Otter Tail Country Tourism

So what is it? Sunday afternoon watching the Minnesota Vikings? Hanging out in the garden, picking weeds and checking your summer's worth of work? Curling up with a good book?

It could be any of those things - they're life's little presents. You don't get them very often, and when you do, you cherish them. We like to spend this break time at the lake, taking in the scenery and breathing the freshest of fresh air. You really can't beat the sounds, smells, and if you're lucky, tastes, of a relaxing weekend at the lake.



Heck - some of the things you do at home could easily be done at the lake! Take off for the weekend, have a nice dinner at one of Otter Tail Country's many establishments on a Saturday night with that special someone, and wake up to a Sunday full of the latest Nicholas Sparks novel while the hubby gets his weekly football fix. September, October, and November can be just as exciting as those warm summer months - you just have to be open minded and take advantage of all our beautiful state has to offer.

-Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team

Labels: autumn, fall, lakes country, relaxation

Minnesota is smack dab in the middle of some of the most beautiful yet under rated land in the world - the great midwest. Yes, we're known for our lakes, but there's also some great forests and rolling prairie grasslands to be found in this state.



I've lived in the Fargo, ND / Moorhead, MN area my entire life - but i've been to many parts of the country. No place seems to feel quite right compared to the land we have here. Yes, mountains are fun, but you can't take your boat for a ride across the Rockies. The weather isn't exactly tropical year round, but have you tried ice fishing in Florida? No Chance!

While it's not the most pleasant thing to wake up to temperatures well below freezing, you also don't have to deal with hurricanes, earthquakes, or wildfires (hopefully not, anyway). I' take a blizzard over an earthquake any day.

When you're enjoying one of Minnesota's many beautiful sights, take it in, enjoy it, and remember - not everyone has the chance to enjoy all our wonderful state has to offer.

-Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism

Labels: beauty, lakes, scenery

This past weekend was full of great late season lakes weather. Although I wasn't enjoying one of the 10,000 lakes Minnesota has to offer, I was definitely longing for a swim!

I got to enjoy a weekend in Minneapolis to watch a Twins game with some good friends. On the way to and from the game (from Fargo, ND), we drove by lake after lake and although we were headed to see a beautiful new stadium and our favorite baseball team play, more than once "Gosh, I wish we were going to the lake!" could be heard from the car.

Like I said recently - even though most kids are going back to school, and it's getting late in the season, it's not too late to enjoy some time at the lake. Resorts aren't quite as busy, bed and breakfasts aren't booked months in advance, and public beaches seem a little more secluded this time of year.

Think about a late summer trip to Otter Tail Country - you won't be disappointed!

-Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team

Labels: lakes, lakes country, travel

Since mid June, you haven't been able to go into a Target, Office Max, Wal Mart, or other retailers without being bombarded by Back to School advertising displays. It seems like each year it gets earlier and earlier - maybe next year the newspaper ads will start the last week of school, the next year you can expect to see Back To School information at Christmastime, and after that they'll just leave it up year 'round!



Ok, maybe it's not that bad. But it does seem ridiculous to remind parents and students themselves that their precious summer is that close to being cut off by books, sports, and obligations relating to school in the fall.

Many people close up their lake cabins or cottages around back to school time because they want to get it done before they get to busy with church, sports, or other activitites. It might not be a bad idea to leave the cabin open for a couple more months - you never know when you'll need a relaxing get away.

Sports aren't every weekend, you still have plenty of light left to get the lawn mowed after work, and the weather can be beautiful even in northern Minnesota into October - I think if you make time for your cabin (or a nice resort or bed and breakfast in lakes country!) you'll be surprised at how relaxing the fall can be.

Your neighbors will most likely have closed up shop for the year, so you'll have even more quiet time to enjoy fishing off the dock with the kids or swimming on those Indian Summer days. It might even give you the inspiration to buy those snowmobiles you've been looking at so you can enjoy your cabin all winter!

We hope you're ready to send your kids back to school (if you haven't already), and that your summer didn't go by too quickly. Just remember your cabin can still be a nice retreat even when you think you're too busy this fall.

-Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team

This is how I heard the news: "MY FAVORITE LAKES RESTAURANT CAUGHT ON FIRE!", from one of my good friends this past weekend. He didn't know much, he'd just heard a clip on the radio about Spanky's

Otter Tail County favorite Spanky's Stone Hearth, a supper club on Highway 4 near Vergas, was damaged extensively by a fire Saturday, August 14, 2010.

Josh Hanson, the owner of Spanky's for the past 20 years, has said the support has been outstanding since the incident.

The fire looks to be a total loss for this restaurant, but luckily nobody was hurt in the incident.

While many people loved Spanky's, Otter Tail County's numerous other establishments should help fill the void left by their beloved supper club's unfortunate accident.

More information from these news outlets:
http://www.kfgo.com/news_Detail.php?ID=11369
http://ksax.com/article/stories/S1700082.shtml?cat=10230
http://www.fergusfallsjournal.com/news/2010/aug/16/firefighters-thanked-support-fighting-fire/

-Otter Tail Country Team

Labels: news, otter tail county, restaurants

I was fortunate enough to be invited to visit a lake cabin get-together this weekend at Big Swan Lake near Burtrum, MN this past weekend. The weather was only so-so, but the rain held off and we all packed sweatshirts, so we were fine while sitting around the yard playing friendly games of bean bags and Norwegian golf.

In my opinion, the weather really doesn't matter as long as you're with good friends and are enjoying some beautiful scenery - and anytime you're soaking up rays (or raindrops!) on one of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes, you're a part of something beautiful.

While we weren't water skiing or wakeboarding on this trip, we had just as much fun in shorts and sweatshirts as we would have in our swim suits. The noises and smells of lakes country are ones that you just won't find anywhere else. No matter how hard we try, we're never going to have a loon population in Fargo, ND.

Oh yeah, that reminds me - we laid out by the bonfire on those tubes that didn't get much use during the day and stared up at the stars. Even with the roaring fire we didn't have any trouble looking at the stars and pretending we knew what the constellations were. That's another thing you won't find in the Fargo-Moorhead area. I'm glad to know that my street is well lit for security and the occasional late night jogger, but it'd be nice to just turn them off every once in a while for some good old fashioned star gazing.

The summer is starting to wind down, but as far as I can tell, it's still Lakes Season.

-Al, Otter Tail County Team

Labels: fun, lakes, lakes country, weekend

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, walleye fishing is going strong. The bite is still hot, which is great news because the weather has been so great lately. The more time on the lake, the better!

Due to the heat, walleyes in Otter Tail Country are sitting in deeper water - from about 20-30 feet deep, according to DNR officials. Night crawlers and leeches seem to be the bait of choice, but if leeches aren't available in your area right now, use artificial lures made to mimic leeches - slimy ones are best.



After dark, the bite continues, but 'eyes are moving into shallower water. Anglers will have luck using plugs to attract attention in the evening.

If you're looking for northern pike, stick with buzz baits around thick weed patches (cabbage weeds seem to be their favorite right now). It's hard to beat the fight of a big northern!

We found a link to the MN DNR's email with details here. Included are reports and tips for all over Minnesota, including area specific websites and phone numbers.

Good luck and happy fishing!

WE Fest is a great time - Country Music, camping, and plenty of beverages to go around. It's a great midwestern get-together, one last hoorah before summer winds down and the cool breezes of fall roll in.


Now just because you can have fun at WE Fest doesn't mean it's the only thing to do the first full weekend of August in Minnesota! There are plenty of options close to WE Fest but far enough away from all the hustle and bustle.

We've put together a list of reasons to avoid WE Fest while still having a chance to enjoy the beautiful lakes country of our great state.

10) It's easier on the ears to listen to loons cry on the lake than 110 decibels of Kid Rock or Kenny Chesney.

9) The Otter Tail River's usual population is nowhere to be found - take a tube trip down the river with your family and breathe easy.

8) WE Fest's historical library is a bit hazy - check out the Otter Tail County Library and brush up on your lakes country history!

7) Cook weiners on a poorly made fire from beer boxes...or fresh Shore Lunch Walleye - you pick!





6) WE Fest might be home to 50,000 Country Music fans, but Otter Tail County is home to over 1,000 lakes - 10% of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes!

5) You can find outdoor concerts in Ottertail, Fergus Falls, and Vergas too!

4) Hiking through Maplewood State Park is a lot prettier than through Viking Campground at 8am (it probably smells a lot nicer, too!).

3) Golfing is much more relaxing when you don't have to tee off from in between bags of empty beer cans.

2) It's a lot less embarrassing to see your boss at the dock after a fishing trip than in the beer line after the Dierks Bentley concert.

1) Well, it looks like I have run out of reasons to skip WE Fest - and as they say, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! The Soo Pass Ranch is just outside of Detroit Lakes, MN, which is just a short drive from Otter Tail Country - go ahead and check it out next year!

So there you have it - our 10 reasons to skip WE Fest while still having some fun in lakes country (and hopefully Otter Tail Country!). We hope you get a chance to check out some of the great offerings our part of the state has - we're sure you'll have fun!

-Otter Tail Country Team

Labels: lakes country, lists, we fest

Hey Folks!

It sure has been a while, but we're back at this blogging thing and we're going to stick with it this time around.

Let's hope the time from our last post to this entry has been good, and the summer of 2010 has treated you well so far.

We've been busy trying to keep you guys informed about the activities in the Otter Tail County area and how to serve you better - and bringing the Otter Tail County Tourism Blog back is just one more way to increase communications and hear feedback from you guys (in the form of blog comments - we'd love to hear how we can better help you out).

We're going to try to give you news updates, stories about people and places in lakes country, and some tips on everything from cabin maintenance to recipes for around the campfire.

Please stay tuned for future updates, and be sure to leave a comment if there's a topic you'd like addressed or questions you'd like answered about anything Otter Tail County related.

-Otter Tail County Tourism Team

Visit our Home Page for a complete guide to the lakes and recreation opportunities the Otter Tail County area offers.

Labels: blogging, lakes country, sorry, we're back