![]() ![]() The staff couldn't be better, they recommended a great day hike to Dry Falls on Bass Lake that had 3 routes depending on the length of hike desired, what a great recommendation. That's what I love about Ely, the official end of the road, and darn close to the town known as the coldest spot lower 48. We were lucky enough to hit a 75 degree day, last time we were in Ely it was for dogsledding and it was 38 below real temp. Head into Ely, catch a brew at the Boathouse, visit the Wolf and or Bear center. This place is truly a one of a kind historic location, your directly across from the BWCA so you can rent a canoe and feel like your deep in the wilderness, yet return to the lodge for a 5 star meal and soft bed. What a wonderful spot, Burntside may be the only place you can stay in 100 year old log cabins and not feel like your roughing it. Because frankly we planned not to cook and take in some of our favorite spots in Ely that are usually closed in Winter. We spent 3 days in a smaller unit this time, #3. Not sure why it took so long, but when we noticed Burnside was celebrating it's 100th anniversary we had to get back. You might just get caught up in the nostalgic, laid-back vibe that any lodge worth its weight in, well, logs should provide.This was not our first stay at Burntside, about 9 years ago we spent a last September weekend at Burnside with friends and vowed we would return. Here are several of the best properties that have sprung to life throughout the region, many of which have been around in some form since the early 1900s. Today, these same generations run some of the best resorts in the Midwest, and generations of families return season after season, year after year-keeping traditions alive and making new memories for generations to come. Many other resort owners eventually had to sell to buyers, who promptly tore down what lodges and cottages had existed to build singular, massive “cabins.”ĭespite years of tumult, many classic lodges survive, in most cases because they either found friendly benefactors who fell in love with the properties and couldn’t bear to see their demise, or because subsequent generations of families have devoted their lives to the care and upkeep of these treasures. In the late 1940s and ’50s, landowners began adding cabins (mostly for housekeepers), which became profitable rental units as property values-and taxes-began to soar. The likes of Al Capone, John Dillinger, and Baby Face Nelson chose Wisconsin for their solitude while other lesser known public enemies and bootleggers opted for the North Shore. Lodges often came with basements or separate cabins on the property devoted to stills and speakeasies. ![]() Wealthy families streamed in from Wisconsin and Illinois, and the rustic dwellings took on the familiar log-cabin or lodge look, with the same (or larger) fieldstone fireplaces, knotty pine walls, massive beam-lined ceilings, and boulder foundations.ĭuring this time, the north woods of Minnesota and Wisconsin became gangsters’ preferred playground, fueled in large part, of course, by Prohibition. Arriving by rail, affluent sportsmen of Minnesota and neighboring states gave rise to the first semblance of a true “man cave”: rather primitive, one-room, hand-hewn log sanctuaries heated by lone fieldstone fireplaces.Īs roads and thoroughfares emerged in the 1920s, cars became more affordable, and the golden era of lakeside retreats exploded. Thankfully, Minnesota is chock-full of them and has been since the late 1800s, when fishing camps sprouted up as quickly as loggers departed. In today’s increasingly frenetic world, there is no better pause button than to spend downtime at a resort or lodge. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |