ITINERARIES Nature Link Resort Nature Link Resort Minnesota provides a welcome escape hatch from the hustle and bustle of daily life, as Kiola and Nathan discovered fi rsthand. Here are some ways you can relive their recent trip up north with their young son Ezekiel (a.k.a. Ziggy) and Kiola’s parents, Kevin and Daria. Pequot Lakes GET HYGGE WITH IT MN Traders Co. boasts a bold “coffee-to-cocktail” menu that makes it a daily brunch destination in Pequot Lakes. Order a little bit of everything with a big ol’ board of bagel bites, cream cheese, mini waffl es and donuts, hard-boiled eggs, bacon, avocado toast, fruit, local maple syrup and house-made jam. Breakfast pizza, sandwiches and salads, and several different sourdough toasts and bowls are also available if you’d rather dig into your own dish. Either way, be sure to set aside some time to check out the cafe’s well-curated gift shop of hygge essentials and comfort-inducing home goods. Nisswa HANGING WITH HORSES While it’s best known for summer and golf season activities, Grand View Lodge in Nisswa doesn’t go dark in the winter. Coast through postcard-worthy snow drifts with Clydesdales, then spend the rest of the day exploring the new 3,779-square-foot NorthPark complete with a waterslide-sporting indoor pool, several ice-skating rinks and a spacious outdoor hot tub area that keeps happy couples warm in the depths of winter. Nisswa SWING BY A SUPPER CLUB Sherwood North is a short drive away from Nature Link and another example of a local business that’s balancing its historic landmark status — a fi erce stone fi replace that was built in 1936, and a building that’s more than 100 years old — with grand ambition. Kiola was quick to say that she’d “never forget” supper club standards like a pickle-forward relish tray and popovers smeared with honey butter, but don’t sleep on a walleye roll that puts lobster on notice; a charred wedge salad that’s been showered with bleu cheese crumbles and a warm bacon vinaigrette; or seared scallops served alongside parsnip puree, chive oil and an umami-packed combo of cooling tomatoes and parmesan crisp. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE #ONLYIN MN | 99 Nisswa SEEK THE SERENITY OF A LAKESIDE CABIN Nature Link is one of the newest properties in Nisswa, a plot of peaceful land that once housed Minnesota’s second oldest resort and a summertime retreat for hockey players. Now under the ownership of two young families, its matte black cabins, soothing event space and mind-settling barrel sauna look as if they were torn from the pages of a design magazine. A location that feels remote but is right next door to the Paul Bunyan Trail and the town of Brainerd makes Nature Link a perfect starting point for living that lake life all year round, too.
Explore Minnesota Travel Guide 2025 Explore Minnesota Travel Guide: Page 99
