Otter Tail Country Tourism
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Martin Sexton, a Minnesota Loving Musician, in Concert
So when we hear songs that mention our beautiful state's name, our ears perk up.
One of my favorite musicians was in town tonight, Martin Sexton. His song "Diner" is one of his most popular - it was featured in an episode of the TV show "Scrubs" a few years ago and has been used on other various commercials and advertisements.
I'd like to share "Diner" with you, mostly because in the first few seconds of the song he mentions Minnesota!
Here it is:
And here's the "Scrubs" version:
Tiffany, another Otter Tail Country Tourism blogger came to the show with me, and we both had a blast. We thought it was funny that Sexton couldn't find wild rice while he was here - it's one of his favorite things to bring home from Minnesota!
Please check out his music - he's a great independent artist doing great things!
Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team
posted by Al
at
9:25 PM
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Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Ice Fishing Poll: How do You Heat?
In my last couple trips I've been in some really nice permanent houses, both nice and toasty warm. I'm wondering what you guys use to stay warm:
1) Sunflower-type propane heater (hooks up and rests on top of a gas grill type propane cylinder)
2) Electric heater powered by generator
3) Large, wall mounted, propane heater (like you'd see in a garage)
4) The stove in your ice house
5) Something else altogether...
Let us know in the comments - we'd love to hear what you're running while ice fishing in Otter Tail Country (or on any lake in Minnesota!)
Labels: heat, ice fishing, poll, winter
posted by Al
at
11:37 AM
2 Comments
Monday, January 24, 2011
Otter Trail Riders Snowmobile Trail Report
City: Ottertail/Perham
Name of trail system: Otter Trail Riders Snowmobile Trail
Description: Over 140 miles of groomed trail through Ottertail, Henning, Deer Creek, Bluffton, New York Mills, Perham, Vergas and Dent
Contact: Otter Tail Country Tourism Association www.ottertailcountry.com (800) 423-4571
All 140+ miles of the trail is in excellent condition with an unbelievably even better base than last week – up to 20” in places, and upwards of 36” in others! Even though there hasn’t been much new accumulation, due to some blustery winds the entire system will be groomed again by Wednesday evening. Riders out on the trails are certainly enjoying themselves, shouldn’t you?
posted by Otter Tail Country Tourism Association
at
3:07 PM
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Sunday, January 23, 2011
Another Ice Fishing Post - Blogger Tiffany's First Fish!
Luckily we had the use of my friend's uncle's house - a nice, homemade house complete with carpet, coat hooks, and beautiful wood work. He ran a nice wall mounted propane heater in addition to the sunflower type heater we brought. His house had holes for 8 lines, but we only re-drilled 6 since there were only three of us out there fishing.
The action was pretty awesome - we were only out three hours and we caught Tiffany's first ever fish - a very nice walleye - as well as a big crappie in her bag and a small northern a piece for our guide and myself.
Here's Tiffany's first fish - please forgive the quality of the cell phone picture!
What a fish! I'm thinking she's got her hopes up that every fishing trip will involve her having all the luck and catching the biggest fish!
I'm hoping to make it back out there soon, the action was too fun to not go again!
-Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team
Labels: crappie, fishing, ice, ice fishing, northern, otter tail country, walleye, winter
posted by Al
at
10:41 AM
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Thursday, January 20, 2011
Another Winter Safety Reminder - 5 Snowmobile Safety Tips
Arctic Cat's recall is a voluntary one. No injuries have been reported due to the malfunctioning part of the suspension, but company officials are asking snowmobile owners to bring their machines in for a free repair at their local dealership.
The 18 year old who's snowmobile fell into Third Crow Wing Lake December 30th, 2010 was identified as Lukas Neubarth.
This is a great time to remind you to be careful while snowmobiling in Otter Tail Country. Here are some snowmobile safety tips:
1) Be sure to check your equipment before riding and wear a helmet.
2) Have a plan, and tell your friends where you'll be riding.
3) Know your trails and follow all safety guidelines.
4) Open water can occur. Always be aware. The heavy snow this year has put a lot of weight on the lakes/rivers we like to ride and ice fish on, creating stress cracks and on-ice flooding.
5) Common sense is the easiest way to prevent most incidents - use it!
Have any other tips? Share them with us in the comments!
-Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team
Labels: ice fishing, safety, snowmobile, snowmobiling, tips, winter
posted by Al
at
9:52 PM
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Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Electric Heaters - Otter Tail Power Company's Take
The article goes over some important guidelines for using these heaters - here are the ones we found most useful:
1) Look for a portable electric heater that automatically shuts off if tipped over and that has protective casing over the heating element to avoid the potential for burns.
2) The type of heater you choose can help you feel more comfortable. For example, an electric heater that distributes warmth from a greater surface area, such as a portable baseboard or a radiator-shaped heater, can increase comfort by distributing heat more evenly. A small fan-forced heater of the same wattage, meanwhile, will produce the same amount of heat but at a higher intensity and be more localized. But either will heat your room.
3) Don’t fall for claims of added efficiency on overpriced electric space heaters. All electric space heaters operate at 100 percent efficiency. Because they convert all of the electricity they use to heat, they all are equally efficient. So, don’t fall victim to a scam. Electric room heaters in wood cabinets that sell for several hundred dollars are not more energy efficient. All portable heaters use electricity without the advantage of discounted off-peak prices and are, in fact, the most expensive way to heat with electricity. Portable heaters of equal wattage will cost the same to operate whether the unit’s purchase price is $20 or $400.
See the full article here.
Any tips to add? Let us know in the comments!
-Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team
Labels: electricity, energy, heat, otter tail country, otter tail power company, winter
posted by Al
at
8:48 PM
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Otter Trail Riders Snowmobile Report
City: Ottertail
Name of trail system: Otter Trail Riders Snowmobile Trail
Description: Over 140 miles of groomed trail through Ottertail, Henning, Deer Creek, Bluffton, New York Mills, Perham, Vergas and Dent
Contact: Otter Tail Country Tourism Association www.ottertailcountry.com (800) 423-4571
By the end of the day on Wednesday the entire trail system will be 100% regroomed and it is lookin’ pretty! There’s between 12”-18” of great base on the trail and the entire system is in excellent condition. Don’t forget that the trail now connects up to the Becker County Line as well as through Henning to Vining so that you can get all the way down to Alexandria. The drifts that came over the trail through the weekend have made for some WOW! conditions. Get out and enjoy.
posted by Otter Tail Country Tourism Association
at
9:08 AM
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Sunday, January 16, 2011
More Wintry Weather on Its Way to Otter Tail Country
This weather is pretty crazy - I'm told we're experiencing La Niña, similar to El Niño that people are more familiar with. This increases cold streaks and winter precipitation, two things we're very familiar with here in Otter Tail Country.
We ask that you take caution while traveling throughout Minnesota and North Dakota, whether on the way to a lake cabin or out shopping some of the great spots Otter Tail Country has to offer. Take a little extra time while driving, and be sure to carry a winter survival kit.
Stay safe!
Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team
Labels: otter tail country, snow, travel, weather, winter
posted by Al
at
11:05 PM
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Saturday, January 15, 2011
Ice Fishing on Ottertail Lake, Minnesota
We experienced what quite a few other people experienced that day - some nice fish, but they weren't biting all day. The cold snap really hit home with the fish - and we unfortunately only caught two walleyes and two perch in a day of fishing. Of course we brought coolers of beer and cards for the card tables, and made the most of it. As they say - a day fishing beats a day working anytime.
What I learned: typical feeding times for walleyes came true. One hit right away in the morning, and the other at dusk. The perch came in between, but definitely still before noon. We were all using shiners and a variety of tackle, mostly red #6 hooks. Almost everyone had some action, even if it was a tease. Every once in a while, the rattle reels would go off and everyone in the house would drop their conversations and try to catch a fish from the wheels on the walls!
I think our misfortune had a lot to do with the sudden cold blast that took over Otter Tail Country. And of course, we can't be mad we didn't catch more fish - every day out in Otter Tail Country is a continuation of our New Year's resolution to spend more time out here!
Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism
Labels: fishing, fishing tips, ice, ice fishing, lakes, otter tail country, winter
posted by Al
at
11:19 PM
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Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Ice Fishing Tips for January
Some of the best tips I've been finding:
1) Go to lakes with wild rice for giant bluegills. I'm not sure why, but something with wild rice (maybe the bugs or other critters the rice attracts?) helps grow big old bluegills.
2) Use a good auger. A good auger will help your day, in more ways than one. Use the auger to drill holes on your way out to test ice thickness. If you're not catching anything, load up your portable and drill a new hole at the next honey hole. Try deep spots, if they're not working go somewhere a little more shallow. Just make sure you have a good unit and take care of it when you're not using it.
3) Use a quality fish finder. Use whatever brand you'd like, but make sure it works and you know how to use it. This will help to prevent a waste of time spot - if you're not marking any fish on the unit, pack up and move until you find them! Use it to tweak your setup as well - if fish keep coming on the radar but you're not getting any strikes, you might be doing something wrong.
4) The smaller the better when it comes to panfish. Ultralight test line - 1 or 2 pound test - is a necessity. It seems small, but it's best for detecting those light strikes. Also spring bobbers on a very sensitive rod will help detect these taps on your line. You have to be ready because of the finicky eating habits of panfish. And of course, your tackle will be tiny. Up to 1/100th of an oz. jigs are necessary to draw strikes from bluegills and crappies this time of year.
5) Cold weather ice fishing (well, that's a given) means the fish will be deeper than you're used to. Fishing in 50' of water isn't unheard of. Be prepared for that. Also take care when reeling in your fish - if you bring them to the surface too fast their air sac can and will explode, killing the fish. It's tough to release a dead fish!
I hope these tips help you out this winter out on the ice. If you've been out recently, let us know in the comments!
Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team
Labels: cold, ice, ice fishing, lakes, otter tail country, winter
posted by Al
at
1:36 PM
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Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Snowmobile Trail Report
City: Ottertail
Name of trail system: Otter Trail Riders Snowmobile Trail
Description: Over 140 miles of groomed trail through Ottertail, Henning, Deer Creek, Bluffton, New York Mills, Perham, Vergas and Dent
Contact: Otter Tail Country Tourism Association www.ottertailcountry.com (800) 423-4571
Groomers have been out for the last few days and by the end of Wednesday January 12th the trail will be 100% re-groomed. There is three to eight inches of good base on the trail and it is in excellent condition. Snowfall in the last week has been slight and we’ve just opened a leg from Henning to Vining as well so now snowmobilers can go from Ottertail all the way down to Inspiration Peak, what a view!
posted by Otter Tail Country Tourism Association
at
3:43 PM
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Sunday, January 9, 2011
How are Those New Year Resolutions Coming Along?
Some of us gave up after a few days (or hours!), but some of us are still going strong a week later. Most resolutions are for self improvement: eat better, work out more, quit smoking. Some are for self enjoyment, like ours - to get out and spend more time in Otter Tail Country! You could be snowmobiling, using your snow shoes/cross country skis, or ice fishing.
I haven't been out ice fishing enough this winter, but I'll be on Otter Tail Lake with eleven friends next saturday looking for walleyes and jumbo perch - I'll let you know how that goes!
We sincerely hope things are going well with your New Year's Resolutions - let us know how it's going in the comments!
-Al, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team
Labels: ice fishing, New Years, progress, resolutions, snowmobiling
posted by Al
at
11:18 PM
0 Comments
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Otter Trail Riders Snowmobile Trail Report
Groomers have been out for 3 days and the trail looks great. There is now a 6” base on over 140 miles of trail – some areas have many feet of the white stuff. The trail has excellent conditions and all miles will be regroomed by the end of the week. If your area trails were rained out then come ride the Otter Trail Riders Snowmobile Trail!
City: Ottertail
Name of trail system: Otter Trail Riders Snowmobile Trail
Description: Over 140 miles of groomed trail through Ottertail, Henning, Deer Creek, Bluffton, New York Mills, Perham, Vergas and Dent
Contact: Otter Tail Country Tourism Association www.ottertailcountry.com (800) 423-4571
posted by Otter Tail Country Tourism Association
at
12:17 PM
0 Comments
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Happy New Year! From the Otter Tail Country Tourism Team
Many people have several things on their mind this time of year and one that is almost a given is the New Year resolution. But as you’re making yours, have you ever wondered what everyone else is deciding on? Well here’s the top ten for 2011:
1. Lose weight. This one seems to be a very popular trend from year to year, but if you have chosen this one, it is a good way to take a break and take time for yourself.
2. Help the family lose weight. This has become a problem with child obesity. Families are now working together to make a healthier lifestyle.
3. Get a job or a better job. The economy has taken a toll on all of us. Now it’s time to make it better.
4. Quit smoking. This one has been an on going trend every year. They say if you keep trying it gets easier!
5. Fall in love. We wish you luck :).
6. Enjoy live. Too many people have begun to take the little things for granted. Here’s the chance to learn to love life.
7. Get organized. That should be one of my goals; there are piles of papers stacked randomly! It gets pretty frustrating.
8. Spend more time with family. With the economy and the distance this has become hard for many people. Make the most of the time when you get it.
9. Help others. From volunteering to helping a car stuck on the side of the road. Paying it forward is sure to make you feel good.
10. Run a marathon. This will be a great way to help you lose weight and enjoy life!
(http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6088856/top_new_years_resolutions_for_2011.html?cat=74 )
Our New Year's resolution: to spend more time enjoying all Otter Tail Country has to offer, from beautiful parks to abundant lakes!
Share your New Year’s Resolution with us in the comments below! We’d love to hear suggestions and help to cheer you on!
-Tiffany, Otter Tail Country Tourism Team
Labels: New Years, resolutions, winter
posted by Al
at
8:02 PM
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