Lilacs are still in bloom at Boomerville Lodge, a 6½-acre farm-turned-event center in Cold Spring, Minn. That makes winding through the Lilac Labyrinth there a total sensory experience, complete with purple blooms and a lovely scent in the air. Benches await at the labyrinth's center.
Lilacs and rhubarb bars at Boomerville Lodge
The lilac labyrinth is in full bloom at Boomerville Lodge, in Cold Spring, Minn.
The Lilac Labyrinth is a springtime highlight, but there is also a game called "Rainbow Hoops," in which participants kick a soccer ball through a hoop in a golf-like game, and there are adult tricycles and vintage bikes for use on paved trails. After the Running of the Rhubarb, a bike race around the track, the winner gets the biggest piece of rhubarb bar.
"We boomers are supposed to keep moving, right?" said Mike Nistler, who owns and operates Boomerville, which is just a few miles off Interstate 94. "I figure if you can make moving fun, that's half the battle."
Boomerville, about 80 miles from the Twin Cities, includes a spacious wood-paneled building with a bar, kitchen and library, all filled with vintage charm. Visits there are by appointment only. Reservations are available in three shifts, Monday through Friday: 8-10:30 a.m., 1-3:30 p.m. and 6:30-9 p.m.; the afternoon is reserved for larger groups (1-320-293-4058; boomervillelodge.com).