For decades, the family resorts of northern Minnesota held a simple appeal during the long days of summer: crisp, clean air, a place to cast a line and time untethered.
In an era of digital hyper-connectedness, to-the-minute scheduling and growing competition, that's not nearly enough for some weekenders. As the summer vacation season kicks off this weekend, resorts across the state are transforming themselves to stay competitive.
"The more you can offer, the better off you are," says Bob Cote, a third-generation owner of one of Minnesota's oldest and largest resorts, Grand View Lodge on Gull Lake near Nisswa.
Today, more and more overnighters at Grand View and other Minnesota resorts are seeking activity-filled getaways — bike rides, beach yoga, wine tastings and the like.
The Cote Family Cos. are spending $30 million to update Grand View, their nearby children's sleepaway camps and a dude ranch they own in Arizona. At Grand View, that includes several $1 million-plus cottages, Japanese soaking tubs and an activities center that includes a bocce ball stadium and pickleball court.
The expansion, the largest in the state, is a sign of changing times for the state's resorts, which are competing with private short-term rentals and overbooked family schedules. The number of resorts in the state peaked around 3,000 in the 1970s but has shrunk to fewer than 800.
"We're always looking to innovate and figure how to bring new experiences to our guests," said Abbey Pieper, whose grandfather started Madden's on Gull Lake 89 years ago.
Madden's, which was pummeled by a 2015 summer storm, recently went through a $13 million renovation. And to attract a new generation with higher expectations, it just opened two new restaurants. One features a chef from South Africa and gets fresh fish flown in several times a week. In addition to the resort's nonstop golf activities, there's a water-skiing school and a training program for those who want to fly seaplanes.