Our kids wanted to come back every summer. When my eldest daughter married, one of her bridesmaids was a summer friend from Madden's. Grand View Lodge complements its 1,500-foot sand beach with an indoor pool and offers golf on three courses, including one designed by Arnold Palmer. In addition to the 1901 main lodge nestled among stately evergreens, the resort offers cottages, social programs, a children's program, tennis courts, meeting facilities and five restaurants. Northeast of Gull Lake, on Big Pelican Lake, Breezy Point Resort provides 36 holes of golf on two courses, water sports, indoor pools, a whirlpool, a large conference center and several restaurants.
Lodging includes condos, bungalows, and lodge suites and rooms.
Near Deerwood in the Brainerd Lakes Area, Ruttger's Bay Lake Lodge houses guests in lodge rooms, cabins, villas and condominiums. Guests enjoy two golf courses, tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools and a children's program. Many folks return to Ruttger's for its outstanding food, including baked goods, such as pastries and desserts, which are made daily on the premises. Bridging the gap between the large and the small resorts, midsize resorts in the Brainerd Lakes Area offer personal service and activities. At Boyd Lodge on Whitefish Lake, guests stay in 35 housekeeping cabins on attractive grounds with a sandy beach, water sports and children's activities.