There is nothing nicer in the fall than a quaint lakeside cabin, which is exactly what Minnesota lake resorts offer. So when planning your up north getaway this September, why not book a cabin rather than a hotel room?


If you love the outdoors and you plan to take a fall getaway this October, DON'T book a hotel room. Book a lakeside cabin. Now granted, I'm partial to cabins, 
but there are a few reasons that a cabin is a better choice, and it mostly centers around the experience. Here is a summary:

Camping Breakfast Sandwich 
Difficulty: Easy!     
Time: 25 minutes
Adapted from The Adventure Bite https://theadventurebite.com/camping-breakfast-sandwich/

Ingredients:
4 English muffins
2 c. leftover BBQ pulled pork (sausage patties or bacon would work too)
4 eggs
4 slices cheddar cheese
Butter
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Directions:
1. In a medium cast-iron skillet, crisp up the English muffins with a bit of butter until golden and crispy. Set aside.
2. Reheat leftover pork in skillet and set aside.
3. Fry eggs over-medium.
4. Fill English muffins with ½ c. pulled pork, runny egg and a slice of cheddar cheese. Wrap in foil and place over fire until cheese is melted.

Poor Man’s Lobster   
Difficulty: Medium   
Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
8 fish fillets
Butter
Salt & pepper

Directions:
1. Wash and pat dry the fish fillets. Use the catch of the day from your day on the lake!
2. Place one fish fillet on a piece of tinfoil. Top with sliced lemons, green peppers, red onion and butter. Fold the tinfoil up to create a sealed packet.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Grill (or bake at 350 degrees) until fish are done. Time will depend on the thickness of the fish fillets.

Campfire Nachos
Adapted from Fresh Off the Grid https://www.freshoffthegrid.com/campfire-nachos/

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. neutral flavored oil
½ lb. tortilla chips
1 (7.75 oz) can hot tomato sauce
1 c. shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained
1 large avocado, cubed
4-5 green onions, sliced
Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 small lime, cut into wedges

Directions:
1. Lightly oil the bottom of a large Dutch oven, to prevent the nachos from sticking.
2. For the first layer, evenly spread 1/3 of the chips into the Dutch oven, topped with ¼ can tomato sauce, ¼ can black beans, ¼ c. cheese, and a handful of avocado, green onions and cilantro. Repeat for the second layer.
3. For the third and final layer, use the remaining 1/3 portion of chips, ½ can tomato sauce, ½ can black beans, ½ c. cheese, and the remaining avocado, onion and cilantro.
4. Cover the Dutch oven and place on a metal grill over your campfire for about 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Serve with the lime wedges.

Not Your Average S’Mores 
Difficulty: Easy       
Time: 5 minutes






Ingredients:
Reese’s Cups
Large marshmallows
Oreos or Fudge Stripe Cookies
Roasting sticks
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Directions:
1. Roast marshmallow on roasting stick over open fire.
2. When marshmallow is cooked to your liking, place on top of Reese’s Cup between your choice of cookie.

Walking Tacos    
Difficulty: Easy     
Time: 15 minutes
(Adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything)
https://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/walking-tacos

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
½ c. diced onion
1 taco seasoning packet
6-8 snack-sized bags of Fritos or Doritos
Suggested toppings: black beans, lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese, sour cream, ranch/salsa mixture

Directions:
1. Brown beef or turkey in a skillet over a campfire and drain the fat. Add the onion to the meat and sauté for a few minutes until soft. Add the taco seasoning and ½ c. of water; simmer until water is absorbed. If serving immediately, pour in a bowl. You can also combine the meat and black beans and keep them warm in a slow cooker.
2. Crush your chips with your hands and open your bag. Add your desired toppings and eat with a fork as you walk around enjoying the lake.

1.  ABC Game- Each player must find a letter (outside your car) in the alphabet in alphabetical order. Look for letters on bumper stickers, street signs, or billboards. You see those golden arches off the interstate? There is your letter A in McDonalds to start you off. First person to Z wins! Another option, work as a team. Yell out the letters and together go through the alphabet, A-Z.

2.  I Spy- Select someone to be the spy, the spy picks and object, and they give a hint like, “I spy something red” and each player tries to guess your object. If no one guesses correctly after the first round give another hint. Let the player who guesses correctly become the next spy.

3.  Animal Sounds- Spot an animal but identify it by making the animal sound. For example, you see a cow you “mooooo”. First person to make a sound first when an animal is spotted gets a point. This one might not promote ”inside voices!”

4.  Fake News- We discovered this game, thanks to Laura Dorwart who wrote “14 Best Car Games for Kids So You’ll Never Hear “Are We There Yet” Again.” This one is best suited for older children. One person tells a fake—or real—”news story” starting with “Did you hear that…?” The others have to guess whether it’s fact or fiction. Everybody gets a turn to tell a story or two! https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/14-best-car-games-kids-141617436.html
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5.  Name that Tune- There are two ways to play this one either electronically or vocally. You can do it electronically by delegating a DJ to choose the music on a device or scan the radio or make it digital free and have each person sing a song. Each time you guess a song correctly you get a point.
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​6.  Categories- Pick a category like Movies. Go around the vehicle and have each person list a movie. We have multiple winners here with the person that can’t name another movie is out.

7.  I’m Going On a Picnic- This is a version of categories and a good one for young kids who need to practice their alphabet skills. Everyone takes a turn to say one item they are bringing in alphabetical order, “I’m going on a picnic, and I’m bringing…” Apples, the next person has letter B for bread and so on. It also doubles as a memory game, each person also has to name the previous person’s items and all the ones that came before them so “I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing apples, bread, and cucumbers.” Make it all the way to letter Z. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/14-best-car-games-kids-141617436.html

8.  License Plate– Grab a notebook and favorite pen and document all the different license plate states you see. Maybe if you are traveling far enough, you’ll see all 50 states and as you get north you might see some from our Canadian neighbors.

9.  Two Truths and a Lie– Each person shares three statements (in any order) to the group, two being facts, the other fiction. The other participants need to figure out which is the lie.
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10. Would you Rather– This one is pretty simple. Simply state “Would you rather….or….?” Like, “Would you rather be locked in a closet with a snake or a mouse?” Everyone else has to pick one or the other. This can get pretty silly.

11. Rule– We found this one at: https://thoughtcatalog.com/christine-stockton/2018/06/road-trip-games/ Everyone in the car gets to make one nonsense rule, like “every time we go under a bridge everyone needs to bark like a dog” or “whenever I put my hat on everyone has to touch the roof of the car.” Every time a rule is enforced everyone but the last person to catch on gains a point.

12. The Compliment Game– If things are getting a little chippy in the back seat it might be time to try this one. Use the alphabet to give compliments. The first person to start has letter A they would say “A is for Jonny’s awesome hair” the next person would have “B is for Sally’s beautiful smile” We can thank https://thoughtcatalog.com/christine-stockton/2018/06/road-trip-games/ for this feel good game.

13. Geography– First decide what category you’ll use, states, cities, countries, rivers or all of the above. Let’s use states as an example. The first person will name a state MINNESOTA (of course)? The next player has to use the last letter of that place as the first letter of their new place, and so on. For example, the second player next says, “Alaska.” The next player needs to think of a place that starts with A as well, and says, “Arkansas.” Play until you run out of places or you can’t think of any new ones.

14. Story Time-If you are feeling a little creative, try this one. The first person starts with “Once upon a time…” and says a complete sentence. Each person builds on the story by giving their own sentence while reciting the previous sentences. You can either set a time limit (15 minutes) or make the goal to wrap it up after each person has a chance to say 3 sentences. Use some electronics here and record story time on your phone to replay the creativity.
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15. Hypotheticals– Let everyone have a turn answering a hypothetical question. Some questions would be: “What would you do if you won the lottery?” or “What would you do if you got trapped in a Zoo?” You might get to know some things you didn’t about your family members.
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16. Restaurant Race– Set a time limit and have a player choose a restaurant, such as Burger King, Taco Bell, McDonalds, etc. Players earn points by spotting their restaurant off the road, on a billboard, on exit markers, on Food/Fuel signs, or by hearing it mentioned on the radio.

17. Who Am I– Be anyone you want in this game. Make a statement like “I wear a vest have a pet monkey and ride a magic carpet”. You can pretend to be friends, family members, celebrities, characters, anything! Oh, and if you are playing, I’m Aladdin.

18. Virtual Hide and Seek– Taking a classic game on the road. Here you chose a place inside your house to hide, and imagine you are there. You can hide anywhere like, for example your sock drawer or shampoo bottle. The others ask yes/no questions to find you. Whoever “finds” you by guessing your location wins and hides next.
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19. The Game– This one is interesting, try to count to 20 collectively without delegating an order. Someone at random says “1” another person follows, again at random. If two people say the number at the same time or it takes longer than 5 seconds to get to the next number you start over again and yes at random. Maybe this should be called “Random”. Thank you to https://www.buzzfeed.com/fuelthejourney/cows-on-my-side for this one.

​We hope this helps the time in the car to be fun, and just as memorable as maybe some of the moments on your vacation outside of your vehicle!

Sometimes life just gets too busy. We find that planning ahead for a northern Minnesota get away just cannot be done in advance. We understand. It is much better to try to do it last minute then not at all! To answer the question if last minute stays are ok? The answer is a definite YES.
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The trend used to be that people made their family vacation plans in December and January and the kids’ plans were made around the family vacation. Times have changed. Now there are more opportunities for kids and the family vacation is planned around all the kids’ camps, practices, activities. All of this can be worked around. It just makes the vacation planning a little later and sometimes very last minute. I figure, so long as the vacation is planned and taken, all is good.

So, you have everything else planned and now are ready to make the Minnesota Family Resort vacation plan. You may have a resort, like Riverside Resort, that you like to vacation at. You have stayed there before, you know what you are getting, you like the resort, you like the resort owners. It is good to start there. See what they have available. We here at Riverside Resort have our cabin availability on-line. You can easily see what works for you and your family.

When is the easiest time of year to book a last minute northern Minnesota vacation?
Of course the answer is “It’s always a good time to spend time at a Minnesota Family Resort.” But, there are times of the year that it may be easier to find a resort with openings. Typically resorts are busiest from the 2nd week in June until the 3rd week in August. Why? Because kids in Minnesota aren’t in school. But, that doesn’t mean that you won’t find a resort with open cabins during that time of year. It just may be a little more of a challenge. Don’t give up. Vacations are worth the effort.
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Don’t resorts usually have a minimum number of days they require? 
If you are looking in the main summer season, you may find that many resorts have a minimum number of days required that is more than what you are able to stay. Well… being last minute many resorts waive that requirement. Perhaps they reduce the minimum to 2 or 3 instead of 5 or 7. You are in luck. Taking the risk of making a last minute stay just worked in your favor. Don’t be afraid to ask the resort owner if they are willing to take a reservation that is less than what they usually take. If you are looking in the spring, fall or winter, then many resorts reduce their required minimum number of days.

The main idea is that vacations are worth the effort and extra work of planning. If possible, plan ahead. But if that is not your reality, then plan a last minute stay. Yes, they are OK!
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Submitted by: Karen Senger
Edited by: Kathryn Rupnow
Photo Credit: Riverside Resort

​Vacationing at a Minnesota Resort may be the answer.

​Why?

Submitted by: Karen Senger
Edited by: Kathryn Rupnow
Photo Credit: Riverside Resort

Tent camping: Investing in a tent or borrowing a tent is pretty easy. Do you want to rough it? Tent camping doesn’t have to mean roughing it, unless you want to! You can:
Bring air mattresses to make sleeping more comfortable (even a box fan if you have electricity).
Bring a cook stoves and any other kitchen item to make cooking easier.
Use picnic tables so you don’t have to sit on the ground.
Bring those fancy collapsible chairs that even recline. You can even take a nap in them.
Riverside Resort has a few spots available for tent campers.
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  Rent a cabin: Some people call renting a cabin “Camping.” Although it isn’t tent or RV “Camping,” it certainly is a way to enjoy many of the same experiences as tenting or RVing has to offer. Click here for Riverside Resorts Cabin Availability. 

​Deciding where you want to go is another item to think about. How old are the kids? What are their and your interests? Do you want to incorporate organized activities into your plans?

  Close to a town: If you are close to a town you will have quicker access to camping supplies. If you are new to camping, perhaps there might be more things that you need that you didn’t realize. There may also be organized activities and events that you want to incorporate into your planning that are offering and easy to access when you camp closer to a town.

  In the wilderness: Getting some of the traditional camping experiences can be made when you are truly out in the wilderness. There are National and Minnesota State Campgrounds that are remote. When you are planning, remember there probably won’t be running water, electricity or other people around to help. So, be prepared.
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  At a campground: Resorts, like Riverside Resort, offer more amenities than wilderness camping. There will most likely have water and electricity at the site (or close by), resort amenities such as water toys, a lodge, scheduled activities….. It may be a good blend of camping but not roughing it.

​As you are planning your camping trip with the kids think about what and how you want that experience to be. Are there activities that you would like to do? What are the “must haves” and the “nice to haves?”
Boat, Swim, Cook over the fire, Hike, Bike, Fish, Play games, Movies, Eating out, Scheduled activities....

Submitted by: Karen Senger
Edited by: Kathryn Rupnow, Riverside Resort
Photo Credit: Riverside Resort

What kind of camping do you want to do? How can you choose?

Tent camping: Investing in a tent or borrowing a tent is pretty easy. Do you want to rough it? Tent camping doesn’t have to mean roughing it, unless you want to! You can:
Bring air mattresses to make sleeping more comfortable (even a box fan if you have electricity)... At Riverside Resort, we have the ability to run a long extension cord out to where you are camping.
Bring a cook stoves and any other kitchen item to make cooking easier.
Use picnic tables so you don’t have to sit on the ground.
Bring those fancy collapsible chairs that even recline. You can even take a nap in them.

Camper/RV camping: If tenting isn’t your thing, then perhaps you want to rent or use a camper. There certainly are busier times than others, so try to plan ahead. If you are lucky, you might be able to borrow one from a friend also.
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Rent a cabin: Some people call renting a cabin “Camping.” Although it isn’t tent or RV “Camping,” it certainly is a way to enjoy many of the same experiences as tenting or RVing has to offer. At Riverside Resort, we have 21 different cabins to choose from. 

What do you want to do?
As you are planning your camping trip with the kids think about what and how you want that experience to be. Are there activities that you would like to do? What are the “must haves” and the “nice to haves?”
Boat, Swim, Cook over the fire, Hike, Bike, Fish, Play games, Movies, Eating out, Scheduled activities at Riverside Resort are definitely a favorite of our guests!
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Who will be going?
How large of a group will you have? Will you be camping with just the family? Will you invite grandma and grandpa? How many sites or cabins will you be needing? Think about if you want to have your kids bring a friend along. There are certainly pros and cons to camping with a larger group and extended family.

Once you have thought through all these questions and have finally booked your "camping trip", just think about how beneficial this will be for the whole family. It will be an "unplugged" time where you can all just enjoy one another and beautiful world around you!

Pros:

You can really relax. As a resort owner I have heard so many times that it take 3 days to really start relaxing. The first couple days you start to decompress and then starting the third day the stress level starts to go down. So, by the time you are on day 5 you are feeling good!

Use more amenities at the resort. If you have a full week, you may have the time to partake in all or at least more of the activities or amenities that the resort offers. You will have time to take both the canoe and the kayak out. You may take the time to sit in all the beach chairs at the beach. You may take the time to have a conversation with the friendly resort owner.

You can spend days doing nothing. Perhaps you have no interest in taking day trips to see area attractions. Sitting and doing nothing can be awesome. Doing a full week of that… well… even MORE awesome.

You can really get to know an area in a week. If you are new to an area and want to get to know the area, by staying a full week you will have time to hit the attractions that everyone goes to AND you will have time to see some that aren’t as popular, but are just as good.

Bad weather day isn’t a big deal. You cannot control the weather, so it is not beneficial to get angry with the weather (not always easy to avoid though!). But, if you have a full week, having a rain or wind day (or two) isn’t as big of an impact. You can spend time in the cabin playing games, bake something new or special, have a reading or movie marathon. Or maybe go to the Riverside Inn. There you could take advantage of their indoor pool area, which includes a hot tub! 

You may have some alone time and some together time: Maybe you are vacationing with other families or adult children and not everyone can stay the full week. Hurray! That can be a good thing. You can spread out the visits throughout the whole week. Or perhaps….. you will have some together time with the family and some quieter time, too. Ah, the best of both worlds!
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Cons:

More time away from work. It may not be easy to get all the time away from work that you want. You may not have many weeks of vacation. Or perhaps you don’t feel like you can take a full week away from work. That is another topic all together. But, it is a reality. Taking time off is a gift to you and your employer. Do try to take some time away.

More time with the whole family. Although this is also a pro, it sometimes is a con as well. Families can be complicated. You may be vacationing with extended family, or with your adult children, or perhaps with your minor children. It isn’t always easy. It is rewarding and worth the effort. But… not always easy.

Kids may not want to be away from their friends that long. Your kids may say that they don’t want to be away from their friends or activities for that long. But, later on when asked what they remember most about their childhood, many talk about their vacations.

You don’t know how to relax for a whole week. Relaxing may take practice. Many people are so busy with their lives that the thought of not having anything structured for a full week is overwhelming. Again, practice makes perfect. If a week seems overwhelming, then try a weekend, then a long weekend. Work up to a full week vacation.
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It is usually less expensive! Yes that is right. For most Minnesota Resorts if you stay 4 or 5 nights the rate is the same as a full week. So, if you were thinking of staying 4 nights, why not stretch it out? The cost may not be more!

So, I think we have an answer to the question: Why take a fall getaway at a Minnesota resort? Because:
– This is the most normal I have felt in months!
– It’s a great way to get out of the cities.
– Fall fishing can be the best.
– It is a different world up here.
– I love the open environment.
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It’s time to feel normal again as you get out of the cities to go to a different world… a more open environment and maybe even get in a little fall fishing!

Check out our resort and feel a little more normal again!


Submitted by: Karen Senger
Edited by: Kathryn Rupnow
Photo Credits: Riverside Resort

Whether you are at home or on vacation you still have to eat. How do you do your meal planning while on vacation? There are many options and lots to consider. Every family or group is different. Some really like to spend time on meals while on vacation because they don’t have time to cook while working full time. Others don’t want to do any cooking and consider it a vacation from cooking. Yet others do a mixture of them. Resort owners have seen it all.

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So, I ask, “How do you handle your meal planning?”

Written By: Karen Senger
Edited By: Kathryn Rupnow (Riverside Resort)
Photo Credit: Riverside Resort