Awards/Press
Traveller's Muse - Elle Andra-Warner
A Cozy Yet Exotic Getaway in Northern Minnesota
Last winter Glenn and I found a great winter getaway less than a two-hour drive south on Highway 61 from Thunder Bay – Minnesota's Lutsen Resort. A natural wilderness retreat with fine dining, Lutsen had a comfortable-cozy yet exotic feel to it and offered excellent complementary baby-boomer outdoorsy things to do (soft adventure "stuff", no extreme sports).
Did you know that Lutsen Lodge was Minnesota's first resort? Its origins go back to 1881 when Swedish-born Charles Axel Nelson homesteaded here after seeing the property while working as a fishing boat captain. He built a cabin at the site of the present Main Lodge and together with his wife Anna, welcomed lodgers to their expanding homestead, cooked them hearty Swedish meals and added a guide service. In 1890, the lodgings were named "Lutzen House", after the Battle of Lutzen (1632) during which the King of Sweden was killed; however, by1893, the lodge's spelling had changed to "Lutsen".
For nearly 100 years, until 1980, three generations of the Nelsons operated the resort, welcoming the famous and infamous (like Al Capone). Current owners are Scott Harrison and Nancy Burns, a couple dedicated to maintaining the historic Lutsen legacy but with 21st century additions, like a spa and wellness centre.
With Lutsen Resort as our anchor, staying in one of the Poplar River Condominiums that overlook Lake Superior, we were ready for some outdoor adventure.
Have you ever heard of rivering? Also called rivereering, it is a term that northern Minnesota locals use to describe the sport of snowshoeing or skiing on frozen rivers and streams. When Lutsen's guide Bryan Hansel asked if we wanted to try snowshoeing on the frozen Onion River – about 3.4 miles away - we didn't hesitate to say yes (even though I hadn't snowshoed for over 20 years).
We put on our snowshoes in the parking lot of Ray Berglund Roadside Parking Area and led by Bryan (an expert in outdoor skills), headed down to the snow-covered ice of Onion River. There's an interesting story behind how the river got its name from a Paul Bunyan legend. According to folklore, the wild onions were so plentiful in the area that when Bunyan's logging crew of giants, the Seven Axemen, were cutting timber here, they shed huge tears. Bunyan had to keep a close watch that the tears wouldn't flood the nearby river, which became known as Onion River.
Rivering upstream was an exhilarating experience. When we came to the base of a beautiful 30-40 foot frozen waterfall, Bryan broke a bush trail to get us to the top… and wow, what an amazing view of Lake Superior from that viewpoint.
We continued rivering until we reached a small canyon with towering red cliffs. In the spring, this spot would be inaccessible and filled with fast-moving high dangerous water, but today it was quiet treasure of nature. Just past the canyon, we turned around and headed back down the river. Highly recommend this sport of rivering!
Next day, Lutsen made the arrangements for us to go dog sledding in Superior National Forest with Stoney Creek Kennels, owned by Rita and Bill Wehseler. Rita has been sled racing for over nine years and In 2001, was the first woman ever to finish the Can-Am 250 race in Maine. At the sled site on Sawbill Trail, Rita's beautiful Alaskan Husky sled dogs were romping playfully, friendly to everyone…but the moment, Rita hooked them to the sled and gave the signal to start pulling, the dogs became an elite team of powerful disciplined athletes, running as one. We sat back in the sled as Rita and her incredible dog team took us on a thrilling hour cruise through beautiful forest scenery.
Our Lutsen exotic winter getaway had a bit of everything – outdoor adventures, spacious accommodations to fine dining in their Lakeside Dining Room and later, sitting on lawn chairs in the snow at an evening beach bonfire (awesome).
And best of all, it was right there just a short drive away to a "neighbour".
Elle Andra-Warner is an author, journalist and photographer based in Thunder Bay.
