Bonus content for select readers in ILLINOIS / INDIANA / MICHIGAN / MINNESOTA / WISCONSIN
WHEN MINNESOTANS SAY they're heading "up north"-uttered with a lilt of longing they often mean the Brainerd Lakes area, two hours from Minneapolis and St. Paul. More than 400 lakes, including the Gull and Whitefish chains, plus the Mississippi River, beckon visitors with glitters of blue peeking through lush pines. Families dip paddles and glide along shorelines, shriek and skip across waves on water skis and wakeboards, and cast fishing rods with soft, hopeful plunks of bobbers and bait.
Favorite attractions, such as Paul Bunyan Land's county-fair-style amusements or Brainerd International Raceway's bone-rumbling motorsports, still draw steady visitors. But a growing number of seasonal residents and remote workers relocating to lake country has helped stoke some new culinary energy. MN Traders Company in Pequot Lakes is a sunup-to-sundown coffee shop and craft cocktail bar. In Crosby, Victual sells cheeses, chocolate, spirits and (wild card) lactose-free ice cream.
And the changes aren't just in food and drink. A buzzy resort called Nature Link recently opened in Nisswa. Its minimalist modern cottages have floor-to-ceiling windows framing white pines and Clark Lake. Vacationers can borrow kayaks for paddling to a private island and bikes for pedaling on the nearby Paul Bunyan State Trail. What you won't find: TVs in the rooms. Guests are also encouraged to stash personal electronics. Director of Hospitality Jason Struthers says, "Our main goal is for people to disconnect from their devices and busy lives and to reconnect with each other and nature."
10 WAYS TO (RE) DISCOVER THE BRAINERD LAKES AREA
This story is from the Summer 2023 edition of Midwest Living.
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This story is from the Summer 2023 edition of Midwest Living.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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MAJOR KEY
HUNDREDS OF SMALL ISLANDS TRAIL LIKE STEPPING STONES OFF OF FLORIDA INTO THE GULF OF MEXICOAND THE PATH LEADS TO KEY WEST.
cream of the crop
IN A TINY TOWN OUTSIDE MADISON, WISCONSIN, A CENTURY-OLD CREAMERY HAS BEEN REVIVED AS A BOUTIQUE HOTEL AND CULINARY DESTINATION. FOR VISITORS TO PAOLI, SEVEN ACRE DAIRY COMPANY ANCHORS A SWEET WEEKEND GETAWAY. FOR SMALL DAIRY PRODUCERS, IT'S RESHAPING THE FUTURE.
HOME BAKED
ON A TREE-LINED RESIDENTIAL STREET IN DES MOINES, A BAKERY DREAM HAS COME WRAPPED IN LOVE, UNEXPECTEDLY TRUE COMMUNITY AND ALL-BUTTER PASTRY.
POST MODERN
AN INDIANA DIY'ER STUMBLES INTO SOCIAL MEDIA STARDOM BY SHARING HER HOME'S EVER-CHANGING STYLE.
POUR ME A DOUBLE
COFFEE BY DAY, COCKTAILS BY NIGHTTHESE HYBRID CAFES OPEN EARLY FOR CAFFEINE FIXES AND STAY UP LATE FOR LIBATIONS.
HOT IN HERE
THE UPPER MIDWEST (AND ESPECIALLY MINNEAPOLIS) IS FIRED UP OVER SAUNA CULTURE. HERE ARE 10 WAYS AND PLACES TO GET YOUR STEAM ON.
SHOP THE BLOCK
FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS, ST. LOUIS' ANNUAL PRINT BAZAAR HAS TURNED CHEROKEE STREET INTO A BUSTLING, MAGICAL MILE OF ART AND HOLIDAY CHEERTHE PERFECT KICKOFF TO A WEEKEND EXPLORING THE LOU.
EASY SQUEEZY
THIS LITTLE LEMON LOAF HAS A SOFT TEXTURE AND A PUCKERY, BUTTERY GLAZE THE PERFECT AFTERNOON BAKE FOR A SNOW DAY.
WINTER RESET
THESE WARMING, SPICE-FORWARD MEALS PROVIDE A HEALTHFUL RESPITE AMONG (OR AFTER) ALL THE HOLIDAY INDULGENCES.
DARK ARTS
WITH HER DRAMATIC COLOR CHOICE AND SECONDHAND TREASURES, INTERIOR DECORATOR RUTHIE JACKSON BRINGS THE MOOD WHEN HOSTING FOR THE HOLIDAYS AND BEYOND.
