Room to Roam's guest house.

Read more about it
 For more information, you can call Jess and Mary at 608-687-8575. No e-mail. Remember, they do things the old-fashioned way.
You can also watch KARE-11's recent Gopher Getaway on the farm or go to Farmstays.us.com for more information. If you want a farm experience for your family, read the entries at Farmstays.us.com carefully. Many places run more like a B&B and do not allow kids under 12.

Ingalls Homestead in DeSmet, SD, has onsite camping

More farm vacation experiences for families

South Dakota also has two excellent farm experiences for families. The bonus? They let kids follow in the footsteps of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

You'll need to be a camping family or game for sleeping in converted sheep wagons at the Ingalls Homestead in DeSmet, S.D. Sleeping in the wagons are on my wish list, especially with the gorgeous wide-open prairie views. You could see a storm roll in for miles or watch a fabulous sunset. 

Sisters get in the spirit of DeSmet's Wilder Pageant.

Little House on the Prairie

Of course, you don't have to spend the night to enjoy this magical place. It's open all day to visitors who come to see the horses and colts, ride in a horse-drawn buggy, see a sod house, play with kittens and visit a one-room schoolhouse. There are more Laura Ingalls Wilder sites in town, along with two B&Bs. Prairie House Manor B&B does a delightful job with children, even making special pancakes from "Little House in the Big Woods."

Camp in a wagon at the Homestead.

For a non-camping farm experience, it's about 25 miles to Possibility Farm B&B in Carpenter, South Dakota. It has many of the same experiences as Room to Roam, but it's more of a ranch atmosphere. 

If you're looking for more inspiration for hands-on, unique "Trips You'll Talk About," check out the feature in Midwest Living.

Family travel on a budget? Try a camping workshop

Nine-Mile Lake in Superior National Forest.

If families are looking for the best vacation deal around, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, teaming up with REI, has been offering I Can Camp! workshops around the state this summer. The new program teaches families everything they need to know for only $55--that's with equipment provided. It's one of the best investments you can make in affordable vacations. Even better: you're teaching kids an appreciation for the outdoors and letting all of you unplug from the daily hubbub.

If teens aren't sold on the idea, remind them camping may be their best bet for frugal vacations during cash-strapped post-grad years. They can acquire cheap camping supplies at garage sales, Goodwill or invest in a few good pieces. There's even a new tent you literally throw into the air and watch it pop up and assemble itself. Seriously. We saw a demo at a neighbor's house last night. As someone who's tried to pitch a tent in the dark (not by choice), I can vouch that this is an amazing leap forward. Kudos to the creator.

Learn camping basics
The guidance of a camping expert can do wonders. Knowing the proper way to put a tarp under the tent, for example, can make all the difference in staying dry if it rains. And learning how to make a good fire will prevent frustration, conserve firewood and speed up campfire dinners and treats.

There are four I Can Camp! workshops left on Aug. 19 and 20.  Keep the DNR site handy next spring if those dates don't work out.

Picking a state park

My recommendation among remaining workshops: Flandrau State Park in New Ulm. The man-made, sand-bottomed pool is marvelous. Plus you have vintage WPA buildings at the park and charming New Ulm nearby. You can't ask for a better place than this German community to pick up tasty sausages to grill and locally brewed beer or root beer. Lake Carlos near Alexandria is another solid choice for campsites near its nice clear lake and sandy beach.

Flandrau State Park's man-made
beach the day before it opened.

Glendalough State Park sits in Minnesota's glacial lakes area near Fergus Falls. Wild turkeys and deer are easy to spot in this uncrowded park. Lake Maria State Park is the closest to the Twin Cities, but is more rustic.

More camping resources

If you're looking for more tips on beginning camping, check out a feature I wrote for  Suite 101 about learning to camp and participating in the annual National Wildlife Federation's Great American Backyard Campout.

Glendalough State Park

Also head to the library or bookstore for nature guides and Lynn Brunelle’s Camp Out! book (Workman Publishing, 2007). It's our favorite resource with a little of everything: advice on setting up camp, tying knots, telling ghost stories, playing night games, star gazing and creative cooking. It even has a guide for animal tracks and figuring out who pooped on the trail.   

Cooking on a Stick by Linda White (Gibbs Smith, 2000) is more narrowly focused but fun for its kid-focused campfire recipe. Snail on a stick anyone? (It's bread--don't panic.)

For more family fun, read on to other features, including free Jelly Belly tours in Wisconsin or Devil's Lake State Park and train rides near Wisconsin Dells.

Head to YMCA family camp in the Colorado Rockies

Rocky Mountain National Park's gorgeous valley on the drive to Bear Lake.

Like special effects on cue, a double rainbow arced over the mountains when we discovered the YMCA of the Rockies’ Estes Park Center in Colorado. How appropriate. It was our nirvana during a family vacation road trip to see Rocky Mountain National Park. This place, with an historic log welcome center that’s older than the park itself, was the perfect fit for our kids after a few nights of minding their manners at a B&B and a night at a past-its-prime resort. Here they could run through our cabin snarling like dinosaurs, then quietly marvel at the deer munching her way through the grass out front.

YMCA welcomes non-members to resort

This Colorado YMCA deserves its own zip code with beds for 3,500 guests in seven lodges and 206 cabins scattered throughout an 860-acre valley. Wow. It’s both resort and conference center plus a command central for family reunions. YMCA of the Rockies members get first dibs on vacation dates each year, but reservations opened to non-members last week. We were there in early June without any reservations and were lucky enough to score two nights mid-week. It was perfect.

Jackson Stables trail ride into Glacier Valley.

Saddle up for trail ride fun
What we wanted was an affordable, basic cabin with horseback riding nearby. Our son, who was 7, was considered two months too young for most trails rides. Most also use the huge horses that leave you bow-legged and wobbly. Jackson Stables uses delightfully smaller quarterhorses at Jackson Stables on the YMCA property. They had wonderful wranglers who talk you through what you need to know. Even better, our girls, despite being 3, also were able to ride ponies (“Strawberry” and “Shortcake”) and be led around a short course.

A snowy early June drive to the Alpine Visitor Center.

Do-it-yourself camp itinerary
Besides the memorable trail ride, the YMCA offers a jaw-dropping lineup of activities and facilities that are open year-round. Half-day or day-long summer camps give kids the chance to try everything from archery to rock climbing while parents enjoy down time. Families preferring to stick together can go swimming, mini-golfing, roller-skating, sightseeing, or sign up for hayrides, campfire sing-a-longs and stargazing. You can do as much or little kum-bay-yahhing as you want. It’s all there. My favorite? The mother of all craft halls with piles of hand-woven baskets, tie-dye T’s, hand-painted scarves, clothespin guns, leather crafts and pottery galore.
During our afternoons, we took day trips into Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park to see lush meadows and marmots, climb across boulders, and drive up purple peaks that left us breathless from the altitude.

Kids camp in session near YMCA of the Rockies lodge.

A sweet, sticky finish
Our favorite night out was the YMCA’s evening hay ride and marshmallow roast capped off with a short lesson in being a cowboy. Our wrangler gathered a circle of kids sporting gooey white mustaches. He bent over, showed them how to jump skyward, and let out a rip-snorting whoop of joy. On the wagon ride back, with sticky, happy kids piled into our laps, we had one of our best family vacation moments. This is hands-down as one of the coolest family destinations in America.

Read more about "Rocky Mountains Puts Family in High Spirits."