Looking for Any Good, Fun, Romantic, Getaway-possibley Okoboji

We love to go to Lanesboro, MN (about 40 minutes south of Rochester). There are several very cute little bed and breakfast places. Our favorite is Stone Mill Suites. There are also several B&Bs in old Victorian homes.

The Root River Trail runs through town. It's a great bike trail on an old railroad bed so it is relatively flat and very easy to ride or walk on. It is a total of 60 miles long and connects several small towns in the area. LanesborO is about 4.5 miles On the bike trail from Whalen where there is a very yummy pie shop! You can rent bikes in town for a very reasonable price (including tandem bikes).

There is a small lake/pond and a beautiful city park that the river runs through. There are often Amish families selling homemade preserves and baked goods, handmade baskets, quilts, and wooden items in the park. Weds and Sats there is a farmers' market in the park as well.

Downtown is full of quaint little shops, art galleries, and restaurants. There aren't any big box stores. There are a couple of different places that offer tours of Amish farms in the area, there is a theatre that is one of the best regional theatres in the area. They usually have 3-4 different shows each season. There are also horse drawn buggy and trolley rides through town.

About 14 miles away in Harmony is Niagara Cave. If you are into fishing the trout fishing is very good on the Root River. You can also rent canoes or tubes to take down the river.

The first weekend in June is their annual Rubarb Festival. Here is their web site: http://www.lanesboro.com/default.php There is a link on their web site for information on a Romance and Relaxation package.

Check out - http://holenthewalllodge.com/Accommodations.htm its a bit farther to the west than okoboji and there isn't much to do with in a days drive away but it could definately be a quiet, romantic getaway for 2 - if you just want to relax! Or spend the day in Sioux falls, SD and the night here - it's about an hour from sioux falls. the accomodations are beautiful and so much more than a hunting/fishing lodge! Okoboji is always fun - the barefoot bar, the Queen 2, etcc.

Well, it's a 4.5-5 hour drive, but it's great - Grand Marais, MN. It's my and my husband's favorite getaway spot. If you've never been there, it's a super cute little town with both expensive and inexpensive hotels and Bed & Breakfasts. There's a lot of nature to explore around the area, or you can just stay in town to eat and shop. The night life is really fun - in nicer weather the Gun Flint Tavern has bands every night on their roof. In colder weather they have the bands indoors. We always have a blast there. The drive up is beautiful, and you can make the drive there and back part of your trip too. Stop off in Duluth or some of the state parks along the way for more fun! Good luck and have a great time!
Amy K

Hi R.,
It might be helpful to state where you are, as this site seems to cover a few states. I'm assuming you're looking for an overnight spot that you can drive to in w/i a few hours? Also, what kind of budget? That would probably help you get some addl. responses. :-) I could start listing off some ideas, but they wouldn't be very usefull if too far or too costly. :-)

When my husband and I are looking for a quick, fairly inexpensive, romantic getaway, we will book a room at the FantaSuites in Burnsville. (www.fantasuite.com) If you've never been there (or heard of it), it has 23 themed suites. "From the ancient land of Caesar's Court to the futuristic Space Odyssey, let our FantaSuite Suites transport you to the world of your dreams. Each is a unique experience, an adventure, a romantic retreat designed to completely immerse you in the getaway of your choice. Every FantaSuite Suite includes a spacious whirlpool spa, one or more color televisions, customized furnishings and other amenities No matter which you choose, you're sure to be delighted with these extraordinary accommodations."

Good luck and enjoy!

I really like the Rosewood/Thorwood Inns in Hastings. (http://www.thorwoodinn.com/) It's close to the cities, and you can spend time in historic downtown antiquing, walking by the river, or even at Treasure Island if you're into that--they have non-gaming stuff like the boat tours and concerts. The Levee Cafe is a great place to eat, too.

I am not sure exactly what you are looking for in fun and romance, but my fiancee' and I drove down to Redwood Falls one weekend a couple months back and found a darling place called The Redwood Valley Lodge. You enter through glass double doors to a lovely high-ceilinged lobby in wood, with a guest computer and a couch in front of a fireplace. We checked in, took our things to our room, and just sat on that couch and cuddled for awhile while we waited for the van from the casino to pick us up. We had fun for about four or five hours at Jackpot, then caught the shuttle back to our hotel. We chatted with other guests on the way back, and saw a couple other places to stay. None seemed as nice as ours! When we returned, we sat in a little alcove where there was reading material and talked. Had we brought our swimsuits, we could have gone in the hot tub! After a good night's (partial) sleep, we went in search of the Continental breakfast, where there was the usual toast, cereal and coffee...and mix for freshly-made huge waffles on a waffle iron we made for each other! The morning news was on, there were games in the gathering area, and we are going back on our wedding night to stay a few days, because I have heard there are some beautiful places to see in Redwood Falls. Best of luck! Oh, and our hotel room was about $79.00/night. Here is contact info: 1-800-493-8594.
Link: <http://www.wegoplaces.com/Accommodation_59115.aspx&gt;

I've gone to okoboji my whole life. My parents were both born up there. Anyways we always stay at "the inn" it's on the water and you get individual little "cabins" which are really just individual little apartments. There is a golf course right there, a beach, a marina to rent boats and jet skis, a Dock for fishing or sitting. Plus they have an indoor pool and the usual hotel stuff.

Now in actual okoboji most of the stuff that is there revolves around the lakes. They do have great little boutiques... The most corporate store they have is a walmart in spirit lake which is a hop skip and a jump away. Everything else is little mom and pop joints. It's adorable and fun to go explore.

Plus you can go down to arnold's park... it's a little theme park (a very old one, my parents even met there in the 50's). It also has an area for great shops, including a salt water taffey store that they makes it right there in front of your eyes. You can also get on the "Queen II" a huge boat and ride it down the lake. It serves alcohol so it's actually really romantic.

Plus they have great restaurants. I love miss ladies. It's a mexican resturant I've gone to since I was little. It serves to die for soppapias (sp?), They are a delic desert that I crave all year till we get back there.

But anyways I'd wait till nearly the 4th for the lake to be nice and warm to head up there. Before that the water stuff isn't nearly as fun! LOL! We usually go up there for memorial day and also the 4th every year. Over the 4th they have a huge flea market annually. It's so much fun cause people come from all around to do that flea market and I always walk away with lots of great stuff. Plus they do fireworks over the lake. It's so much fun to get a boat and sit in the middle of the lake and watch them. The reflection it creates is absolutely stunning.

Hth!

My husband took me to a surprise anniversary getaway for 2 nights at the Champagne Lodge in Willowbrook, IL (Chicago). We had a great dinner at the Capital Grille one night and then the next night we went downtown for a nice dinner at another favorite restaurant and to Wicked at the Oriental(Broadway show in town at the time). Was a GREAT getaway. The rooms at the CL were very luxurious and quiet...and pitch black so we slept until like 10 am each morning! DREAMY!!!

http://www.champagnelodge.com/