BRAINERD

Arguably one of the most popular lake areas in the state, the Brainerd lakes area has undergone a shift over the last several years. The small-town community with a few large resorts and dozens of small mom-and-pop resorts is evolving into a larger-scale resort community, complete with more lodging, restaurant, and off-the-lake entertainment activities. The increased efforts to bring in more traffic year-round have succeeded, and that means the area is perhaps not as restful as some of the other resort areas, particularly around Willmar and Spicer. That said, for visitors wanting a wider variety of options for their vacations, the Brainerd area is hard to beat.

To See and Do

FOR FAMILIES Pirate’s Cove Mini-Golf and Billy Bones Raceway (218-828-9002; piratescove.net), 17992 MN 371 N., Brainerd. Open daily Memorial Day–Labor Day; weekends (call for hours) from the last weekend in Apr. to the third weekend of Oct. Rates start at $8.95 for adults and $7.95 for children. At this very fun pirate-themed mini golf course, you can play one of the two 18-hole courses, or play both at a discount. Next door is the Billy Bones Raceway, which has three go-cart tracks.

PIRATE’S COVE MINI-GOLF

Paul Bunyan Land and Pioneer Village (218-764-2524; paulbunyanland.com), 17553 MN 18, Brainerd. Open daily Memorial Day–Labor Day; selected weekends in Oct. and Dec. (for Halloween and Christmas). Ages 3–64 $21.95; seniors 65 and older $18.95; children under 2 free. Part history village, part amusement park, Paul Bunyan Land’s attractions include a 26-foot-tall talking Paul Bunyan, amusement rides, and the Pioneer Village, which includes an original log cabin, dentist’s office, schoolhouse, and post office.

MUSEUMS AND HISTORIC SITES Crow Wing County Historical Museum (218-829-3268; crowwinghistory.org), 320 Laurel Street, Brainerd. Open Tues.–Sat. Adults $3, children under 12 free. This lively museum used to be the sheriff’s office and county jail. Now it houses a wide-ranging collection of historical items detailing the region’s lumber, railroad, and mining history, as well as Native American artifacts.

Nisswa Pioneer Village (218-963-3570), Nisswa. Open Wed.–Sat. mid-Jun.–Aug.; weekends May–mid-Jun. Admission is $2. Nisswa Pioneer Village is comprised of nine buildings, including log homes and a schoolhouse, while the old caboose and train depot hold railroad relics. An annual Scandinavian festival attracts large crowds (see Special Events).

NISSWA’S PIONEER VILLAGE

OTHER ATTRACTIONS Brainerd International Raceway (218-824-7223 or 1-866-444-4455; brainerdraceway.com), 5523 Birchdale Road, Brainerd. Races usually start in early May and run until early October. Drag racing and road racing at its finest. Paul Newman was among the racing participants.

Nisswa Turtle Races, Nisswa Trail side Information Center, Main Street, Nisswa. No worries about breakneck speeds in these races, held every Wed nesday at 2 p.m., rain or shine, in the summer months. They’re immensely popular with kids, and participation can rise into the hundreds. If you don’t have your own turtle, it’s possible to rent one.

Green Space and Outdoor Activities

HIKING AND BIKING Pequot Lakes Fire Tower, County Route 11, Pequot Lakes. Admission is free. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart or weak of knees, but if you’d like a spectacular view of the surrounding forestland, climb this 100-foot tower. The tower itself is not the only climb; the walk from the parking lot is straight uphill as well.

Paul Bunyan State Trail (paulbunyantrail.com). Starting at Paul Bunyan Land (see To See and Do) and ending in Crow Wing State Park (see Parks), this is the longest bike trail in Minnesota, with 120 paved miles. The Paul Bunyan Trail connects several other state trails and currently ends at Lake Bemidji State Park (see page 177). The trail isn’t just for bikes, but also for hiking and inline skating. The trail runs parallel to several swimmable lakes, and bike-in campsites are available.

PARKS Northland Arboretum (218-829-8770; northlandarb.org), 14250 Conservation Drive, Brainerd. Open daily year-round. Admission $5 adults; $1 per child 12 and under; free for members. Rather incongruously located behind the Westgate Mall in Brainerd, this nature preserve covers 500 acres of forest and prairie that has evolved on the site of a former landfill. The Nature Conservancy owns about 40 percent of the arboretum. There are several miles of hiking and cross-country ski trails.

Crow Wing State Park (218-829-8022; dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/crow_wing/index.html), 3124 State Park Road, Brainerd. Open daily. $7 for a day pass ($35 for an annual parks pass). Not only a pristine state forest, Crow Wing State Park is also a remnant of the area’s past as a fur trading hotbed. The town of Crow Wing flourished during the heyday, but when the railroad decided to pass through Brainerd rather than Crow Wing, the town’s fate was sealed. Today the nearly 2,100-acre park has several miles of hiking trails (some of which are groomed for cross-country skiing in the winter) and excellent canoeing opportunities, including a canoe-in campsite. Within the park is the Beaulieu House, the last remaining building from the fur trading days.

CROW WING STATE PARK

Lodging

BED-AND-BREAKFASTS House of Steinarr Nordic Inn Medieval Brew and Bed (218-839-2900; steinarr.com), 210 1st Avenue NW, Crosby. This bed-and-breakfast works only with groups of 10–12 people. Get truly into the spirit of ancient Minnesota history with a stay at this bed-and-breakfast. Housed in a former Methodist church, the Nordic Inn has five rooms with disparate themes, including Odin’s Loft, decorated with armor and weapons, and the Locker Room, decorated with Minnesota Vikings football fans in mind. Breakfast is included in the room rates. The whole-house rate is $2,000 for two nights, including two breakfasts and one dinner.

RESORTS Cragun’s Resort (1-866-988-0562; craguns.com), 11000 Craguns Drive, Brainerd. This is one of Minnesota’s biggest resorts, and it’s also one of the nicest. Besides the well-appointed rooms, cabins, and reunion houses, the resort has a 22,000-square-foot indoor sports complex with tennis and basketball courts, a running track, and fitness center. The hotel itself has an indoor pool. A full-service spa is on-site. There are three restaurants that are open year-round, plus two more open in the summer. Fifty-four holes of golf will keep golfers happy, while boaters and anglers have direct access to Gull Lake. (Note: Cragun’s does not allow personal watercraft, or Jet Skis, to be stored or launched from their property.) Bikes can be rented, and snowmobiles can be hired during the winter. Rates start at $139. Packages and off-season discounts are available.

A TRADITIONAL FAMILY ESCAPE

Madden’s, one of the state’s largest and nicest resorts, comes with a nice bit of history. The resort’s roots rest in the need of early 20th-century residents of St. Louis and Kansas City to seek refuge from terribly hot summers (there being no air-conditioning then) by escaping north. The early days were a bit rough-and-tumble, with the resort’s then-remote location offering perfect hideaways from 1920s gangsters and Prohibition scofflaws. But Madden’s survived to become a highly respected resort of the Dirty Dancing variety, with families spending weeks of their summers there. Today, the sophisticated complex has everything from rustic hotel rooms to cabins, deluxe golf villas, and reunion houses. Three 18-hole golf courses are on the property, along with one nine-hole social course. Fishing, boating, hiking, swimming, croquet, and tennis are all offered, as are trapshooting (with one week’s notice) and sea plane certification. A full-service spa is on-site, and a kids’ program, Adventure Cove, is offered from June to mid-August for kids 4–12. There are eight restaurants, three fine dining and five casual. The amenities are attractive enough to keep some of those Kansas City and St. Louis guests, some of which are fourth generation, returning year after year.

Madden’s (218-829-2811 or 1-800-642-5363; maddens.com), 11266 Pine Beach Peninsula, Brainerd. Open late Apr.–late Oct. Rates start at $141. Packages are available.

GOLFING AT MADDEN’S

Grand View Lodge (218-963-2234 or 1-866-801-2951; grandviewlodge.com), 23521 Nokomis Avenue, Nisswa. Grand View hearkens back to the grand old days of lake resorts. Built in 1919, this venerable resort has maintained its historic elegance while modernizing with the amenities today’s resort travelers want. The resort offers lodge rooms, cabins, and suites, and villas on the property’s golf course. An indoor pool and water slide share a building with a fitness center, but in good weather swimming is done at the sandy beach. Boats can be rented, as can bikes and horses for riding. There are three 18-hole golf courses and one nine-hole course. The full-service spa is open year-round, as are the resort’s restaurants. A Kids’ Club for ages 3–11 gives parents a break. Rates start at $130. Packages and off-season discounts are available.

Breezy Point Resort (1-800-432-3777; breezypointresort.com), 9252 Breezy Point Drive, Breezy Point. Located on Pelican Lake, this resort has a huge variety of accommodations to choose from—lodge rooms, one- and two-bedroom apartments, and a series of lodgings called Unique Retreats (log cabins, A-frame cabins, and full houses). The largest has 10 bedrooms and can accommodate 18 people. For recreation, there are three 18-hole golf courses, an indoor pool, and an extensive sandy beach with boat rentals. The summer months bring live musical performances. Winter brings a new round of activity, including a nine-hole golf course set up directly on the frozen lake, skating rinks, cross-country skiing (equipment available for rental), and a snow tubing hill adjacent to the resort. The Serenity Spa offers full-service spa services. The resort has two full-service dining areas, the most attractive of which is the Antlers Dining Room, which was built with post-and-beam construction and features two large antler chandeliers. The resort also has a coffee shop and a restaurant exclusively for large groups. Rates start at $149. Packages and specials are available.

GRAND VIEW LODGE

Lost Lake Lodge (218-963-2681; lostlake.site), 7965 Lost Lake Road, Lakeshore. Open mid-May–early Oct. This small but lovely resort has beautifully outfitted cabins in a quiet, tucked-away location on Lost Lake. Rates are all-inclusive, meaning daily full breakfast and four-course dinner are included in the rates, and the food is well worth it. (Dinner is available to the public; see Where to Eat.) The use of canoes, fishing boats, and bikes are also included in the rates, and fishing guides as well as massage therapists can be hired at an additional fee. Rates start at $250. Packages and specials are available.

Train Bell Resort (218-829-4841 or 1-800-252-2102; trainbellresort.com), 21489 Train Bell Road, Merrifield. North of Brainerd on North Long Lake, Train Bell Resort is owned and operated by Mike and Connie Bruesch, who left corporate life to run this family-friendly resort. There are several well-maintained lakeside cabins as well as a condo complex and a lake house, but the resort still keeps its cozy feeling, assisted by weekly activities such as a pancake breakfasts, minnow races, and Friday night dances. Fishing boats are available for rental, and use of the kayaks and paddleboats at the sandy beach are included in the rates. Rates start at $235. Packages and specials are available.

Campfire Bay Resort (218-575-2432; campfirebayresort.com), 31504 Azure Road, Cushing. Located on beautiful Fish Trap Lake, Campfire Bay Resort has 16 one- to four-bedroom cabins, all fully equipped with household items. During summer weekends there are special family activities such as Nature Day, woodworking, and ice cream socials. Rates start at $182. Packages and specials are available.

Pine Terrace Resort (218-543-4606; pineterrace.com), 35101 Pine Terrace Road, Crosslake. Open May–Oct. Pine Terrace is the only resort on Star Lake, and it offers 13 cabins with lake views and 34 acres of grounds, including nature trails. Most of the cabins have one or two bedrooms, with one larger building housing seven bedrooms. Rates start at $145. Packages are available.

Black Pine Beach Resort (218-543-4714; blackpinebeach.com), 10732 County Route 16, Pequot Lakes. The resort, with 13 lake cottages, all with kitchens and fireplaces, also has its very own Secret Garden, complete with an elfin mailbox young visitors can deliver letters to. Rates start at $200.

Where to Eat

DINING OUT Prairie Bay Grill (218-824-6444; prairiebay.3cheersmn.com), 15115 Edgewood Drive N., Baxter. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Wood-fired pizza, sandwiches, and entrées including rib eye and lobster ravioli, served in a casual yet upscale environment. Kids are welcome, as are vegetarians, who have several options on the menu. Expensive.

Black Bear Lodge and Saloon (218-828-8400; blackbearlodgemn.com), 14819 Edgewood Drive N., Baxter. Open daily for lunch and dinner, Sun. for brunch. Standard bar and grill fare, including sandwiches and burgers, steaks, and seafood. Expensive.

The Classic Grill (1-800-642-5363; maddens.com), 11266 Pine Beach Peninsula, Brainerd. Even though Madden’s Resort (see “A Traditional Family Escape” on page 219) is only open part of the year, this stand-alone restaurant is open daily year-round for lunch and dinner. The dining room overlooks one of the resort’s golf courses, and large stone patios with patio heaters stretch the outdoor season as long as possible. The food is upscale and gourmet, with seasonal touches on the menu. Offerings may include steak, lamb, walleye, Sicilian Corvina, and a daily risotto. Expensive/very expensive.

Lost Lake Lodge (218-963-2681 or 1-800-450-2681; lostlake.com), 7965 Lost Lake Road, Lakeshore. Open daily for dinner, Memorial Day–Labor Day; weekends for dinner the rest of the year. One of the best fine-dining options in the Brainerd lakes area, Lost Lake Lodge takes food staples such as walleye and chicken and turns them into unexpected and delicious offerings. Expensive.

EATING OUT 371 Diner (218-829-3356), 14901 Edgewood Drive N., Brainerd. Open daily for all three meals. Located on US 371 through Brainerd, the 371 is a replica of a 1950s diner and has a respectable (if high-calorie) menu of burgers, sandwiches, and ice cream treats. Kids get their meals served in a cardboard race car. Inexpensive.

THE 371 DINER

Sawmill Inn (218-829-5444; sawmillinnbrainerd.com), 601 Washington Street, Brainerd. Open Mon.–Sat. for all three meals, Sun. for breakfast and lunch. It doesn’t look like much on the outside, but the Sawmill is the classic small-town café, complete with huge breakfasts and hearty sandwiches. Inexpensive.

Zorbaz on the Lake (218-963-4790; zorbaz.com), 8105 Lost Lake Road, Lake Shore. Open daily for lunch and dinner in the summer; daily for dinner, weekends for lunch the rest of the year. This is a beach bar with Mexican food, pizza, pasta, and plenty of beer, not to mention a groaningly silly menu. Take the kids for the arcade. A dock is provided for diners arriving by boat. Moderate.

Selective Shopping

ANTIQUES Just north of Brainerd on MN 371, Pequot Lakes has some browse-worthy antiques shops. If you’d like to explore a little more in the antiques realm, you might want to detour slightly here and go a few miles north on MN 371 to Jenkins, a very small town, but with a crowded antiques store right on the highway.

The Flour Sack Antiques Shop (218-568-5658), 4464 County Road 168. Hours change seasonally, so call to confirm.

Castoffs (218-568-6155; facebook.com/vintagefunstore), 4242 Jokela Drive. Open daily.

Treasures ‘n’ Tiques (218-820-7931), 34008 MN 371, Jenkins. Open Wed.–Mon.

Finders Keepers Depot (218-851-3602), 3285 Veterans Street, Jenkins. Open Wed.–Sun.

Annie’s Attic (218-568-5225; facebook.com/anniesattic371), 34010 2nd Avenue, Jenkins. Open Wed.–Sun.

BOOKS Cat Tale’s Books and Gifts (218-825-8611; cattalesbooks.com), 609 Laurel Street, Brainerd. Open Mon.–Sat. A browser-friendly shop full of new and used books as well as cards, jewelry, and other gifts.

NISSWA SQUARE SHOPPING

The little town of Nisswa, just north of Brainerd on MN 371, has become a central shopping spot with several small but fun shops, especially in the Nisswa Square complex along the highway.

Turtle Town Books & Gifts (218-963-4891; turtletownnisswa.com), 25491 Main Street. Open daily. This is a bookseller for book lovers, with a wide range of reading material for grown-ups and for kids.

Rebecca’s Dolls and Miniatures (218-963-0165; rebeccasnisswa.com), 25458 Main Street. Open daily May–Oct. Dolls and dollhouses and accessories, movie memorabilia, miniatures, and shadow boxes.

Fun Sisters (218-961-0071; funsisters.com/Nisswa), 5380 Merril Avenue. Open daily May–Dec.; Fri.–Sun. from Jan.–Apr. Fun, reasonably prices women’s clothing and accessories.

Lundrigan’s Clothing (218-963-2647; lundrigansclothing.com), 25521 Main Street. Open daily mid-May–Dec.; Mon.–Sat. Jan.–mid-May. High-quality, durable men’s and women’s clothing, with an outdoor focus.

Simpler Thymes of Nisswa (218-963-9463), 25410 Main Street. Open daily Memorial Day–Labor Day; limited hours Apr., May, Sept., and Oct. Gift shop focused on personal luxuries, including lotions and soaps, candles, gourmet foods (many locally produced), robes, and women’s accessories.

The Chocolate Ox (218-963-4443; chocolateox.com), 25425 Main Street. Open daily Apr.–Jan. Gourmet truffles, an extensive collection of licorice and saltwater taffies, and a huge variety of vintage candies—it’s a place kids and adults can enjoy together. Don’t forget to visit the ice cream parlor in the back.

THE CHOCOLATE OX

WOMEN’S CLOTHING Among the Pines (218-828-6364; amongthepines.com), 15670 Edgewood Drive N., Baxter. Open Mon.–Sat. Gifts and women’s and children’s clothing.

Special Events

January: Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza (icefishing.org), Brainerd. This annual fishing tournament takes place in late January. Significant prizes, including ATVs and underwater cameras, are offered; competitors must purchase tickets, with the proceeds going to charity.

June: Granite City Days (stcloudgranitecitydays.com). Each year in late June, St. Cloud celebrates its quarrying history with a multiday festival featuring an art fair, 5K, talent show, canoe rides, fishing derby, and plenty of live music and food.

Nisswa-Stämman Festival (nisswastamman.org), Nisswa. This popular annual festival takes place in early June and features Scandinavian folk music, including traditional Scandinavian musical instruments. There are several live performances, dances, kids’ activities, and classes and workshops.

Tour of Lakes Bicycle Ride (218-833-8122; paulbunyancyclists.com), Brainerd. This annual ride, held in early June, is not a race, but a way to use a bicycle to take in the spectacular scenery around the Central Lakes area. There are two routes each year, although the routes change every year to maximize scenery possibilities. Preregistration is recommended.

July: Bean Hole Days (218-568-8911), Trailside Park, Pequot Lakes. This two-day event draws on the traditional cooking of baked beans by burying them in large kettles for 24 hours, then raising them back up for the impatient consumers. A craft fair and Bean Hole Days coronation ceremony help make the waiting easier.

November: Fish House Parade, Aitkin. The day after Thanksgiving marks not only the official start of the holiday retail season, but to this annual rite of passage into winter. Participants parade their fish houses, usually decorated to the hilt in what appears to be a one-upmanship show of hilarity.