Nice stay at a lake in Northern Minnesota

Hi! We are interested in taking a summer vacation in northern Minneasota....What is a nice area? We would also like to have a casino nearby. Thanks!

Nice stay at a lake in Northern Minnesota

You might want to look for a place near Walker on Leech Lake or near Cass Lake on Cass Lake or Lake Andrusia. Both Walker and Cass Lake have Native American casinos.

Nice stay at a lake in Northern Minnesota

The area around Ely MN is really nice with just about anything you can think of wanting to do. The Fortune Bay casino http://www.fortunebay.com/ is about 35 min down the road from Ely. I can%26#39;t begin to say enough about the beauty of the Boundry Waters.

Another few considerations....lake size (small or large), fishing opportunities or not, canoeing or not, rocky shores %26amp; pine forest or sandy %26amp; oak trees? Ely and the BWCA boring areas tend to be a touch cooler than Leech Lake and points south toward Brainerd. Another factor....resort amenities. many places farther north tend to be a bit smaller and more rustic as opposed to the large scale resorts with pool, golf, dining, etc...

The following page link ahs a list of casinos in MN.

americancasinoguide.com/minnesota.shtml

Every Minnesota lakes area is a little different. Here%26#39;s an overview: midwestweekends.com/plan_a_trip/plan/reserva…

The biggest/flashiest casino is on Mille Lacs Lake; you could check out the nearby Ruttger%26#39;s Bay Lake Lodge, the state%26#39;s oldest family-run resort, which has a lot of amenities. Mille Lacs itself is more of a fishing lake.

But your best bet probably is the Walker area, where the casino recently was expanded. The town really bustles in summer, and you can stay either at a resort on Leech Lake, another very large fishing lake, or on one of the many smaller lakes in the area.

Beth at MidwestWeekends.com

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) is an extraordinary adventure. You can probably hire a guide if you are true city folks. The BWCA is all about canoeing and camping and fishing. You portage the canoes from one lake to the next. You will see wildlife up close as no motors are allowed. July would be the best time to go there as August nights can be chilly. The BWCA is a wilderness adventure. Departures are from the town of ELY if memory serves.

Yes Ely is a starting point to get into the BWCA and you could also go to Grand Marais. I say come to the Ely area and go to Fortune Bay casino on Lake Vermilion.

Ruttger%26#39;s Bay Lake Lodge

What are your goals? When I think ';we want a vacation in Northern Minnesota';, I think ';we want to be on a lake since Minnesota%26#39;s specialty is lakes';.

There%26#39;s a *really* nice drive in campground in the Superior National Forest, just east of Ely which borders the BWCAW wilderness. It has a variety of things like playground, updated camp store and a sceneic forest. Best of all it borders a GORGEOUS lake:

parkcamper.com/Boundary-Waters-Canoe-Area-Wi…

I%26#39;m a big fan of it personally. Plenty of spaces, plenty of shoreline and in a great area.

I recommend the Brainerd Lakes area . . . there%26#39;s something for everyone there.

And it%26#39;s about an hour%26#39;s drive from Grand Casino at Mille Lacs Lake.

I recommend Brainerd also, although above poster is a bit off in how far it is from Mille Lacs to there. About 1/2 hour. Lots of mom and pop resorts along the lake shore. Brainerd has neat shops and lots of restaurants if it%26#39;s a rainy day.