We finished draining the water lines last week just before heading to the Community of Minnesota Resorts fall conference. A few days later, we were named Resorter of the Year.
That’s quite a week for people whose most recent accomplishment was getting water out of pipes.
Being recognized by people who know this work means a great deal to us. We’re still learning, and so many of them have helped us along the way. As we close up for winter and start making plans for next summer, we’re grateful for their encouragement and the chance to keep caring for this place.
That’s how we’ve approached Wambolts since we arrived: keep the character, make thoughtful improvements, and think about the people who will spend their precious vacation time here. A better kitchen. A more comfortable gathering space. Somewhere to sit outside and let dinner run long.
Our family is building a life here. We’re also caring for a place that belongs in other families’ stories. That’s a responsibility we love, even when it involves plumbing.
Across Minnesota, other families are doing the same at little resorts and campgrounds. Working through the project list. Raising kids who know how to clean a cabin. Making places where someone else’s family can slow down and be together.
And every one of those places needs people who keep choosing it.
Your reservation helps pay for repairs, improvements, local help, and another season of welcoming guests. Then your visit reaches beyond the resort.
We love our Park Rapids community. We have great restaurants, independent shops, a hospital, and an incredible amount of arts and entertainment. Our guests help keep those lights on. They buy groceries, catch a show, pick up bait, and demonstrate admirable loyalty to the local ice cream supply.
When a little resort closes, those visits don’t automatically keep happening. Businesses down the road feel the loss, too.
We’ve learned how connected all of this is through Community of Minnesota Resorts, an association of independent resort and campground owners who share knowledge, combine buying power, and advocate for the industry.
That community has been transformational for us. Fellow resorters have answered questions, shared solutions, supported our family, and become dear friends. James joined the board, and I now work part time on advocacy and strategy so more families can have the opportunity ours has been blessed with.
But the future of these places depends on guests as much as owners.
So if there’s a little resort or campground you love, put a trip on the calendar.
Book directly when you can. Bring someone who’s never been. While you’re there, eat in town, browse the shops, buy tickets to the show. Leave a review and tell a friend.
And if Wambolts is your place, we’d love to have you back in 2027.
You don’t have to own a resort to help keep one going.
You just have to keep showing up.
We’ll take care of the project list. Well, most of it.
