Hello! We were totally thrilled to be invited by Lost Lake Lodge to stay for Memorial Day Weekend!

We went with my friend Rita and her family. The lodge is a beautiful, intimate, all-inclusive resort located a few miles away from Nisswa, MN.

Rita and I did some photography work while we were there. The lodge is going to use our photos for their promotions and web site.

It was an honor to be the photographer of this special spot! I am excited to say that I also might teach a mobile photography weekend clinic there someday...

Lost Lake Lodge is unique for several reasons.

The first is that it is a small, cozy resort with just 14 cabins. It seems that everyone we met had been coming there for years and years.

You can tell it is a beloved spot to many Minnesota families. A tradition. 

Secondly, it is all inclusive - and the meals are seriously gourmet! Every day we enjoyed a delicious breakfast buffet. The evening meals were out of this world. Perfectly cooked premium steaks, hazelnut encrusted walleye, Asian pork tenderloin, and, my favorite, a lamb manicotti that I had to have twice because it was SO good. It is definitely crave-worthy. One of those meals I'll be dreaming of eating again in a week or so!

When I posted a photo on Instagram and said that I was at Lost Lake Lodge, someone commented "Best food on Gull Lake" and they aren't kidding.

Gull Lake is BIG and has a lot of restaurants and Lost Lake Lodge's restaurant is certainly the gem. 

Also unique is that the lodge is on a point-like area that allows you access to two lakes! The very large and popular Gull Lake on one side and the small, private Lost Lake on the other.

On Lost Lake we saw turtles, frogs, bald eagles, and a pair of loons fly by while we played and swam.

We spent most of our days at Lost Lake - enjoying all of the toys that Lost Lake Lodge leaves out for their guests: SUP's, paddle boats, kayaks, canoes, a water slide, a floating island, and so much more. It was such a perfect spot for our boys to play! They got to try out every water toy.

It was hilarious to watch Arlo jump on a SUP for the first time and cruise away like he had been doing it for years. The beach area also had a basketball hoop, some swings, a fire circle and even a bath house with fresh towels, running water and a toilet. 

Our beautiful newly updated cabin was on the other lake, Gull Lake. Nearly every window had a view of the water. This morning I watched the fog roll off the water as the sun rose. An ethereal scene (until I fell back asleep!) 

Our cabin had a pier located just steps from our door and Cy had a blast bringing in one fish after another! One day he caught 32 fish in a little over an hour! 29 blue gills, 2 large mouths and a pumpkinseed. The fishing was terrific! We watched his new friend Henry pull in a fat croppie this morning! They definitely caught a lot of keeper-sized fish.

Speaking of his new friend Henry - that was the other thing that made Lost Lake Lodge really special.

Since it is so small, you feel a teeny bit like you're at camp (a really amazing camp with gourmet food). As I said, we came up with our close friends (Rita & her family) and we spent the majority of time with them. But we also made new friends: Charlie & Ann and their boys, Franklin and Henry. 

Our boys adored their boys! They became fast friends. And they live very close by to us in Minneapolis! The boys are already begging to have them over. We just loved their parents - they were down to earth, funny & kind - so hopefully we will hang out with them again back home!

On our last night we went with Rita's family out on a pontoon. We slowly cruised around, just enjoying the sights and sounds of Gull Lake. And finally, the boys did a little more fishing as the sun began to set. 

We will definitely be coming back up to visit! It was such an easy car ride home too! Just a little over 2 hours. We don't go to my parents' cabin in Wisconsin just for a weekend because it is too far away (4.5 hrs) to go Fri-Sun -but Lost Lake Lodge certainly is close enough for a weekend away. And they make it so easy - all you need to bring is a few sets of clothes - and they really do provide the rest!

Thank you so much Lost Lake Lodge for having us this weekend. It was an absolutely wonderful weekend filled with friends and fun. The perfect way to kick off summer and be with the ones we love. 

 With Love,

❤️The Emmer's