Save BIG on Your Minnesota Vacation

That old saying “You Snooze – You Lose!” is usually true. However, today it isn’t! That is because at Wildwood Resort those of you who haven’t yet planned your June Minnesota vacation are winners!! We have some unusual openings at the end of June and our loss is your gain! We are offering our remaining June openings at off season rates. That is a potential savings of up to $1300! This offer is based on availability and open to new reservations only. Procrastinators rejoice! Call 1-888-328-5858 for details or send us an email.

Since I declared June “Minnesota Family Vacation Month” it’s only fitting that I talk about family vacations at Wildwood! However, I figure you are sick of hearing me talk. (My husband certainly is!!) So this time I asked one of our long-time guests to tell you a little something about her family’s long history of spending their Minnesota vacation at Wildwood Resort.

Kim asked me to be a guest blogger, and I honestly didn’t even know where to start.  I think I could blog a million paragraphs about Wildwood  and how much I love it. I won’t, though. I promise! As I sit here on a Friday afternoon after a challenging week personally, I have to admit that being asked to blog about my favorite place on earth (Kim didn’t even ask me to say that part – it’s totally true!) was a breath of fresh air.  I speak on behalf of my family – all 15 of us – that we start looking forward to the third week of July at Wildwood almost as soon as we leave each year.

 

My family has been coming to the resort for over 70 years.  I personally have been coming 34 years (my entire life) and have only missed a few summers. One missed summer was due to the birth of my son. At the time I was a little frustrated at our clear lack of planning but now he LOVES spending his birthday “at the lake” every summer. We bring along two families with seven kiddos ranging in age from 3 to 9 so besides birthday partying our family currently loves all the activities the resort has to offer young children. For us those activities include but are not limited to: spending every waking moment at the beach area (our kids would sleep there if we let them), using the various age-appropriate boats (kayaks, paddleboats, standup paddle boards, etc.), totally taking advantage of the Supervised Kids’ Activities on the days they are offered, and spending the rest of our waking hours at the playground.  If for some reason it rains (which it does from time-to-time) we always bring along some trusty movies for the DVD player or raid the games at the Lodge. We usually hit the movie theater in town at least once during the week, too.

 

For us, so much of Wildwood is about the memories. It’s oh-so-corny, but oh-so-true!  I’m not lying when I say that at least a quarter if not more of my very best childhood memories are of moments spent at Wildwood Resort – and that was before air conditioning and TVs! And now watching my kids make the same kind of memories is amazing in ways that I can’t even put into words. Add to that the memories that I’m making as an adult and I just can’t imagine ever taking a week at Wildwood off of our calendar. In fact, we love Wildwood so much we’ve added it as our destination (two years running) for ringing in the New Year every December 31st! But that’s a post for another blog if Kim ever invites me back…

We invite you to start a family tradition that includes a week of memory-making at Wildwood Resort! Please contact us for more information about year round vacation opportunities!

Until next time,
Kim & Jay

Did you know that June is Minnesota Family Vacation Month?

No? Well you aren’t alone because I just made it up. 😉 According to Wikipedia March has National Celery Day and (my personal fav) November has World Toilet Day. So if the potty gets it’s day then I think that the Minnesota family vacation deserves a whole month! After all, is there anything better than spending time in the beautiful northwoods of Minnesota with your favorite people?! Summer vacation season is just around the corner so in preparation for the now-famous Minnesota Family Vacation Month you should get to thinking about an early summer vacation. We still have prime June weeks available and we would love to talk to you about them. Check our availability and then give us a call or drop an email!

We are readying the resort for our busy season. The weather this week is beautiful so we’ve gotten a jump on getting docks in the lake. We have finished spring cleaning in six of the nine cabins, too! This is the first spring in our 17 seasons that Jay and I haven’t had a “discussion” about when to turn the water on to the seasonal cabins. I always wanted him to turn the water on to the closed cabins as early as possible so we could get them cleaned. But his fear was always frozen-then-broken water lines he would have to repair if he gave in to my demands too early. Ah – the joys of running a business with your spouse!! With all nine cabins winterized now we don’t have to have that argument anymore. Cheers to a more peaceful preparation for our summer season!

Gotta run! Enjoy this beautiful weather!
Kim & Jay

P.S. I just had to include the link to the World Toilet Day information.  Love their slogan!!

Yesterday I got a call from a family that has been vacationing at Wildwood for many years. She was calling to let us know that they wouldn’t be able to come to Wildwood this year. As she was relating to me the reasons for their cancellation I could hear the regret and sadness in her voice because their kids love coming here and they have made great memories during their Wildwood family vacations. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a similar conversation over the years. The common denominator in all those cancellation conversations is the regret our guests feel at not coming back. I’d love to believe that regret stems from the thought of not seeing us but I know that it is something much deeper.

Getting ready to go on vacation can be a huge stressor. And coming home from vacation is too painful to even talk about. But those days in between are the sweet ones, aren’t they? Real life is suspended and schedules become fluid. For us family vacation days are mostly about what the girls want to do and they bask in the light of our attention. They are grateful for those breaks in reality and express their gratitude openly. Jay and I listen to them talk and hear them more clearly without the day-to-day distractions that often pull our attention away. We rest and regroup and come home refreshed in spite of the pain of re-entering the real world. Most of all we remember the time spent together and those memories re-enforce the ties that bind.

We see the same thing happening with the families that spend their family vacations at Wildwood. They may arrive a little stressed (“Are we there yet?!?”) but there is also an underlying excitement. They arrive looking forward to those sweet days between arrival and departure where they can rest and really focus on each other. Rules that govern everyday life can be relaxed here and time spent together takes on a rosy glow in memory. The most magical thing about family vacations is also the most simple: it’s the time you spend together. Vacation doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive – and it certainly doesn’t have to be at Wildwood Resort. But it does have to be made a priority.  Have you made plans for some family time this summer? If not, why don’t you do that today!

Even though our days are still a little on the cool side we can FEEL summer just around the corner. The sun is warm on our faces and the lake ice is very dark. Our next-door eagles are busy in the nest and my crew has gotten 1 1/2 cabins spring cleaned already. Minnesota Fishing Opener is just 5 weeks away so I think we can definitely say that we survived winter! We still have prime summer weeks open so we would love for you to consider a stay with us this year.

Happy Spring!
Kim & Jay

Bass Lake Bluegill Anyone??

Ice fishermen have flocked to Bass Lake in search of  big bluegill!

The winter of 2015 has been a big downer so far for those of us who enjoy snowmobiling in Minnesota. Our snow accumulation has dwindled to a measly 3-4 inches which is a long way from establishing good snowmobile trail conditions. 🙁 The only positive to a “no snow winter” is that ice fishing is easy when you can travel anywhere on the lake by vehicle. And I’m not just talking about trucks and SUVs – we’ve seen some folks on the lake in tiny sedans! We have our access open and marked for our guests (no public access!) and everyone has been able to drive directly from their cabin to their favorite fishing spot. When the fishing slows it’s a quick trip back to the cabin for a good movie or a nap. Who says you have to wait until summer to enjoy some hard-earned downtime?

After 16 years we finally got a portable ice house for ourselves and we have enjoyed some good family time on Bass Lake. Ice fishing has been a good trade-off for us this winter since we can’t ride our snowmobiles. The girls get a little antsy when the fish aren’t biting but we found an underwater camera for them so now they enjoy watching the fish “stare at our bait.” (There’s been a lot of staring but not a lot of biting so far) It’s fun to see what is going on under the ice and entertaining to see a northern you know is only 20 inches long swim by our bait. They look alligator-size on that little camera! Over the weekend the girls and I caught some bluegill and a few northern. Katie caught a nice 7″ bluegill on wax worms but we’ve also had guests catch them on minnows. Ice depth is around 28″ and reports have people catching fish in anywhere from 6 to 16 feet of water.

Guests have reported catching nice sunfish, northern and even some crappie so far this year. It’s been interesting to see the bite switch from one day to the next. Some days we’ve seen good action just before dark and other days it’s morning and early afternoon. I guess we have to remember that it’s called fishing not catching! We still enjoy hearing the excitement from new guests who have caught their first Bass Lake bluegill and they all say the same thing: “I can’t get over how big they are in Bass Lake!” The average size structure of the bluegill still amazes us, too!  (Remember that there is a special 5 fish bag limit on the sunfish in our lake!) We invite all of you to get away this winter and take advantage of great MN ice fishing and some well-deserved relaxation in one of our warm, comfortable cabins. Our winter rate is still just $39 per person per night (based on 2 people per bedroom) and we’ll give you 1 night free when you stay 2 nights or more.

See ya on the ice!
Jay
Today’s blog is courtesy of guest blogger, Jay Jamtgaard. (I’m calling him a guest blogger because he’s usually a man of few words…and certainly a man of no words when it comes to social media!)

Ice Fishing on Bass Lake – Grand Rapids, MN

New Year’s weekend Jay and some of our friends hit Bass Lake for the first time this year. He was surprised to find ice depth of almost 24″! I guess it isn’t too much of a surprise considering the cold weather we’ve been experiencing. Our snowfall in the last couple of weeks has been unimpressive! However, the lack of snow combined with very cold temps means that the ice conditions are awesome. And lake access from the resort is much easier than last year with less than a foot of snow on Bass Lake. There is a lot of drifting but, again, with the low snowfall the lake is easily navigable by truck, ATV, snowmobile and even by foot! We have a girls’ hockey team at Wildwood this weekend and some of the dads hit the lake yesterday before the start of the tournament. They found some smaller sunnies, northern and perch. With more time (and less wind!) they said they would have spent more time drilling holes and moving around to find bigger fish. With temperatures forecasted next week in the 20s it sounds like it will be a great ice fishing weekend!

Girlfriend Weekends at Wildwood Resort

Now that the holidays are behind us it’s time to focus on the New Year and all the goals we’ve set for ourselves. I’m guessing some of you girls out there have a backlog of scrapbooking to do! How about you set a “goal” of heading to Wildwood with your crafting friends to knock out those scrapbooks documenting 2014? You can get stuff done AND have fun with your girls while doing it. Our fully-furnished cabins are warm and cozy and all offer an amazing view of Bass Lake and our winter landscape. Wildwood is the perfect destination for your small group quilting retreat, scrapbooking weekend or girlfriend getaway! With rates as low as $39/night/person you can’t go wrong – plus we offer a 3rd night free with a minimum 2 night stay. Call or email us today for details!

New Requirements for Boat Owners in 2015

The Minnesota DNR is moving ahead with plans to roll out its new AIS prevention program for 2015 in spite of the lack of support from the tourism community. The program requires all boat owners to complete a 30 minute, online program to pull a boat in Minnesota. (Or, apparently, through Minnesota) Our state resort organization is not supportive of the current program and will be talking with lawmakers about a better solution when we have our annual trek to the state capitol in February. However, if you are a boat owner in Minnesota or if you are an out-of-state visitor and plan to bring your boat on your Minnesota summer vacation please be aware that this new requirement affects you! Learn more at the Minnesota DNR website: http://www.trailers.mndnr.gov/. You can also find a recent Star Tribune article on the subject. If you have an opinion on the subject make sure your state lawmakers know how you feel!

Despite the cold temperatures and ice fishing talk I am noticing early signs of the coming summer. The sun is trekking back in our direction which means more daylight. And we are having lots of conversations with people considering a Minnesota summer vacation at Wildwood Resort. Those conversations are the highlight of our days! For now we’ll wear layers and fight the elements but our spirits are focused on the coming spring. Hang in there!

Kim & Jay

Minnesota Winter Resorts Instead of a Hotel!

Do you travel for hockey? Maybe your kids are big basketballers? I know a woman from church who seems to travel every weekend to either her son’s hockey tournament or her daughter’s gymnastic meet. You would think that Jay and I would be big travelers in our off season since we’re so tied to Wildwood for 8 months of the year. However, we are two of the biggest homebodies you’ve ever met. We like our creature comforts. One thing I know for sure is that if we were traveling every weekend we would FOR SURE be hitting up some awesome winter resorts for accommodations while away from home! Have you considered alternatives to hotel lodging while traveling with your teams? Maybe you should! Most winter resorts this time of year offer very comparable (or cheaper!) rates to the hotels. We have fully furnished kitchens so you can prepare team meals and/or save money by not eating out all weekend. Some winter resorts even have indoor pools. Although Wildwood doesn’t have an indoor pool (someday I will talk Jay into it!) we do have acres of frozen water for ice fishing and impromptu football games as well as access to hundreds of miles of snowmobile trails. Who said you can’t have some winter fun while traveling for hockey or basketball?! With our latest new-cabin project we can accommodate an entire team and their entourage with 9 winterized cabins that feature upnorth warmth and charm as well as cable TV and free Wi-Fi. Think outside the box next time you have to travel with your kid’s team!

Here are just a few reasons to choose a resort over a hotel in the destination area of your winter travels:

• More spacious and comfortable lodging for the same price (or less!) than a hotel – and usually with an amazing lake view!
• Fully furnished kitchens mean you save money by not having to eat out for every meal
• Ice fishing – bring your gear and get outside for part of your weekend. Those walleye don’t put themselves on your dinner table!!
• Minnesota snowmobiling – again…get outside! Sick of the smell of the hockey arenas? Then hit the trails and suck in some fresh air (tinged with snowmobile exhaust) while seeing some of the most beautiful back country in the whole Midwest. Hockey and basketball weekends can be FUN, too.
• Bring your skies! We have 9 amazing  x-ski trails for all skill levels and you can find similar cross country skiing opportunities in other resort areas, too.
• Relax in comfort – you probably don’t have to go to every single game, right?! Maybe you can pretend a headache and get some quiet time to read a book or stare out at a beautiful lake. Or better yet…bring your scrapbooking stuff and skip all the games!
• Take in a performance while you stay. For instance, we offer guests discounted tickets to performance at our local gem, The Reif Center.
• Get educated! We are so lucky to have a facility like the  Forest History Center offering year round learning opportunities that are fun and educational. Most resort areas in Minnesota have great historical and natural wonders for you to investigate in your downtime.

 

Attention Minnesota Ice Fishermen: It’s Go Time!

For the first time in recent years we have amazing December ice on Bass Lake! We easily have 10 inches of solid ice with little snow cover. We can’t remember a winter when the ice has been so good before our first major snowfall. And yet, mysteriously, the Minnesota ice fishermen haven’t started calling! I’m thinking the bug hasn’t bitten quite yet so we have just the thing to jump start the ice fishing season. Watch this great video about early season ice fishing put together by Visit Grand Rapids and featuring local guide, Tom Neustrom. Then check our availability and start planning your first ice fishing trip of the season!

That’s it for this week, Friends! Best of luck with your holiday preparations…

Kim & Jay

Minnesota Ice Fishing Season Is Here!

Yep – that was our temperature yesterday morning: a balmy 3 degrees with a wind chill of -17. Yikes! As I took the dog out for a walk today I was unpleasantly surprised by the burn-your-face-off cold wind that was blowing in from the northwest. It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were pulling docks out in our t-shirts! But thinking like that will only make us crabby so I’ve decided to look on the bright side. It has taken concentrated effort to come up with list but here it is:

The Top 10 Reasons to be Happy About Winter

10) This one is obvious – no mosquitoes! There’s no need to cover ourselves with OFF! before heading out on the lake to do some ice fishing. There also aren’t any ticks, wood spiders, deer flies or other creepy crawlies.

9) We don’t have to mow. Thanks to Jay’s dad (who does all the mowing around here) this chore isn’t really a big deal for us. But I’m sure it’s a relief for those of you without a father-in-law that loves his weekly spin on the Dixie Chopper.

8) It’s not so humid. In fact, it’s so dry that we all walk around for months with chapped lips and cracked fingers. It’s a good look! 🙂

7) I feel better about myself! I get to live guilt-free for the next 6 months as I drive to town since it’s too dang cold for all of my health-minded neighbors to be out walking on the road. Who needs those daily reminders that Bush was in office the last time I had a gym membership?!

6) Running errands requires less planning. Jay holds the title of Food Safety Freak in our house so his anxiety spikes when he fears the optimal temperature of the milk and eggs has been compromised. With these temps near 0° I can run errands without worrying about the cookie dough ice cream in the back of the Yukon!

5) We save on electricity. No reason to keep the ice chest plugged in at these temperatures. The unsold bags of ice will keep just fine without spinning the meter!

4) Winter is good for the lakeshore. Once the lake freezes over we don’t have to worry erosion. Let the wind blow! With hard water and frozen earth we aren’t worrying about wave action.

3) No concerns about the sun in our eyes while driving. The sun has almost disappeared over our southern horizon. We’ll see it again sometime next spring.

2) No problem falling asleep at night. Since it gets dark at 4:30 the greater struggle is staying awake until the girls’ bedtimes.

And the Number One reason to be happy it’s winter: 1) The sooner it starts – the sooner it’s over!!!!

It took a lot of effort to come up with those (lame) reasons to be happy winter is here. In fact, it took an entire day to think of ten. However, there is something that’s very good about these early cold temps – the lake is making ice like crazy! People who love Minnesota ice fishing will tell you that we need these cold temps before snow falls to make solid ice. Without good ice under the snow we get slushy lakes which make snowmobiling and ice fishing a lot tougher. We haven’t ventured out on the ice yet (and the wise will tell you to wait!) but I’m guessing there are a couple of inches on the southern basin of Bass Lake. When I took the dog out last night the ice-making noise coming off the lake was loud and clear. It was a beautiful, still night with a sky full of stars. Amazing. Don’t let anyone tell you that winter is horrible – it’s actually quite beautiful in small doses and when you are dressed up like that kid in “A Christmas Story.”

We finalized our Theater Packages last week and added that page to our website. Check it out for information on how to save big on Reif performance tickets when you stay at Wildwood! And for a list of other area events visit the Community Calendar on the VisitGrandRapids.com website.

Frostily yours,
Kim & Jay

 

Ice Fishing, Snowmobiling and Relaxing Winter Get-Aways

Have you ever been driving down a highway and you see something in the distance that you can’t quite make out? You know it’s something but until you get a little closer you aren’t too sure if it’s a deer or a mailbox. That’s how I feel about the coming winter in Minnesota. The only difference is that I know EXACTLY what is ahead even if we can’t see it clearly yet. We’ve already had several hard freezes and one evening with brief snow flurries…and that was in September! So this week we have spent our time pulling docks out of the lake and putting away all of the boats and summer toys. We got lucky weather-wise and got to pull docks in t-shirts which is a VAST improvement over last year when we pulled them in November in full winter gear. It is truly crazy to think that one year ago this week we were just about to begin pouring the slabs for Aspen Lodge and the duplex. I can promise you that we are not missing the craziness of construction. We anticipate days this fall when we have nothing that has to be done.  What a huge relief after about 18 months of pure crazy. We feel enormously grateful for having the opportunity to build the cabins but even more grateful to be done with the job!

Although I can’t say that I love the colder, damp days I do love that they are ushering in winter in Minnesota – my second favorite season! We are looking forward to hitting the snowmobile trails in Itasca County with friends. And I vow that this winter I’m going to make use of the x-ski trails that are so plentiful in our area. We were given an ice auger by a generous friend so we plan to hit Bass Lake to do a lot more ice fishing than we have ever done before. And we are excited to be able to welcome guests into all nine of our cabins now that they are all winter-ready. We hope that the extra beds available in the winter make it easier to accommodate groups looking to spend time ice fishing, snowmobiling, x-skiing, crafting and relaxing. I guess maybe I’m a little more ready for winter than I thought. 🙂

One of the great things about the Grand Rapids, MN area is the incredible arts community that provides a wide variety of opportunities to experience life through art. The Myles Reif Center for Performing Arts is one of the many gems of Itasca County. Thanks to The Reif Center, residents and visitors alike have access to an amazing number of stellar performances offered throughout the year and guests of Wildwood Resort enjoy the lowest offered ticket price when a performance is booked in conjunction with a stay at Wildwood! The MacRostie Art Center, located in downtown Grand Rapids, is another member of our arts community that provides beautiful art exhibitions, hands-on learning opportunities, and one-of-a-kind shopping to visitors. On the first Friday of every month from 4-8pm in downtown Grand Rapids the First Friday Art Walk offers live music, artist talks and demonstrations, refreshments and more – all free and open to the public. The next event happens November 7th!

We hope you are making progress on your fall chores and looking forward to the coming winter!
Kim & Jay

P.S. We would like you to meet the newest member of our family. Bear is our 10 week old chocolate lab and he has immediately brought light and love into the house. He has also brought chaos and more than his share of naughtiness but, hopefully, by next summer he’ll be somewhat, sort of or occasionally a good boy. We look forward to introducing him to our guests!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Vacations – Fall Colors, Fishing and Relaxation!

Every year I hit mid-September and feel like I missed something. I feel like I stepped into a black hole/vortex/time-travel thingy in mid-August and emerged in the same spot on a nippy September morning two weeks after the kids went back to school. Where has the time gone?! Sometime during the last 30 days we finished up our summer vacation season, skimmed over the Labor Day holiday, zoomed through the first weeks of school and got dumped (abruptly) into cool morning with the heater kicking on. It’s amazing to think we are ready welcome guests planning to enjoy fall color tours, fall fishing and relaxing get-aways during their fall vacations at Wildwood!

But before we talk too much about fall I’d like to honor of the finish of another beautiful Minnesota vacation season with some highlights from Summer 2014:

 

 

 

 

Now that we’ve adjusted to the change in season we’ll spend our fall months finishing up some leftover construction projects in addition to raking, winterizing boats and pulling docks. Jay will NOT be sad to miss out on blowing out water lines and shutting down seasonal cabins. And we won’t miss the stress and pressure of last fall as we planned for a building project. So far we have managed to enjoy some beautiful fall evenings on the lake chasing big bass.

What are you doing to get out and experience fall in Minnesota? Are you interested in fall color tours? The trees here are just starting to show their fall colors. If you are interested click here for the opportunity to download a free fall color tour map of our area. Maybe you are a hunter? Our area has thousands of miles of public hunting grounds perfect if grouse, duck, bear or deer hunting is your favorite form of fall vacations. This coming weekend is also the annual Bargains Are Great on Highway 38 garage sale event.  This huge sale features more than 47 miles of garage sales.  It’s a bargain hunter’s dream weekend! In addition to fall colors, fall fishing and garage sales there are many great events scheduled around our area in the fall. Check out the Reif Center performances (for which we can get you discounted ticket prices) as well as upcoming events like roller derby and quilt shows.

Enjoy these beautiful fall days!
Kim & Jay

Make A Memorable Family Holiday Trip!

Have you ever considered taking your family holiday on the road? There are many benefits to doing so! By taking a family holiday trip you eliminate the need for one family to host a large celebration. No one has to clean the house, do all the shopping or set up tables in the garage. And by planning a family holiday trip you maximize your time together because no one has to go home at the end of the day! With just a little planning everyone can enjoy the best part of the holidays – family time!

Consider Alternate Dates – It’s very tempting to try to find lodging for your family trip over the holiday weekend. However, sometimes it’s easier and cheaper to consider dates that don’t coincide with the holiday itself. There’s no reason you can’t celebrate Thanksgiving a weekend early or a weekend late!  By looking at alternate dates you can avoid the struggle of finding lodging properties that aren’t already booked up. And some properties have higher rates over the holiday weekends due to simple supply and demand economics. Another reason to consider non-holiday weekends? You might end up with a larger group since so many people who work jobs in healthcare or retail often have to work over the holidays. By considering alternate dates for your family holiday trip you open up a lot more lodging possibilities, your weekend could be better attended and you might just save everyone money!

Research the Lodging Opportunities – That might seem like a no-brainer suggestion. However, by thinking ahead about the type of lodging that will work best for the group will make planning easier and the trip more successful. Questions to ask yourself might include: Will the group want to cook or would everyone prefer to eat out? Can the group share lodging like a resort cabin or does everyone need their own hotel room? What amenities are a must…dishwasher?…WiFi?…cable TV? What is the budget for taking the family on the road? Can everyone afford the trip? Once you have selected your resort or hotel destination make sure you know the property’s rules regarding things like pets, smoking, decorating for the holidays, etc. and then communicate those rules to the group. Lack of communication between members of the group can be cause for conflict with property owners so make sure everyone is on the same page before confirming your reservation!

Area Attractions – Find out what there is to do in the area you choose to stay. The Grand Rapids, MN area is a wonderful year round destination offering visitors fair weather activities like hiking, biking, and fishing as well as x-skiing, snowmobiling, and  ice fishing during “hard water” season. Our area also offers great shopping, dining, golf and entertainment. Consider what your group might want to do for activities and then seek out a destination that offers as many of those opportunities as possible. There is no way to please everyone so make sure that your expectations are reasonable. Try to pick an area that offers something for most of the group instead of seeking out an area that pleases everyone in the group.

Do Your Holiday Baking With Us – Maybe you can’t imagine not having the holidays at the home of a family member. We certainly understand that! Resorts like ours count on those kinds of traditions to keep our families returning for their MN family vacations each year. However, just because you won’t do a family holiday trip doesn’t mean that you have to do all the baking at home! Consider taking your holiday baking on the road instead. Use our cabins, our kitchens, our equipment and our ovens to whip up all of your traditional holiday goodies and then leave the cleanup to us. Stay for a weekend, bake and freeze to your heart’s content and have a good time doing it. What a fun way to prepare for the holidays by working with friends to produce enough holiday goodies for all your families!

We would love for you to consider Wildwood Resort for any of your trips Up North: family summer vacations, fall colors weekends, Minnesota snowmobile trips or family holiday vacations. After all, we now have nine cabins open year round! But even if you don’t make plans with us we hope our tips for planning a family holiday trip are helpful!

Happy trip planning,
Kim & Jay