This camp is located in Alexandria. I reviewed it for that area, but wanted to share this fabulous…read morespot for all of you Twin Citians, thus the listing in St. Paul. They do have a website- adding the www and dot com thing. mountcarmelministries My family and I have been going To Mt. Carmel since my kids were barely in elementary school. Mt. Carmel is a beautiful family Bible camp on a large chunk of shoreline on Lake Carlos 4 miles north of Alexandria, Mn. A great swimming beach- diving dock, kayaks, canoes and a pontoon boat are there; kids are supervised by a lifeguard and there is a campfire ring as well as a sauna. No extra fees for using boats- or anything for that matter! We were looking for a Christian Camp with multiple programs for all ages and let me tell you, Mt. Carmel has something for everyone. There are Worship services in the morning and evening, Bible discussion groups, activites for the kids including crafts, games, movies- you name it. There is a gorgeous brand new Chapel overlooking Lake Carlos, and a beautiful lodge- plus 30 cabins and cottages. Mt. Carmel is one of the hidden gems in Minnesota that begs to be discovered. You can go there, be at peace, let your kids do their own thing and not have to worry about their safety or what they are doing. Their counselors are college students with a strong commitment to Faith and genuinely love teaching and being with children. This place is so wonderful- you can literally do all of the programs or do none of them. There is no pressure to participate, but you'll want to. Many of the guests have been going for generations, and there are just as many new guests who are discovering this sanctuary from the pressures of the world. The accomodations range from cottages, rustic cabins, remodled cabins, brand new cabins, RV sites and luxurious lodge rooms. A family of four can spend a week there for well under $1700, and that's with a top-tiered lodge room WITH FOOD! Cabins and cottages are less expensive and have a wonderful charm of a forgotten Minnesota. The food plans here are variable- you can go no food, some meals or full plan, which is what we do- breakfast, lunch dinner and snacks. There are a few special nights like a Hoedown or an ethnic buffet.' The food here is spectacular. Entrees range from grilled ribs and chicken to homemade lasagna to pizza to tatortot hotdish! Every lunch and dinner had homemade bread or rolls. Theres also a healthy salad bar and special diet considerations are available. My kids are a bit picky and they ate everything. They now have free WiFi too. Please treat yourself or your family to a week or weekend at Mt. Carmel- they are now open year-round for vacations, retreats and even business meetings. We have made many friends there and are so grateful we "took a chance". We usually do the same things- same restaurants, etc. This is now our most anticipated destination of our year! There is one bad thing about Mt. Carmel- my kids cry when we leave. That's quickly extinguished by the Dairy Queen in Alexandria on the way home.

This is bar none the best place to have a drink the food is magnificent the prices are by far the…read morebest around the crowd are the best of the best not to forget what the elk's do for the community

This place was interesting...and when I say interesting...I really mean "it was fine for a wedding…read morereception, but I am never going back here, even if I am in the area".... The service was okay, I guess. The beer selection was downright dismal with only one beer on tap - Amber Bock. The setting was okay enough for a small-town wedding reception - it had a few sets of bathrooms, a bar, elk heads and antlers proudly displayed on the walls, and a good-sized dance floor. Not much else was needed, really... I really don't have much more to say about this place. It was easy to find, had plenty of parking, and the bar was your typical small town bar...

Our car club had a fantastic evening picnic at Adler Ranch. There's so much to see and great photo…read moreopportunities. The space was perfect for everyone to gather together and easily accessible. The hosts were easy to work with. The s'more truck was a highlight!

My wife and I stayed here on a Sunday evening while passing through town. The hotel is sprawling…read moreand surrounded by large parking lots all the way around. We checked in at the lobby around 9 pm. For some reason, we were assigned a room on the opposite side of the hotel, literally a several-minute walk away. We ended up moving our car later in the evening to make a speedier departure in the morning. We passed several folks enjoying the bar. We were tempted but had plans for an early departure. We also passed on the indoor pool and gym. Our room was dated but fine. The king-size bed was surprisingly comfortable, and the room was quiet for a good night's sleep. The bathroom was tired and the shower weak but functional. For the low price we paid for the room, we got a good night's sleep.

Loud vacuuming by pool all day long even called ask them to stop an front desk said no ! We are on…read morevaca not here to listen to vacuum all day! Annnd it was a wendsday so nobody made floor dirty! Next paid 12$ for worse breakfast was smaller the continental breakfast u get free at other hotels! Rude staff! Pee all over pool bathrooms, dirty bandaids in hot tub! Instead of non english speaking man vacuuming same hall all day maybe clean pool area GROSS!!!

If you're ever in town and have some time, stop by this museum. Not huge, but full of beautiful old…read moreboats and fishing gear. There's a lovely garden are out back where events can be held, too.

This is one of the most interesting, outstanding museums in the state. Great care has been taken to…read moremake it appealing to all ages, genders and personal likes. Shows the history of the Lakes in Minnesota, and their early importance in the economy of the state. A don't miss when in Alexandria area!! You will not be disappointed. On Select Friday nights during the summer, the museum has concerts in the Gardens, which are also not to be missed.

Dog Owners Beware: Service Dog, ESA or Family Pet -- We Were Made to Feel Completely Unwelcome…read more We have stayed at more than 70 Marriott properties this year alone, and are Titanium Elite member. We travel extensively and always try to stay with Marriott, which is why this experience was so disappointing. Before we even had our luggage off the luggage cart, we received a call from the General Manager regarding our dogs. During that call, she went through an extensive list of rules concerning them. We completely understand hotels having policies and requiring guests to sign waivers--we have done this many times before and have never had an issue. After the call, I went to the front desk simply to make sure both dogs were properly noted on our reservation and to ask whether they needed any of their paperwork. The manager came out and, for the second time, went through the extensive list of rules regarding our dogs. I explained that our dogs are trained psychiatric service dogs and that the way the situation was being handled had put me into a full-blown panic. One of my dogs is specifically trained to recognize and alert to this. Unfortunately, even after I explained that, she continued repeating the rules and emphasizing that we were not to leave the room without the dogs. She also told me that she has three dogs herself and that she doesn't care what anyone says, "dogs bark." Working with dogs is my profession, and both of our dogs have gone through proper training. More importantly, our dogs had done absolutely nothing wrong. We had barely arrived at the hotel. We completely understand and respect hotel policies. What we could not understand was why, during the approximately one hour we were at this property, we were repeatedly made to feel as though our dogs were going to be a problem before they had even had the opportunity to settle into the room. The gentleman working the front desk was extremely nice, and I want to make sure that is acknowledged. Unfortunately, the General Manager's attitude and the way the situation was handled made us feel so uncomfortable and unwelcome that we decided to leave rather than stay for our two-night reservation. We still had to pay for the first night even though we left. After more than 70 Marriott stays this year, I can honestly say we have never felt so immediately singled out or unwelcome at a Marriott property. We weren't asking for special treatment. I simply went to the front desk to make sure our dogs were properly listed on our reservation and to offer any documentation they might need. We chose to leave because after only an hour, it was very clear that we were not going to feel comfortable staying there for two nights. For loyal Marriott guests who travel regularly with properly trained dogs, this was an incredibly disappointing experience.

Standard Fairfield experience. Mostly tidy room and common area. Pleasant service. Free parking…read more Convenient location off interstate. Not a bad choice if in area.

You wouldn't expect to find world class coffee in North Central Minnesota, yet that's just what you…read morefind when you walk into Reality Roasters. I can't say enough good things about this place. You will not be disappointed if you buy your coffee here.

From the owner: Located in Little Falls, Minnesota, we pride ourselves on meeting our customers' needs in terms of…read moreflavor profile, quality, freshness, aroma, and customer service. We roast coffee in small batches and have coffee beans available within minutes from our roaster in Little Falls, MN. This freshness is evident the moment you open one of our one-way valve, heat sealed bags.