Quilting Retreats in Minnesota

Scrapbooking Weekends, Quilting Retreats and Girlfriend Weekends!

winter in minnesota — The docks are (mostly) out of the lake and the boats are (pretty much) put away for the winter.

I know so many people who hate winter. They hate the onset of the cold weather and the anticipation of months of snow. I, on the other hand, don’t mind winter so much. That’s because winter signals the end of my least favorite season: fall. I’m not one to wax poetic about fall colors (although they are lovely) or to sigh in relief that the hot, summer weather is finally over. Nope. I LOVE hot, summer weather and as far as I’m concerned fall is the onset of cold weather and months of snow. Winter just seals the deal! We are always tired after our busy season but we still have to gut it out through September and October…kinda like a marathon runner finishing the last few miles. In light of that I’m happy to announce that the worst chore of the year – which happens to land in my least favorite season – has been accomplished. The docks are out of the lake (mostly) and I didn’t have to help (at least not as much as usual) thanks to our good friend, Tim. He volunteered to help Jay pull docks out on Sunday and I volunteered to let him. I’m thinking Tim helped so that he doesn’t have to listen to me whine about it for months but that’s just a guess. 😉 So the good news is that amidst all the construction chaos we are actually getting our fall chores done, too, or at least the ones that have to get done. The leaves didn’t get raked and Jay is having someone else split and stack the firewood but that’s how it’s gotta be this year. Now Jay just has to squeeze in time to winterize the boats and organize the shed. No big deal…he has loads of time on his hands right now!

scrapbooking retreat in minnesota — Riverbirch was transformed over the weekend into a Scrapbooking Haven!

Here’s another thing I like about winter: scrapbooking weekends at Wildwood Resort! We were so pleased to welcome a fun group of ladies over last weekend who took over Riverbirch Lodge and got crazy creative. It sounds like they got a lot done but most of all had a wonderful time together. We look forward to next year when we have 9 year round Lodges and are able to welcome even more girls to Wildwood for quilting weekends, Christmas baking, girlfriend getaways or scrapbooking retreats. I think that Oak Lodge will be especially wonderful for these girlfriend weekends thanks to its generous size but mostly due to the flexibility of a duplex – one side to live on and one side for crafting!

mn family resort — Walls are up! Aspen Lodge is officially a cabin!!

Our project is going really well in spite of the uncooperative weather in October. It rained yesterday but our contractors were still able to get the bones of Aspen Lodge built. AMAZING! Jay and I have been talking about renewing Wildwood for years. We’ve dreamed and schemed about how to get it accomplished and now that the project is happening it feels a little bit unreal. The plan this week is to get Aspen Lodge “dried in” and then move on to Cedar Lodge. If Mother Nature cooperates I suppose it’s possible to get Aspen Lodge and Cedar Lodge completely snugged up. After months of playing in the dirt the fact that there is a structure up seems miraculous! We grateful to the many outstanding contractors helping us out with our project so I’m goign to give them a shout out: S & S Excavating (demo, excavation and septic), Pioneer Plumbing, A & A Plumbing (directional boring), Walters Electric and Niska Construction (concrete).

Minnesota Deer Opener (firearms) is this week so I like to think of the coming weekend as a minor Minnesota holiday! That means that some businesses local businesses will be closed and Bazaar season will begin. There are craft sales, church bazaars and Paula Poundstone at The Reif Center. Here is a Calendar of Local Events highlighting all there is to do this weekend in Grand Rapids, MN.

Happy Hunting!
Kim & Jay

Can We Snowmobile Yet?

mn snowmobiling — Snow this time of year means poor outdoor working conditions but it also means we’ll be hitting the snowmobile trails in a few months!

We awoke to temps in the 20s this morning. The chill in the air has the bite of winter and I couldn’t help but think about snow. And do you know what snow makes me think of?? Minnesota snowmobile season! We’re getting ready to pull docks out of the lake and put our boats in storage. When that happens we move our snowmobiles to the FRONT of the storage shed for easy access. It’s a seasonal right of passage and the thought of that always makes us a little giddy. Now I’m not saying I’m ready for snow quite yet but I am saying that it’s time to start thinking about hitting the snowmobile trails. Maybe we should also make sure we have enough wax on hand for the coming x-ski season. And now that I think of it perhaps Jay should ramp up his Craig’s List search for ice fishing related items we want like an ice auger and a portable ice house.

northern mn cabin — Jay spent yesterday putting down the foam on top of the pads in preparation for installing the in-floor heat tubing.

Jay won’t be happy when he reads this post because he absolutely is not ready for it to snow. Why? Because he is focused entirely on getting concrete poured this week. It cannot snow this week or the next week or even the week after that if you ask my husband. The man is a little stressed out by the fact that we’ve got four new cabins under construction. And, yes, I did say “four” new cabins. After a month of work on the cabin formerly known as Cabin 1, we determined that there wasn’t enough viable structure to support the changes we needed to make. So last weekend Cabin 1 was demolished and we began frantic efforts to add another pad to the pour-concrete-this-week plan. Our contractors have been great so far and everyone has worked really hard to make sure we can pour concrete before it snows. The weather has NOT been helpful and there were many days when Jay and our plumber were digging in waste lines in driving rain and sleet. We are assuming that as soon as these buildings are enclosed and no one has to work outside the weather will turn unseasonably warm. That’s about how our luck runs. 😉 So the plan for this week is to finish site prep on Cedar Lodge, get foam down on top of all of the sites in order to get infloor heat tubing attached and then it’s time to pour concrete. Think we can get all that done before it rains on Wednesday!? Stay tuned….

mn quilting retreats, minnesota scrapbooking cabins — Plan your next scrapbooking weekend or quilting retreat with us!

With all the talk of construction on this blog you might think that we don’t have anyone staying in our other cabins this fall. Fortunately, that isn’t true! Fall fishing and color tours are finished for the year. However, we still have groups on the book with plans for quilting weekends, girlfriend weekends and relaxing Northwoods get-aways! The fall bazaar season is upon us so each weekend there are many craft sales, church bazaars and fun events planned in and around the Grand Rapids, MN area. For instance this coming weekend is the First Friday Art Walk in downtown Grand Rapids. The Good Lovelies are performing at The Reif on Friday night then on Saturday the Christmas UpNorth Craft Show is being held from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Timberlake Lodge. Saturday night the Harlem Abassadors are in town at the high school and the Itasca Symphony Orchestra is performing at the Reif. Doesn’t that sound like fun? Maybe you should plan a quick November get-away to Wildwood Resort with your special someone or your crafting friends! Winter rates are now in effect so give us a call today.

Our new website debuted last week. It is an updated version of our old site design and we are very happy with it! Thanks to Art Unlimited for their hard work on our new site!! We are still doing some cleanup work on it this week so if you find any errors please email them to me. Thanks!!

Have a great week –
Kim & Jay

northwoods cabin — The site is prepped and ready for the in-floor heat tubing to be installed.

mn cabins — Cabin 1 could not be salvaged so it was removed and the site prepped for the new slab.

Baby It’s Cold Outside!

Minnesota winter getaway — The snow-flocked trees make the area picture perfect these days.

The weather has turned very winterish all of the sudden! Nighttime temps are dipping into the single digits and as crazy as it sounds we are happy about it. The other night I was running some things between cabins after dark. It was one of those winter nights when everything was still and since there was no moon the sky was just blanketed with stars. Somehow the crispness of the air brought all those stars into sharp focus It was the kind of night about which Christmas songs are written. It was a beautifully “Silent Night.” I had come “…Upon a Midnight Clear” or in this case an “8:00 p.m. clear.” (We’re too tired to see midnight anymore!) How is it that in just a few short months of summer I forget how absurdly beautiful a winter’s night can be?! Most people who prefer warm weather can’t imagine that there’s anything beautiful in a night like the one I described. But I’m here to tell you there is and I hope this holiday that you get to experience “chestnuts roasting on an open fire and Jack Frost nipping at your nose.” Winter has come to Wildwood and we are thrilled!

We did not get the amount of snow that those south of us received. We were initially disappointed with our measly 4 inches but really to have good conditions for snowmobiling and ice fishing in Minnesota we need good ice first. Too much snow before good ice means slushy conditions (at best) for the rest of the winter. Also I’m a bit of a ‘fraidy cat on my sled so I like knowing that before tons of snow fell there were many inches of ice on the lakes already! There are some permanent ice fishing houses showing up on Bass Lake this week and we’re guessing there must be around 6 inches of ice on the lake. Now it can snow….tons please….FEET even! Many Minnesota snowmobile clubs are busy beavers getting trails ready to ride so we’re hoping that by the time Christmas has come and gone we’ll be ready to hit the trails. Our phone is ringing with lots of calls from folks planning MN snowmobiling weekends or organizing their ice fishing trips to Wildwood so let the fur fly…or the white stuff in this case. We hope that whether you stay at a Minnesota family resort or if you decide to play close to home that you get out and enjoy the beautiful Minnesota winter!

MN winter resorts — The seasonal cabins are all settled in for a long winter’s nap.

With all that talk of snow and sleds and ice fishing gear some people might think that a visit to Grand Rapids is only about getting outside. For lots of people that is true. However, there is a very big contingent who pledge their loyalty to fireplaces and the warm and toasty feeling they get from one. There’s nothing wrong with that! Lots of people visit Wildwood in the winter and never leave the cabin. One year we had a group of ladies who spent a girlfriend getaway weekend in their jammies having a Wii bowling tournament. They had a ball! We have our fair share of groups who spent the weekend quilting or scrapbooking or getting massages in the cabin. That sounds pretty good, too, right?!

Maybe the most balanced winter visitors are those who like a little bit of fireplace time AND some “Jack Frost nipping at your nose” time. Our area has some amazing x-ski trails – 19 to be exact – which are groomed and lighted (some of them) and we have many groups who spend their weekends skiing during the day and playing cards at night. Some of our family groups play a crazy game of football/rugby/snowball fight out on the lake and then head inside for movies and popcorn. Still others take in a performance at The Reif Center and then dine out at an area restaurant.

It really doesn’t matter too much what you do….just get out and do it in Minnesota this winter. Tourism is the second largest industry in Minnesota after agriculture so consider it your civic duty to spend some fun-and-frolic time skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, shopping or relaxing this winter wherever you live.

See you out on the trails!
Kim & Jay

Bring on the Hard Water!

minnesota pontoon rental — Jay had to let the air out of the tires on the trailer to get the pontoon in the shed.

This is one of my favorite times of our year. It’s not like “Top 5” favorite times of the year but it’s close…Top 10 for sure. It follows on the heels of my “Number 1 Least Favorite Time of the Year” which is fall. Love the weather, the colors and the guests. Just don’t love the back-to-school, clean-every-day, do-I-have-clean-sheets-for-the-cabins part of fall. Then at the very tail end of my Number 1 Least Favorite Time of the Year comes the “Really, Absolutely Worst Part of the Number 1 Least Favorite Time of the Year” and that is shutting down the resort. We’re tired and we need a rest after 5 solid months of 24/7 (or so it feels) and the last thing I really want to do is shut down the old cabins, stow the boats and pull the docks. While we are doing the work I realize that it’s never as bad as just anticipating doing the work. Thinking about doing the work is more exhausting than actually getting it done. Anyway, it took many weeks to get ready for winter but finally…whew!…we are here. We pulled docks on Friday and Saturday suffering only minor marital strife in the process. We had the usually hiccups and “what the heck!” moments but overall it’s a done deal. It can snow now without Jay having a major anxiety attack. We’re all(mostly) tucked in for the winter – our nuts are stowed, so to speak – and that’s what makes it a Top 10 time of year. We can finally rest! So now we say, “Bring it on Mother Nature and Old Man Winter!” We’re ready…mostly…pretty much. Okay – I just thought of something we didn’t get done yet. Maybe just a couple more days and then “Bring it On!”…

minnesota winter resort — The shoreline looks cold and lonely without the docks in the lake.

Our Winter Rates went into effect on November 1st and already we’ve had some fun girlfriend weekends that made me green with envy. I love sister-mom-aunt-grandma-girlfriend time. Once I read something in a book that has stuck with me. Basically the idea was that as moms we ‘pour’ ourselves out into our families and those we love but if we don’t take time to refill our pitchers we’ll end up empty. That’s what I always think of when we have ladies’ groups in for crafting or relaxing. Some groups get together to accomplish their scrap booking projects or to finish their quilts and still others just come together to rest. We had a group in over the last weekend that brought in a massage therapist and a chef. And another family group a couple of weeks ago that spent time watching and learning how their grandma made their favorite dish. My husband refills his pitcher with a fall fishing trip each year but I think I would rather go with a massage and girl-talk! Who’s with me?!?!

mn fihing resort — It’s hard to get down to Cabin 4 this time of year since the docks block the way.

I’ll be spending a day or so at the St. Paul Ice Fishing and Winter Sports Show that’s being held November 30th through December 2nd at the River Center in St. Paul. I’ll be there representing Visit Grand Rapids as well as Wildwood Resort talking about Grand Rapids as a destination for Minnesota ice fishing trips and Minnesota snowmobiling weekends. Stop by and say hi if you make it to the show.

That’s it for now! Oh…if you’re interested in how the docks come out of the lake visit our Facebook page to see some video.

Kim & Jay

mn fishing resort — Gotta remove the ramps before we can pull the docks out

pontoon rental — The newest pontoon gets indoor storage this year. However, it didn’t quite fit in the shed door. Oops…

Minnesota fishing resort — The docks are stored behind Cabin 4

Minnesota Fall Colors – Change is in the Air

No matter how hard it is to believe we’ve actually made the plunge into fall. It seems like just yesterday we were in our summer rhythm! Now we’re trying to find a new routine with cabins turning over almost every day. The girls are back in school but it’s still a struggle some days to remember to go get them. (!)

Minnesota Fall color tours — Is there a more beautiful time than fall to visit Wildwood?

The fall color season has officially began. I missed it, by the way. I was just commenting to someone yesterday that the tree I use as my “color meter” hadn’t even started to change yet. But then I actually looked at the tree and, guess what?! It’s changing. So much for my powers of observation! I’d say we are at about 25% color around these parts so if you are thinking of coming north for a fall color tour give us a call. I would say that we will be at peak fall colors in a week or two.

Fall fishing has been really good this month. We’ve seen nice bass, big walleye and (as always) big sunfish – lots to brag about in the fish house!!

I’ve done a poor job of updating this Blog with our summer happenings. It was a good summer in spite of the storm on July 2nd. We had lots of fun with our guests and enjoyed warm days, cool swims in Bass Lake and lots of s’mores by the campfire. I’ve included some photos from our summer to catch you up.

This Saturday, the 22nd, I’ll be in Bemidji at the Sanford Center for the Bemidji Pioneer Press Women’s Expo. I’ll be talking up Wildwood as a destination for quilting retreats, scrapbooking weekends or girlfriend getaways. If you happen to be in the neighborhood stop on in and say hi!

quilting retreat, scrapbooking retreat, girls' weekends — The winter months are a great time to plan a scrapbooking retreat, quilting weekend or girls weekend!

Enjoy those fall colors!

Kim & Jay

mn bass fishing — 3lb 8.5 oz largemouth bass

minnesota vacation — One of our favorite summer pasttimes is enjoying “our” resort kids as they grow…

supervised kids' activities — Face painting was a huge hit during kids’ activities

Supervised Kids' Activties — Our Activities Coordinator did a fantastic job with our supervised kids’ activities

family fishing vacation — We saw lots of nice panfish this summer!

minnesota family vacations — We enjoyed time with my parents and sisters this summer!

minnesota family resort — Cousins! Love the looks on their faces!

minnesota family vacation — A game of kickball, anyone??

minnesota resort vacation — Have we mentioned how much we love potluck night?!

minnesota walleye fishing — Mike had good reason to be proud of his nice walleye!

Minnesota Fall Colors at Their Best!

MN fall color tours at wildwood resort — Fall colors on Bass Lake

When we started this blog I was concerned that I would lose track of time and forget to post. It only took me 2 months to do it! I’m afraid that September knocked me flat. The change from our summer rhythm to our fall groove is never very graceful. Off season means that our guests come and go every day so we’re cleaning cabins and mowing almost every day while the cabin is empty. Add to that a new school routine that includes a bedtime (what is that?!), homework and back-to-work for me (at my part-time job) and I can safely say that I’m glad September is behind us.

The truly incredible things about September were the weather and the fall colors! We are just now past peak colors and I think this is the latest we’ve seen in our 13 seasons at Wildwood. The beauty of the fall colors set against the green pines is simply breathtaking. We’ve also had such beautiful weather to go with it that now we are spoiled. We should have been getting more outside work done these last few weeks. Pulling docks out while it’s sleeting isn’t very fun!

fall color tours, minnesota cabin — Riverbirch Lodge decked out in beautiful fall colors!

Thursday night marked the first night that we have spent alone at the resort since early May. Our crazy life is one of such extremes! We left the house that night for supper and didn’t have to let anyone know or put a sign on the door. It felt strange but also liberating. 🙂 I have been working hard to get all of the resort bedding washed before Jay shuts down the resort laundry room this weekend. Two extra washers and dryers makes the chore go so much faster! I think he plans to drain the water lines in the four seasonal cabins this weekend, too. That is always such a chore! He has to drain the water heaters and empty the toilets then he hooks up his big air compressor and blows out the water lines to each cabin. It takes him several days to get it done to his satisfaction but that extra work has always paid off since he hasn’t had a broken water line in all these years! (better find some wood to knock on…) The pine needles have fallen as well so while he lets his compressor run he usually is on the mower mulching or raking up the leaves and needles. I’ll put the seasonal cabins to bed by bagging up the clean laundry, cleaning the kitchens and stowing all of the outside stuff. It always feels so strange to close them up for the winter but I’m glad when the chore is done. I think the plan is to pull out the docks on MEA weekend so I’ll post some video of that on Facebook after we do it. It’s quite a process.

Minnesota quilting retreats, MN scrapbooking weekends, MN girlfriend getaways — Minnesota Quilting Retreats at Widlwood Resort

Did you receive the email we sent out this week? In the summer we use it to advertise discounted and/or split weeks as well as special offers. This month we are offering our Winter Rate of $35/night/person to anyone who mentions our blog (or the email) while booking. October is a great time to plan a girlfriend getaway, scrapbooking weekend or quilting retreat! We can help arrange appointments in town for massage or spa treatments, massages in your cabin, or discounted tickets to the Reif Center. (http://reifcenter.org/) Minimum occupancy and/or 2 night minimum are required in conjunction with our Winter Rates. You can sign up to receive our emails on our website at https://wildwoodresort.net/emailsignup.htm

Enjoy these last days of Autumn!

Kim & Jay

largemouth bass fishing, minnesota fall fishing — Fall Fishing in Minnesota at its Best!

mn fall fishing, largemouth bass fishing — Nice largemouth bass!

Accommodations

Things to Do

By Season:

The Resort

Accommodations

Things to Do

By Season:

The Resort

Scrapbooking Weekends, Quilting Retreats and Girlfriend Weekends!

Can We Snowmobile Yet?

Baby It’s Cold Outside!

Bring on the Hard Water!

Minnesota Fall Colors – Change is in the Air

Minnesota Fall Colors at Their Best!