We went up to Lutsen Resort for the first-time last summer. You can check out our blog about this area in warmer weather here! This time around, we visited the same resort, but the winter activities in Lutsen look a little different!
Bent Paddle
Per usual, we had to pick up some growlers on the way! We broke up the four-hour drive from the Twin Cities up to Lutsen by stopping at Bent Paddle Brewing Co. in Duluth. They always have solid options here in the Lincoln Park District. We went with one of their staples, the cold press Black Coffee Ale, and two of the pilot beers: Playful Cream Ale and Blanketed Branches Porter. The drive from the Twin Cities to the north shore is a bit mundane for the first part, but once you hit Duluth, you’ll find pretty views of the water on the regular! You’ll even drive through some tunnels on the way up to Lutsen – don’t forget to hold your breath!
One of the tunnels you’ll pass through on 61 on your trip up to Lutsen!
Ski Rentals
We don’t own our own ski equipment, so figuring out rental logistics is always on the agenda. We did our rentals through Lutsen Mountains and they certainly made the process easy! We were able to pick our rentals up between 5-8 pm the night before our ski day so on the day of we could head right for the slopes instead of wasting our time in line. We were also able to pick up our lift tickets the night before. They have a cool system where they give you a card you put in your pocket (like an Epic Pass) and it automatically gets scanned to allow you onto the lifts, so you never have to get your fingers cold fiddling for your pass!
Lutsen Mountains Rental Shop
Lutsen Mountains Ticket Office – no lines!
Catching a glimpse of what we’ll be skiing the next day!
Lutsen Mountains Rental Shop
Lutsen Mountains Ticket Office – no lines!
Catching a glimpse of what we’ll be skiing the next day!
North Shore Winery
After securing our rental gear, it was time for a glass of wine! Luckily, North Shore Winery is open until 8:00 pm on Thursday evenings. You will see a sign for this cute winery on the right-hand side just after you turn left- north off 61 heading toward Lutsen Mountains. They have some indoor space, but that was full when we arrived, so we opted for the outdoor bonfire area. Adam and Cory sipped on their deep red wines (produced in California) while Jennie and I savored our sweet whites and delectable ciders (homegrown)! We enjoyed being surrounded by the colorful sky broken up by frosty winter trees and even caught a glimpse of Lake Superior from here!
North Shore Winery
Enjoying some wine and cider…
…with views!
North Shore Winery
Enjoying some wine and cider…
…with views!
Papa Charlie’s
After enjoying some north shore nectar, we headed to Papa Charlie’s to meet my parents for dinner. This restaurant is right at the base of Lutsen Mountains by the ticket office and rental shop. They are usually known for their big stage with live music, but it was a bit more tame than usual due to the COVID situation. We were able to sit in our own quaint corner with a fireplace and enjoyed some comfort food such as burgers, po’ boys, and chicken bacon alfredo pizza!
Papa Charlie’s at the base of Lutsen Mountains
Our own cozy corner at Papa Charlie’s
Papa Charlie’s at the base of Lutsen Mountains
Our own cozy corner at Papa Charlie’s
The cutest log cabin
After filling our bellies, we drove the quick jaunt back to our cabin at Lutsen Resort. When we stayed here last summer, we were in one of the Sea Villas which was pretty tight, so it worked well when we could do most of our activities outdoors. This time around, we stayed in a Log Cabin and I absolutely loved it! It quite literally looked like one of the cabins I used to create as a child with Lincoln logs. Not only did it look spectacular, but it also provided beautiful views of Lake Superior and had plenty of space for playing indoor games and cozying up to the fireplace.
Our log cabin for the weekend! Cabin 402
Beautiful views of Lake Superior from our cabin!
And adorable bedrooms!
Our log cabin for the weekend! Cabin 402
Beautiful views of Lake Superior from our cabin!
And adorable bedrooms!
Skiing the Lutsen Mountains
Friday morning was our ski day and we got so very lucky that we picked the 30-degree day instead of the 50-degree day when we booked several months before. We rolled out of bed and were ready for the gondola as soon as it fired up at 9:30 am. Lutsen is by far the best skiing in Minnesota! The runs are much longer than any of the runs in the Twin Cities area and the views of Lake Superior are gorgeous. I tended to find myself getting distracted by the endless sparkling water and would lose track of my immediate surroundings. My main goal on our one and only ski day up here was to get to all four of the “mountains” Lutsen has to offer- and we did just that! Our favorite area was Moose Mountain because there are blues galore and that’s totally our jam! Next best was Mystery Mountain mostly because we got some of the runs to ourselves right when it opened later in the day at noon. Eagle Mountain provides some longer easier runs on the backside and the Ullr is the place to hang out if you’re a beginner.
Gondola starts running at 9:30 am on Saturdays
And you bet we were one of the first ones on!
You get a great look at Lake Superior from the gondola!
But even better views from the slopes!
What a fun crew!
Gondola starts running at 9:30 am on Saturdays
And you bet we were one of the first ones on!
You get a great look at Lake Superior from the gondola!
But even better views from the slopes!
What a fun crew!
Rosie’s Cafe
Somehow there are crazy people who can ski for an entire day without a food break, but I’m all about enjoying chalet fare while watching some wipeouts through the window. We chose to eat at Rosie’s Cafe, which is right in the middle of all the action. If you’re going for something fancy this is not your place, but we certainly enjoyed our chicken strips, mini corn dogs, and calorie-filled baked goods! After some warm food, we had plenty of energy to ski until the chairlifts came to halt at 4:00 pm.
Hot tub in Lutsen Lodge
What’s the best thing to do after a full day of skiing? Soak in the hot tub! Lutsen Resort has a large hot tub in the main lodge that we all piled into to wind down with a Bent Paddle brew and calm our quads.
You turn by this sign to get to the main lodge where you’ll find a pool and hot tub!
Oberg Mountain Loop
The next morning was hiking day! We actually planned for this to be a snowshoe day, but the balmy 50-degree weather called for Yaktrax instead of snowshoes. We had tried Yaktrax before, but we finally bought our own pairs for this trip and it was definitely worth it. We felt confidently sturdy on our feet as we ploughed through the Superior National Forest. Our hike of choice on this fine sunny day was the highly rated Oberg Mountain Loop, a 2.6-mile trail with 521 ft of elevation. This was a beautiful winter hike which offered scenic overlooks every quarter mile or so.
We picked Oberg Loop in the Superior National Forest
Enjoying some winter hiking!
Putting those Yaktrax to use!
We stopped at all of the overlooks to fully embrace the beauty of the north shore!
We picked Oberg Loop in the Superior National Forest
Enjoying some winter hiking!
Putting those Yaktrax to use!
We stopped at all of the overlooks to fully embrace the beauty of the north shore!
Lutsen Resort Lodge
The weather was so beautiful we didn’t want to head back to the cabin quite yet, so we meandered through the trails just behind the Lutsen Resort Lodge. You can access the trails by going over their covered bridge! These provided opportunities to get right onto the rocks on the shores of Lake Superior.
The backyard of Lutsen Resort!
The trails bring you right to the rocks along the shore!
The backyard of Lutsen Resort!
The trails bring you right to the rocks along the shore!
Games in the log cabin
We spent the afternoon basking in the sun on our cabin’s deck facing the lake. It sure felt like an 80-degree day in the direct sunlight until the sun reached the tips of the evergreens and reminded us that it’s still March. We then enjoyed the coziness of our log cabin playing board games into the evening.
Enjoying our cabin’s deck!
Getting cozy playing games by the fireplace!
And of course, eating plenty of food!
Enjoying our cabin’s deck!
Getting cozy playing games by the fireplace!
And of course, eating plenty of food!
Moguls Grille & Tap Room
For our final north shore meal, we chose Moguls Grill & Tap Room located in the Caribou Highlands of Lutsen Mountains. This place had a great outdoor vibe boasting bonfires surrounded by outdoor games. Inside, where we ate, there were cool old-school ski chandeliers and giant windows to look out at the mountains. The highlight here was raising a toast to an awesome weekend with their homemade Limoncello shot! A big thank you to my parents for making this weekend happen!
Heading to Moguls Grille & Tap Room in the Caribou Highlands for dinner!
A cool lodge…
…with a bunch of fun games outside!
Heading to Moguls Grille & Tap Room in the Caribou Highlands for dinner!
A cool lodge…
…with a bunch of fun games outside!
We have now visited Lutsen in both the summer and the winter. Both times have been great! I say our next season up along the beautiful north shore would have to be the fall!