Browsing Category:

book it! aka travel

Book It Series | Camping in Cuyuna Country

August 24, 2016

Cuyuna Country: Abandoned by mining companies more than 30 years ago, this area of former mining pits and rock deposit stockpiles now boasts regenerated vegetation and clear lakes that draw a wide range of recreation enthusiasts. Twenty-five miles of natural shoreline can be explored by boat or canoe and anglers can cast a line for trout, northern, bass, crappie, or sunfish.

As one of Minnesota’s newest State Recreation Areas, Cuyuna’s 5,000 acres are mostly undeveloped. Off-highway vehicles are not permitted within the boundaries of Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area.-MN DNR

Back in July, my husband and I spent the weekend camping with my brother in law, Joe, and his girlfriend, Natalie. We choose True North Basecamp in Crosby, MN because of its proximity to the Twin Cities, hiking in the area, ease of booking online and not-so-roughin’ it facilities (aka a shower house and toilets).

True North has 33 campsites spread out amongst 3 sections of land, as well as 6 uber modern lakefront cabins. The campsites are $19 per night Sunday through Thursday & $29 per night Friday and Saturday. Cabins go for $69 per night Sunday through Thursday & $125 per night Friday and Saturday.

Online booking was a breeze, as was communication with Dan, one of the owners via email. They also provide the option to message via Facebook. I had a quick question regarding firewood the night before we left, and I received a very speedy response. I was also able to purchase some bundles ahead of time which were waiting for us when we arrived.

We opted to rent a campsite for the weekend and were very pleased to find out we were the only group in our area of the campground. The only downside was the proximity to the town of Crosby. I didn’t realize at the time of booking just how close the town was to the campground. Our campsite had a lovely view of the Crosby water tower and high school football field 🙂

If you’re looking for a deep woods, off-the-grid experience, this is probably not the right place for you. If you’re new to camping, have a young family or just really enjoy modern conveniences, then this is the right spot.

Our campsite!

After a hearty pancake breakfast on Saturday morning, we ventured out on our hike on the trails connected to the campground. Here is a link to some handy maps of the surrounding trails and areas. We decided not to bring our bikes on this trip due to space, but if you’re into mountain biking, this is the spot for you!

There’s also a local rental shop if you’d like to take out paddleboards, canoes, kayaks or bikes. To save money, we decided to just hike for the day 🙂 I linked the rental company below for reference.

Here are a few photos from our hike:

Nat & I

The Boys

Beautiful view of one of the lakes!

Once back to camp, we hit the shower-house, which was extremely clean and well maintained. I was very impressed! They even had a box of tampons in the bathroom for the ladies. Nice touch.

We were quite famished from our hike and decided to hit up a local restaurant for dinner. When in Rome right? The top rated restaurant in town happens to be a BBQ joint right near the campground called Louie’s Bucket of Bones. How can you not visit a restaurant with a name like that?

Louie’s Bucket of Bones

Upon arriving, we were greeted by a grouchy older woman who told us to “sit down”. She actually turned out to be quite a gem as our evening progressed – I think it’s all part of the Louie’s divey charm.

Hot tip: Louie’s doesn’t have a liquor license, so they’re not allowed to serve alcohol. Bring your own beer and they’ll provide the cups!

We started with a plate of buffalo wings, which were divine! I had the broasted chicken meal for dinner, which was super delish and hit the spot after a day of hiking in the sun. Luke had the ribs which were equally as good. This is definitely the spot to visit if you find yourself in the town of Crosby! Actually, I think the restaurant is technically in the town of Ironton, MN. It sits right on the border, as you can see both town signs from the front lawn of Louie’s.

After dinner, we headed back to our campsite and unfortunately started packing most of our stuff up due to some impending storms in the forecast. After about an hour of that, we devoured a lot of s’mores, just in time for the arrival of the storm. The remainder of the night was spent playing cards in the tent, drinking boxed wine and listening to the storm roll through.

Our Sunday was cut very short, after a long night of waiting for the storm to pass. I still have PTSD from our Eaux Claires camping experience last year (story for a different day), so I didn’t sleep much. We woke around 5AM to water pooling in the tent (it had been pouring rain all night). The last straw was the side of the tent collapsing into Luke every time a strong gust of wind came by. After about 20 minutes of trying to hold it up, we decided it was probably time to call it. Especially since there was an advisory for strong winds until 11AM that morning.

All in all, it was a great weekend with family and new experiences! I would highly recommend True North to others, especially if you’re into mountain biking. I don’t know if I would camp there again because of the proximity to town, but I would definitely rent a cabin to see what those are like.

Until next time,

-j.

Details & Addresses:

True North Basecamp: 825 1st St SW; Cuyuna, Minnesota 56441

Louie’s Bucket of Bones: 101 4th St, Ironton, MN 56455

Cycle Path & Paddle: 115 3rd Ave SW; Crosby, MN 56441

book it! aka travel

Weekend Getaway: Duluth Edition

April 24, 2016

2 Comments

I’ve lived in Minnesota almost my entire life. This past month, my husband Luke and I have been lucky enough to go on a couple weekend trips across the state. It’s been our tradition since we started dating over 11 years ago, to go on “Spring Break” to Duluth. While many of our friends during our senior year spring break were going on vacation to beaches and Europe, we found ourselves hitting 35E with our buddy Sarah and staying at Black Bear Casino for a night.Here is an embarrassing throwback pic of us from sophomore year of college at the Great Lakes Aquarium:

Duluth has always held a special place in our hearts as a place to explore, relax and refresh. We try to get up there at least once a year for a weekend and it’s wonderful to see how much the town has flourished over the years. Our favorite place to stay, which is where we spent our mini-moon is Beacon Pointe. It’s a short 5 minute drive outside the Canal Park area and sits right on Lake Superior. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more relaxed than the first morning of our mini-moon waking up to the sounds of the lake outside our window. Here was the view from our porch:

One thing I am ashamed to admit is, I’ve never really explored the North Shore area of Minnesota (until recently). I had a fabulous bachelorette weekend at Larsmont Cottages in Two Harbors with my best gal pals, but that’s as far north I’ve ventured on the North Shore. During our last trip to Duluth, we woke up early on Friday morning and ventured up scenic North Shorth Drive to Split Rock Lighthouse. Since it was still early in the season, the lighthouse wasn’t open, but the views were spectacular. Although it was late March, it was a gorgeous day to be outside and see the snow/ice start to melt away for summers arrival.

Our original plan was just to hike around the lighthouse, but since it was so nice out, we pulled into Gooseberry Falls for stop #2. This is another place I’ve admittedly never been which makes me feel sad for missing out all these years! At least I know now 🙂 We spent the day hiking through the park, checking out the falls and hiking all the way to the lakeshore.

After our hiking adventure, we were famished! We decided to stop at the famous Betty’s Pies for lunch. I’ll admit, I’m not the biggest fan of pie, but Luke insisted it’s the best pie in the land and he was definitely right! It’s the cutest little diner right off the lake. We ordered a couple sandwiches and topped it off with a slice of berry pie & vanilla ice cream. I will definitely be back next time we’re in the area.

After lunch, we headed back to Duluth for a quick refresh at the hotel and back out again for a walk around Canal Park before the sun went down. I love walking around Canal Park and perusing the shops. They always have the same kitschy inventory year after year, but I can’t help myself. We stopped into the Duluth Pack flagship store (one of my favorite local brands) and I found a Patagonia head warmer on winter clearance for $9–score! After a little shopping, we stumbled upon Vikre Distillery which is cozied right up to the lift bridge.

Luke was familiar with their spirits and was excited to see we had arrived right in time for their free once a day tour at 5:30PM. We found a seat at their bar and perused their cocktail menu. I’ve always detested the taste of gin (which is what they specialize in, along with vodka and aquavit). After speaking with the lovely bartender, she bluntly explained that I’ve probably just had really crappy gin – which is entirely the cold, hard truth. She recommended a cocktail and promised I wouldn’t think of gin the same way, and boy was she right! It didn’t have the slightest hint of pine needles! 😀

The tour was very informative (very heavy on the science of distilling) and included a lot of sniffing of alcohol in its different stages. Not something I’d recommend if you’re hungover or sensitive to the smell of poison. It was very cool to see the evolution of this brand and how much they’ve grown. At the end of the tour, our guide pointed out the bottling machine which was about the size of a mini-fridge and explained that every bottle you see (anywhere) was bottled with that machine. This tiny little machine really resonated with me and was an uplifting reminder that anything is possible.

After the tour, a couple of friends who came into town for the night, met up with us for a few more cocktails and conversation. We mozied over to a Vitta Pizza in Canal Park for a couple za’s and topped the night off at another one of our fave stops – Canal Park Brewing.

This is a great spot right in Canal Park with lake views and refreshing brews. We’re hoping to head back in late July for the All Pints North Festival which is a beer tasting event right in Canal Park. The brewmaster of Canal Park Brewing recommended it to us as the best beer festival in the state after talking to him about our love for the Summer Beer Dabbler in Saint Paul.

The next morning was a stark contrast to the day before with a fresh cover of snow covering the ground and trees. As we headed out of town, we made a quick detour to Cloquet to have lunch at my all-time favorite burger joint, Gordy’s Hi-Hat. They had opened for the season the previous weekend, and I will admit the timing of our Duluth trip may or may not have had to do with Gordy’s opening.

Gordy’s is our must-stop spot on the drive to my family cabin. It’s the exact halfway point between Minneapolis and Burntside Lake. The first stop at Gordy’s (in my mind) means summer has arrived. Although it was a bit premature this time around, there was something beautiful about dining there in the snow. I had never experienced Gordy’s in the snow, so that was yet another first for that weekend.

This was a perfect ending to a weekend of first’s exploring MN and I cannot wait to see what summer 2016 will hold. Lessons of the weekend – it’s never too late to experience new things and maybe pie & gin aren’t so bad. Until next time, Gallivanters.

-j.

book it! aka travel

Explore MN: Grandview Lodge

April 17, 2016

As mentioned in my previous post, Luke and I have ventured on a couple weekend getaways this past month. I just returned from a weekend at Grandview Lodge in Nisswa, MN and I am already on their website checking out availability for this summer.

The Grandview Lodge is a historic property located on Gull Lake. They are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year after opening in 1916. The resort owns quite a few different pieces of property spread out throughout Nisswa, but the main resort holds their beautiful lodge, a variety of cabins, one of their three golf courses, a spa, a few different restaurants and much more.

Our original plan was to drive up Friday night after work and stay one night with my brother in law and his girlfriend. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with outstanding customer service and a smooth check-in. The friendly man working at their front desk explained the property to us and went over all the different activities going on throughout the weekend. I felt a tinge of sadness knowing we would be heading back to the cities on Saturday afternoon.

We rented a 2-bedroom cabin in one of their newer properties called Homes on Nokomis. The second I opened the door, I immediately fell in love. The cabin was glamorous, yet cozy and provided all the amenities of home. One of my favorite parts of the space was the screened in porch, complete with fireplace and flat screen TV. I could already smell the freshly brewed coffee I was planning to sip on while having breakfast in the morning cozied up on the porch.

After settling in, we cracked open a bottle of wine while my husband, Luke, whipped up a delicious steak & asparagus dinner. He grabbed a couple pounds of rib-eye from Whole Foods back in the cities which we could not stop raving about and quickly the weekend hashtag/theme turned into #meatgamestrong. Appropriateness aside, my husband has a strong meat game. 🙂

I was feeling pretty good after dinner (and a few glasses of wine) and a light-bulb popped into my head — why not stay another night?! We got a great rate through their “last-minute vacancies” and Saturday was supposed to be beautiful. After some convincing, Luke was on-board and was able to switch to a later work shift on Sunday so we could stay. Unfortunately, our night 1 digs were booked for Saturday night, but we were able to snag another 2-bedroom cabin near the lake. I am usually the type to have a plan & stick to it, but I was feeling spontaneous and not ready to return back to the real world, just yet. That looming pile of dirty laundry will just have to wait one more day.

We had our first bonfire of the season in our private fire pit behind the cabin and enjoyed a multitude of s’mores for dessert. After many rounds of cards, we finally went to bed in our fabulous king bed. It was a much needed restful night of sleep.

Luke and I woke up early and meandered over to the dining room at the lodge for breakfast. Again, the service was top-notch. We chose to be seated in the “kid free zone” which only had a couple other parties in addition to us. We eavesdropped on a group of guys on a bachelor party weekend, recalling the previous night’s events, which made for hilarious morning entertainment. The buffet offered a great assortment of all your breakfast staples and was one of the better complimentary breakfasts I’ve seen.

After breakfast, we took a cup of coffee to go and had a morning stroll around the resort property. The staff was very accommodating to our room switch and I was already alerted via text that our other cabin was ready for us to check into before we even made it back to our Nokomis cabin.

I was sad to leave our first cabin (it really was fabulous), but our new cabin was right on the water with a fabulous view of the lake! It was quite a bit older than the Nokomis home, but had some great updates and the location could not be beat. We were really impressed with the use of space and the amount of people that could comfortably sleep in it (family vacay 2016?). There was a loft area in addition to the 2 bedrooms which held a double bed + twin bed and an awesome skylight to watch the stars at night. This would be a great spot to put the kids for those traveling with their young ones. These units are just called “Cabins” on the main property and are a little more affordable than the Nokomis homes.

Now that we had the whole day ahead of us, Luke and I spent the afternoon at the Garden Golf Course. We were already planning on doing this, but we could now be a little more leisurely since we didn’t have to drive back to Minneapolis afterwards. Grandview has 3 golf courses, The Pines, The Preserve and The Garden. The Garden is the only one on the main property and is a 9-hole, par 35 course. It’s considered family friendly and challenging enough for any skill level. I haven’t golfed in a couple years, but Luke is an avid golfer and we plan to play more together this season. The Garden course was a perfect re-introduction to golf for me. There weren’t too many other people on the course so we never felt rushed and I was able to take my time getting back into the groove. I would highly recommend this course for families or casual golfers. It was also very affordable at $20 for the two of us (walking).

After golfing, we were starving and ready for lunch, so met back up with Joe & Natalie and headed to Zorbaz for an obligatory pizza. After we got our Z jokez out and enjoyed pizza and nachoz, we traveled to Cross Lake to get ice cream from a local shop that Natalie’s family owns called Lake Country Crafts & Cones.

When we got back to the resort, we hit-up the indoor pool area for some relaxation in the hot tub. The pool area was great for families and adults and even had a pretty awesome waterslide. After that, we played a game of shuffleboard and the girls won, obviously. There was definitely not a shortage of activities or things for us to stay occupied — even during their “off season”.

As someone who is fortunate to have grown up with a family cabin, I’ve never really experienced the MN lake resort life. After this weekend, I can definitely see the appeal (although I wouldn’t trade our cabin for anything). I’d highly recommend Grandview to anyone looking to get away for a few days, whether you’re a couple sans kids, a family with kids, a weekend with girlfriends, etc. They literally have something for everyone! There were quite a few things Luke and I would have liked to do, but just didn’t have enough time this trip, like dine at Cru and get a couples massage. Maybe next time 🙂

-j.