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 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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SPRING AWAKENING
Brown County: You might know the southern Indiana region for its namesake state park or shop-packed main street in tiny Nashville. Or maybe you know it as the muse of Impressionist painter T.C. Steele. But do you know the people who call it home? Those producing sweet mash whiskey, farming sustainably or running an artsy inn that stands out among chockablock cabins? Meet three entrepreneurs and the creative pursuits they're bringing to this popular area.
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