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One in 1,000

Somewhere, in Minnesota's glorious lake country, there's a resort for you. Here's how to find it.

After years of traveling around this region, I can answer nearly every travel question except one: “Can you give me the name of a good lake resort?’’

No, I can’t. Only you and your therapist know what you consider a good lake resort.

Staying at a Minnesota lake resort is not like staying at a Marriott. There may be chipmunks living under your cabin, and fish that nibble your legs when you wade. Squealing children may run past your window while you’re trying to read.

You may find these things alarming. For you, there are resorts with all-day children’s programs, pools, and new townhouse units on manicured grounds.

Or, you may think chipmunks are cute, adore the sounds of children at play and be happy to commune with crappies. You’ll probably do just fine in a classic knotty-pine cabin surrounded by trees; see A week at the lake.

Each of the nearly 1,000 resorts in Minnesota is one of a kind, and you may not know if you’ll click at a resort until you stay there. But there’s definitely one for you — you just have to look.

And for those who remember childhood stays at cabins with ratty brown carpets and needlelike showers, there’s good news: They’ve had a face lift.

“Most resorts that want to continue to be resorts are upgrading their units to the 21st century,’’ says Lee Zaczkowski, proprietor of Timberlane Lodge near Park Rapids.

Zaczkowski has upgraded with a vengeance. In the decades he’s owned the resort, he’s added many units that have become bigger and fancier, with whirlpools, satellite TV and air conditioning  — and those book up fastest, he says.

He’s also added a hot tub in the indoor pool complex, an air-conditioned children’s playroom, Internet access and a driving range. That, he says, is what his guests want.

“Today, the whole attitude of the customer has really changed,’’ he says. “People want to keep busy. They aren’t happy putting up their feet for a whole week.’’

Things have changed since the 1950s, when resort amenities rarely included more than bait and tackle, a fish-cleaning shed, docks and, perhaps, a playground for the kids. Today, some resorts offer so many activities guest may not find time to fish, and so many luxuries they won’t know they’ve left home.

Other resorts, while mindful of modern preferences, have drawn the line.

“We still want them to feel like they’re in the woods at our cabins, so we don’t want them to feel like condos,’’ says Sue Harris, who runs Eagle Nest Lodge on a bay of Lake Winnibigoshish. “We’ll add things to make them nicer, but we don’t want them to get too nice, know what I mean?’’ She laughed.

Eagle Nest is one of the few 1920s fishing resorts that still cater to serious fishermen and also have a strong family atmosphere. Harris and her husband, Bryan, have installed a  playground, a water trampoline and a full-time naturalist who organizes several activities a day, such as hobo hikes and hillside tube slides.

“People like feeling they can be entertained while they’re here, but to tell you the truth, they don’t all use those programs, either,’’ she says. “We really emphasize the lake, the enjoyment of the woods, promoting quiet.’’

So do you want quiet times or tee times? Canoeing or NASCAR races? Think about really makes you happy — and if that means not having to cook, or getting lots of time away from the kids, be honest and go for it. Then, follow these steps:

Decide how much you can spend

Most of Minnesota's resorts offer the basics — housekeeping cabins, a lodge, a sandy beach, a playground and use of canoes and paddleboats. For many families, that's all that's required for a wonderful vacation. At these resorts, expect to pay $1,000 for an updated, two-bedroom cabin and $1,400 for a three-bedroom in peak season.

At resorts that offer something extra  — a nine-hole golf course, a pool, free waterskiing, supervised children’s activities  — add a few hundred dollars more.

In the early part of the 20th century, all Minnesota resorts offered meal service, but now there are only a few. The big ones are geared to golf rather than fishing, and weekly rates for a family of four go up from $2,500 to $4,000 or beyond.

They include Arrowwood in Alexandria; Ruttger's Birchmont Lodge in Bemidji; Breezy Point in Pequot Lakes; Grand View, Cragun's and Madden's near Brainerd; Ruttger's Bay Lake Lodge in Deerwood; Fair Hills and Lodge on Lake Detroit, in Detroit Lakes; Ruttger's Sugar Lake Lodge in Grand Rapids; and — the only one geared to wilderness rather than golf — Gunflint Lodge on the Gunflint Trail.

Only a few of the medium-sized, family-run resorts with meal service have survived. They include quiet Lost Lake Lodge in Nisswa, which specializes in gourmet food; and Nelson’s Resort on Crane Lake, which is geared to fishing. At these resorts, a family of four can expect to pay about $2,700.

Decide when you want to go

The weather is most reliable from late June to mid-August, which is peak season and books up fastest. It’s not too late to find a cabin for those times, though selection will be limited.

But there’s plenty of room in early June or late August, and nearly every resort offers substantial discounts for those weeks. In addition, most lake resorts offer Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend specials — often, four nights for the price of three  — and many offer 10 days for the price of seven the week before and including Labor Day. If you do go early in the season, and you have kids, book at a resort with a pool.

Though a week’s rental still is the standard in peak season, more and more resorts are offering partial weeks, often called “mini-vacations.’’

“They’re very popular,’’ says Vicky Krattenmaker, who ran Willow Bay Resort near Spicer. “A lot of families are too busy to take a full week; if you’re willing to work with them on a partial week, they can still get some quality family time.’’

Consider the kids

If you have a toddler, pick a resort with a big, sandy beach that slopes gradually into the water. Elementary-age children enjoy resorts that offer a simple but fun daily activity, such as scavenger hunts, minnow races and sandcastle contests.

Teens will want an area where they can congregate with other teens, such as a game room or a pool. And make sure there’s not a bar — nothing kills a family atmosphere faster.

Pick the area that suits you

This is the best way to narrow your search. Each has the basics—  lakes, golf courses, shopping. Beyond that, each caters to a different kind of vacationer.

The Brainerd-Nisswa-Pequot Lakes area has a bustling atmosphere and brand-name golf courses; this is where die-hard golfers go, and its resorts and shops increasingly cater to an upscale, urban visitor. For children, there are go-cart courses, miniature golf and an amusement park; families can shop in the busy little town of Nisswa and bicycle on the paved 58-mile stretch of the Paul Bunyan State Trail.

This area is not so good for people who hate personal watercraft, unless you're careful to find a quiet resort on a small lake. And if you like boating but in a slightly less bustling area, head east, to the Whitefish Chain and Crosslake.

For more, see The buzz on Brainerd and Fast times in Nisswa.

Farther north, Park Rapids is near Itasca State Park and at the western trailhead of the 48-mile Heartland State Trail. It's an old-fashioned resort town that's gradually becoming more cosmopolitan. It has destination shopping and a very nice variety of family resorts, many with extra amenities, on medium-size lakes.

For more, see Summer in Park Rapids.

Walker is on the shores of Leech Lake, the state's third-largest lake. It's a fishing stronghold that's becoming a bicycling hub, and the downtown is full of galleries and boutiques.

For more, see Fishing in Walker.

The Grand Rapids area is known for serious fishing and moderate-priced family resorts and is the western trailhead for the paved Mesabi Trail, which is becoming Minnesota's most interesting and challenging bicycle trail. The Judy Garland Birthplace is in town, and the many attractions of the Iron Range are just to the east. It's also a good place to find golf bargains.

For more, see Lumberjacks and legends.

Bemidji, farther north, has a nice mix of resorts, and the town is a fun place to hang out - it's a college town with a professional summer theater and old-fashioned amusement park on Lake Bemidji next to the famous statues of Paul and Babe.

For more, see Bemidji's behemoths.

Just south of the Canadian border, the Rainy Lake, Lake Kabetogama and Voyageurs National Park area has lots of water begging to be explored by motorboat, tour boat, houseboat or canoe. Other border lake areas: Crane Lake, Ash River and Lake of the Woods.

For more, see Land of big water.

To the east, big Lake Vermilion sometimes is called the Lake Minnetonka of the North, for its 1,200-mile shoreline and many bays, but also because it has heavy boat traffic and includes the estates of many wealthy people. It has 365 islands.

Ely is a playground for canoeists, being near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and is the home of the International Wolf Center and North American Bear Center.

For more, see Dreaming of Ely.

To the east, but linked only by obscure forest roads, the Gunflint Trail links the lakes of the BWCAW with the North Shore and has luxury and rustic resorts. 

For more, see Adventure on the Gunflint Trail.

The area around Mille Lacs is traditionally a fishing haven, with inexpensive, ma-and-pa resorts. Just to the west, the Cuyuna Lakes area has paddling and fishing in the lovely former mine-pit lakes of Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area and good antiques-shopping in the town of Crosby.

For more, see Cuyuna lode.

Alexandria is the Brainerd of western Minnesota; it's known for its golf, speedboats and NASCAR races and has many modest resorts on outlying lakes. It also has a winery and a fine professional summer theater.

For more, see Alexandria's enigma.

Just to the north is Otter Tail County, which has more lakes and more roadside mascots than any other county in Minnesota; see Otter trail country.

Along with old-fashioned Detroit Lakes, it's known for small, traditional resorts and a rolling forest-meets-prairie terrain that lends itself to bird-watching.

And only two hours from the Twin Cities is the Kandiyohi lakes region around Spicer, on the shores of Green Lake, and New London, where the local water-ski team puts on shows on Friday evenings in summer. This area has many traditional but modern family resorts.

For more, see Little Crow lakes.

Collect information

Using the Internet doesn’t really save time, but it will net you a whole lot of good information.

“Web sites have been fantastic helping people decide where to go on vacation,’’ Krattenmaker says.

Get the visitors guide for your chosen region and start comparing ads and Web sites, which often list Internet specials. Consult the staff at regional tourism bureaus; they can’t recommend resorts, but they can give you names if you’re specific about what you want.

Minnesota Office of Tourism counselors also can help, 651-296-5029, 8000-657-3700.

Hospitality Minnesota lists resorts. The Congress of Minnesota Resorts is a group of family-run, mostly smaller resorts.

(One tip: The word "modern'' usually means only that the cabin has up-to-date plumbing, heating and appliances. The words "newly built'' or ''recently remodeled'' are more specific.)

Ask questions

The personality of the owners dictates the atmosphere of the resort, so chat away.

“The more information they can give me, the more I can tell them if it’s going to be a good fit,’’ says resort owner Stacy Fay.

Ask if it's the kind of informal resort where children can run around, or if it caters more to couples who keep to themselves. Ask if there's much drinking, or if many guests or nearby cabin owners like to use wave-runners. Ask if the beach is weedy. Ask if there’s a big family group that dominates the place the week you’re considering. If so, ask if they’re friendly; striking up acquaintances that may last from year to year is one of the best parts of resort life.

Describe what you're looking for, and ask whether the owners think you'd be comfortable at their resort. If a certain resort isn't for you, nearly every owner will tell you so.

“We want people to be happy when they’re here,’’ Fay says. “That just makes our job easier.’’

Last updated on December 15, 2009