St. Cloud Times from Saint Cloud, Minnesota • Page 28

OC Quick trek St. Cloud (Minn.) Times Sunday, July 17, 1988 Fishing isn't only lure Mille Lacs Lake holds i i rnrvc Malmo I 3 Miles Father" Wahkon N. Little Onamia O) Falls Photo for the Times by Deborah Hudson Although Mille Lacs Lake is known for its abun- towns around the lake. This lunker walleye stat- dance of fish, particularly walleye, people who ue is in downtown Garrison, on the lake's north- don't like to fish still can find plenty to do in the west shore. Finding fun near Mille Lacs Lake Paddleboats, camping, golf keep visitors coming back By DEBORAH HUDSON Special to the Times MILLE LACS LAKE Even if you hate fishing, you still can enjoy a day at the Walleye Capital of the World, Mille Lacs Lake.

The third-largest lake in the state lies in three counties and is surrounded by several small resort towns. A day discovering the non-fishing joys of Mille Lacs is well-spent, and you won't have to string a leech on a hook to do it. With a bit of luck in terms of the weekend you choose to visit this Central Minnesota attraction, you can line up a lot of fun in little time. To get to the lake, take Minnesota Highway 23 from St. Cloud to Milaca, then take U.S.

Highway 169 directly to Onamia. From there, you can opt for a scenic drive around the lake, which takes about an hour. On the way, you'll go through the towns of Isle, Garrison, Wealthwood, Malmo, Opstead, Wahkon and Cove. To and from St. Cloud, the total trip is about 170 miles of easy two-lane and sometimes four-lane driving.

Lots of places to stay With dozens of mom-and-pop resorts, luxury lodges including the remodeled upscale Izatys and lakeside motels and campgrounds, you should have no trouble finding accommodations as long as you make reservations. One suggestion for people not inerested in bagging any of the lake's 24 species of fish is to camp at one of two state parks near Mille Lacs Lake. Father Hennepin State Park in Isle, features extensive forested shoreline directly on the lake. It is better suited to those who want to fish. A second option is Mille Lacs Kathio State Park, with its extensive selection of summer nature trails and canoe rentals.

The park is especially popular, according to naturalist Cindy Olson, to people who simply enjoy being outdoors or in canoes. The slow-moving but navigable Rum St. i es i The low-down on the town: Pick up a copy of "The Greater Mille Lacs Lake Area Summer Fun Guide," printed each summer by the publishers of the Mille Lacs Messenger. In this guide, you'll find an advertisement for anything that walks, talks, sells food or fun on the lake. Available everywhere and anywhere around the lake.

For more Commercial Club, (612) 692-4666, or stop at the tourist gazebo, next to the giant fiberglass walleye in downtown Garrison. The lake: Mille Lacs Lake is Minnesota's third-largest lake, with 132,510 acres of lake, about 207 square miles. The shoreline is 86.1 miles around. BThe location: Mille Lacs Lake lies in three counties Aitkin, Crow Wing and Mille Lacs. BThe inhabitants: King of the lake is the walleye, hence the term "Walleye Factory." Mille Lacs is home to approximately 1 .1 million catchable walleye.

About 275,000 are caught each year. can't beat the homemade cream of wild rice soup ($1.25 a cup), the house specialty, Long Island Duck, $11.95, or the Saturday night special served after 4 p.m., the prime rib $10.95 and $16.95, depending on the cut you choose. Naturally, you can get a walleye dinner, $12.95. The atmosphere includes blue tablecloths, candles, a large stone fireplace on one wall and windows that provide a view of the lake. To fill your day, take the drive around the lake on Minnesota Highway 18.

Once out of Garrison, you'll enjoy the tree-lined route, to Aitkin Mille Lacs Kathio Times map by Stephanie Johnson River leads to Shakopee Lake to the south and Ogechie Lake to the north. The campground sports 35 miles of hiking trails, a two-mile interpretive trail explaining the history of the nearby Indian tribal lands, an interpretive center and a 100-foot observation tower. "Most of the weekends we've been filled up," Olson said. "But every Friday we have 30 campsites open on a first-come, first-served basis. They're gone by Friday." Mille Lacs Kathio State Park is two miles outside Onamia.

All vehicles entering the park must purchase a permit, daily ($3.25) or annual, Canoe rentals are $10 for a daily deposit, and an additional $8 for the day. In addition, camping fees range from $4 to $7 per day. Before leaving Onamia, stop in at the Minnesota Historical Society's Mille Lacs Indian Museum and trading post. Open from May through September, the museum holds an extensive collection of Ojibway artifacts, artwork and displays depicting the Ojibway lifestyle. jector multi-image slide and video program.

The Hall of Fame, Woodward museum and sidewheeler are in the historic Ice Harbor in Dubuque and are open daily from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The museum complex also features two gift shops, and the Galley snack bar and is adjacent to Robert's River Rides. Mountain biking superior in forest More than 300 miles of suggested mountain bicycling routes exist in the Superior National Forest. Most routes are near Grand Marais and roll through the highland terrain of the Sawtooth Mountains above the North Shore of Lake Superior.

The popular routes use county gravel roads and Forest Service roads. Off-road riders can use logging roads, multi-use state trails and cross-country ski trails. Rides vary in length from five miles to 75 miles. Those needing lodging can consider a bed and breakfast tour of the Gunflint Trail, a 63-mile wilderness highway that starts in Grand Marais. Three bed and breakfast establishments dot the trail and all are within an easy day's ride of one another.

Riding is not limited to mountain bikes. Pincushion Mountain Bed and Breakfast acts as coordinator for the bike tours. A free information packet is available by contacting the bed and breakfast, Box 181, Grand Marais 55604. Call toll-free 1-800-542-1226. WITH US THIS SUMMER! "A vacation Dlayground for th whole family featuring GREAT FISHING, a beautiful wiktomasa totting, plenty of funfilled activities, incredible sunsets, and lots of warm, genuine hospitality." COTTAGES AMPGROUNOS To begm planning your escape, can or write us May tot a tree brochure.

Bo 147R Ely MN 55731 1-800-422-9653, Ext. 15 or 218-827-2665 WILDER ON BEAR ISLAND LAKE pa mm )5- ti Wealthwood 0 Garrison I Mille Lacs Lake Lvineland 7 ir Kin 1 i tr I I imm i.wa 8734 Pearlr HotNameSs Fiddlestix, has nine holes and a driving range, and is located 3 miles south of Isle. Also on the lake is the renovated 18-hole golf course at the remodeled Izatys Golf and Yacht Club, between Wahkon and Cove. Another non-fishing entertainment suggestion is the Mille Lacs Lake Big Money Bingo, which operates 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays and 1 p.m.

Sundays. It is on the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation at Vineland. For treasure hunters, there are several antique and gift shops tucked into buildings around the lake. The souvenir shops are worth stopping in just to pick up keychains in the shape of walleye and to browse the T-shirt sections. Plentiful restaurants Like any resort area, there are many small restaurants and cafes to choose from at meal time.

If you are planning to drive around the lake for a one-day trek, pick up some fruit juice or mineral water, smoked fish, cheese, crackers and fruit and put together an impromptu picnic at any one of several wayside rests and public boat accesses. For a full meal, consider dining at a Lake Mille Lacs institution, The Blue Goose Inn. During the summer, there is live music in the bar Wednesdays through Saturdays. For dining, you SCT-3 SI I I rr 2xai Brin Gnipun Onipiin Ojmplete NORfinY Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for seniors and children younger than 16, closed Mondays. A historical marker at the museum, one of several on U.S.

Highway 169, notes that the museum is on the site where battles between the Sioux and Chippewa in the 1750s took place. Non-fishing fun abounds Just north of Onamia, a required stop for children would be Fort Mille Lacs Village, a tourist-style complex which features an art gallery, Granny's Kitchen, which serves pancakes all day, and a tame animal forest, where children can pet deer and ducks. The Old Frontier Fort and paddleboats are old standbys, and plans for an expansion of the village include adding a go-cart and midget track and an auto museum, according to a recent issue of the area weekly newspaper, the Mille Lacs Messenger. Also enroute to Garrison, you'll pass the Mille Lacs Golf Resort, one of three golf courses around the lake. The 18-hole course is open to the public.

The newest course in the area, Cabbies hike fares The July issue of Conde Nast's Traveler tested rides in 10 major cities, and found that in five of them, cabbies padded the fares. In Washington D.C.: Cabbies added $1.20 to the bill. In Los Angeles: $4. The study also found that cabbies in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, New York and San Francisco generally were courteous. Gannett News Service OKTOBERFEST AustriaGermany ONLY 949 00 per person SEPT.

17-26 Includes: Direct Flight to from Munchen, Oktoberfest, Hotel, Continental Breakfast and Transportation to from Airport. Book by July 31 receive $50.00 discount. Optional Tours Available. For more Information call: Old St. Nick's 252-0800 Hans Jay Pattison 252-9753 or Dayton's Travel 1-800-752-4212 Gtenwood-Starbuck Area RELAX-FISH-FUN-SUN Discover the Secret Get Hooked on Us.

Write the Chamber of Commerce, Dept.SC88, Glenwood, MN 56334. 612-634-3636 GULL LAKE SPECTACULAR VIEW "LOVERS ONLY" "FISHERMAN'S DREAM" 8 new luxury vats 21 WutlM vsuaon hornss eFlreplsoe.etwtpoix.iejna Nature Trails eRacrsattarsHladllaas-arssruwxnant eTenrxsCourls eAwariwnwignMaiirant ewakmOol sOraylVahounifmniai OouSa 1 ol gasi laning Ljtoa Spin of Full Weefce MN 1 -SOO-J47 IOH 703 OutMalX433-47S7ail 703 or wma Alan Qurariury Ouanar Oadi al Pmnant Acrat RmM S. Box SC Bfameid MN MMOI 15SSQuartartlaiRd yy Bramard.MNMaOt where birches, pines and hardwoods mix and provide cover for a bounty of birds and gulls. The drive takes about an hour, but dawdle a bit at the scenic public access in Wealthwood, the site of a long sandy and shallow beach. Another must-see stop is in Isle at the scenic overlook.

Even on weekends, the lake is relatively free of heavy boat traffic. The expansive, view of the lake, especially when it is calm, is lovely. Also in Isle is another museum, the Stutt 'n Putt miniature golf course, Fiddlestix and a bowling alley. Come into Pearle for great savings on fashionable frames with names such as Christian Dior, Givenchy, Halston, Carrera and more. Save an additional $25.00 when you clip the coupon below and bring it to any participating Pearle Vision Center by August 27, 1988.

DDIufiEK A I I I I PFARI F. 9151st Street Willmar 235-1235 OI988 Pearle Heaim Sarvcea He In the region Pipestone celebrates Song of Hiawatha The Song of Hiawatha pageant begins its 40th season Friday in Pipestone. Visitors come each summer from Japan, France, England, Scandinavia, West Germany, Australia, Italy and Canada to view the outdoor evening show. It's a long way from the 4,000 viewers who came the first season in 1948 to the more than 20,000 who now come from all parts of the world. The outdoor evening show is produced annually the last two weekends in July and the first weekend in August by the Hiawatha Club of Pipestone.

Anyone planning to attend the show should call 1-507-825-4126 for reservations. Rivers Hall of Fame opens in Dubuque Anyone interested in the history of America's rivers now has, at one site, three museums on the banks of the Mississippi River. The National Rivers Hall of Fame at Dubuque, Iowa, is the third component in the Dubuque Historical Society's dedication to the preservation and exhibition of the history of inland waters, joining the Woodward Riverboat Museum and the Sidewheel Steamboat William M. Black. The new Hall of Fame contains a 62-seat River Theater, where viewers can comfortably enjoy a 22-minute 12-pro- J4 LAKE COUNTRY CGKDOS you noy driving long hot houri with car fu ot kids, don call ut.

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