Condé Nast Traveler lays out the best staycation resorts in Minnesota, Wisconsin
It's the season for booking those spring break getaways, and if you're looking to skip the airport this year, take a page out of the Condé Nast Traveler.
The esteemed travel publication shared its Readers Choice Awards for last year so real people chose their top resorts in the Midwest.
From Minnesota and the shores of Lake Superior, to just a few hours away from the Twin Cities in western Wisconsin, WCCO had a chance to sample the good life and show you all our area has to offer within reach.
We start in Chetek, Wisconsin, where Canoe Bay caters to people looking for some serious rest and relaxation. Canoe Bay started small in 1993, but today there are dozens of cottages and rooms.
Dotting the coastlines of three glacially carved, spring-fed lakes just outside of Chetek, it's design lover's dream, including a Frank Lloyd Wright-style throughout with big windows and natural elements, gas fireplaces, private outdoor spaces and gorgeous lake views.
Two are designed by John Rattenbury, a protégé of Wright's. The structures showcase the land around them, maximizing views and privacy.
The adults-only property is a place to procure peace, be it on a hiking trail or in the Lodge Library, featuring an original fireplace and lofty views.
Canoe Bay attracts visitors from Minneapolis, Chicago and Eau Claire — but it also attracts international travelers.
Two-and-a-half hours away, Wild Rice Retreat — another adults-only Wisconsin getaway — sits on the shores of Lake Superior in Bayfield. The saunas, yoga, forest bathing and other classes will help you achieve solace.
Roughly four hours west lies Madden's on Gull Lake, a golf lover's paradise not far from Brainerd with something for the whole family to enjoy. The Madden family has owned and operated the resort for nearly a century, with the third generation now at the helm.
The resort can host 300 guests, providing mostly lakeside views on Pine Beach Peninsula. It also boasts seven restaurants and three gold golf courses with 63 total holes.
Back at Canoe Bay in Chetek, we head to The Inn where food is a focal point, featuring an alluring wine cellar. Its lakeside dining room offers a three-course dinner, pulling inspiration and ingredients from their onsite garden, with other staples coming from nearby farms. A master gardener who's certified in foraging is also on staff.
It's all part of a carefully curated retreat that prioritizes simple pleasures that get lost in the day to day. Think of it as rejuvenation in reach, located just two hours from the Twin Cities.
Wild Rice Retreat and Canoe Bay both offer ownership opportunities. It's like having a cabin, but they do all the work. And they can also work to rent it out for you.
This is the fifth-straight year Madden's has made Condé Nast Traveler's Readers Choice Awards. It's also the third for Wild Rice Retreat, and Canoe Bay is also no stranger to the list.
